Our Staff

Keith Landherr, M.A., O.T.

Director of Little Buddies Pediatric Therapy Inc.
Occupational Therapist
Certified DIR Floortime® Trainer

You can find me at both the Burnaby and Richmond clinics!

Keith is a graduate of New York University’s (NYU) Occupational Therapy Program and has over 25 years of experience as an Occupational Therapist. Keith has advanced training in Sensory Integration, Multiple Therapeutic Learning Systems, and Neuro-Development Treatment and is a certified DIR Floortime Trainer. He initially trained at Babies and Children’s Hospital of New York City. He has presented to child development centres in British Columbia and New York City and has provided lectures for ICDL’s DIR Floortime Training Program, New York City Department of Education, Babies and Children’s Hospital of New York, and as an adjunct professor of Occupational Therapy at NYU. Keith has training and experience in treating sensory processing differences in individuals from birth through adulthood in early intervention programs, school-based services and private Occupational Therapy clinics. Keith is the Director and founder of Little Buddies Pediatric Therapy Incorporated, where he strives to prove family-centred treatment to children and families while honouring their unique histories and individual differences. Keith is currently a Ph.D. student in the Fielding Graduate School’s Infant and Child Development program.

Alysha Paiaro, M.O.T.

Assistant Director of Little Buddies Pediatric Therapy Inc.
Occupational Therapist
Certified Proficient DIR Floortime® Practitioner & Registered PLAY Project™ Consultant

You can find me at the Burnaby clinic!

Following graduation from the University of British Columbia in 2016 with a Master’s in Occupational Therapy, Alysha joined Little Buddies Pediatric Therapy, where she is now Assistant Director. Her lifelong love of learning has driven her to complete post-graduate education in sensory integration, trauma & attachment, pediatric feeding & swallowing, therapeutic listening, and neuro-developmental treatment. It was at Little Buddies that she developed a passion for integrating the holistic DIR Floortime approach into her practice. She has become a proficient DIR Floortime® Provider and Registered PLAY Project Consultant. She is proud to be the Assistant Director of Little Buddies Pediatric Therapy, where neurodiversity is celebrated and holistic, relationship-based, person-affirming treatment is provided to children and their families.

Devin Bennett, M.Sc., O.T.

Occupational Therapist
Certified Basic DIR Floortime® Practitioner & Registered PLAY Project™ Consultant

You can find me at the Burnaby clinic!

Devin is a graduate of Dalhousie University’s Master of Occupational Therapy Program. Devin is a certified Basic DIR Floortime® Practitioner, registered PLAY Project™ Consultant, and SOS Feeding Therapist, and has also completed postgraduate courses and programs, including Integrated Listening Systems (iLs) and Embracing and Understanding Individual Differences Workshop with Rosemary White. Since beginning with Little Buddies, Devin has worked with a variety of different diagnoses, including autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and children with complex behavioural challenges. He is committed to learning each child’s overall profile and providing the necessary care for them to reach their maximal potential.

Rahilla Waheed Bhat, M.O.T.

Occupational Therapist

You can find me at the Burnaby clinic!

Rahilla completed a 4.5-year Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy, followed by a 2-year Master’s degree with a specialization in Orthopaedic at Jamia Hamdard University in New Delhi, India. Her holistic approach, combining clinical excellence with cultural sensitivity and a strong family focus, makes her an exceptional and invaluable resource for the children and families she serves. She has extensive experience supporting children with diverse developmental needs like sensory processing differences, motor delays, self-regulation challenges, ASD, and ADHD. Her therapeutic approach is play-based, individualized, and developmentally appropriate, integrating evidence-based methods such as neuro-developmental treatment, and Sensory Integration to foster holistic development. Rahila is excited to be working in a setting that incorporates DIR Floortime® into every treatment session.

As part of Rahilla’s family-centered and strengths-based care, she assists in establishing meaningful and functional goals that are not only relevant to the child’s development but also seamlessly integrate into their daily routines family-centered and strengths-based care.  Goals then reflect each child’s unique strengths, individual needs, and specific interests, ensuring that interventions are both effective and engaging. Rahilla creates a safe, enjoyable, and supportive environment with the aim of empowering children to thrive, build self-confidence, and experience the profound sense of accomplishment that comes with success.

Rahilla is a polyglot, fluent in Hindi, Urdu, Kashmiri, and English. This linguistic versatility allows her to connect deeply and communicate effectively with diverse families, ensuring culturally responsive care. Her commitment to delivering culturally responsive care is unwavering, ensuring that all families she serves feel understood, respected, and genuinely supported throughout their therapeutic experience. 

Megan MacKay, M.Sc., RSLP, BCBA

Speech-Language Pathologist and Behaviour Analyst
Certified in It Takes Two to Talk® and ABC and Beyond®

You can find me at the Richmond clinic!

Megan graduated from the University of British Columbia (UBC) with a Master in the Speech Sciences program from the Faculty of Medicine and a specialization in the Special Education program from the Faculty of Education. She has 20 years of experience working as a Speech-Language Pathologist and Behaviour Analyst. Megan has advanced training in the Early Start Denver Model, SOS feeding program, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Advanced Literacy program, SCERTS®, Hanen: It takes two to talk and ABC and Beyond. She has extensive experience working with children with autism and other developmental delays. Megan’s approach to therapy is family-centred care with a mix of child-led play-based therapy and adult-directed ABA. Megan is very active in the SLP community and holds a position on the Board for Speech and Hearing BC. When she is not working, Megan enjoys spending time with her family, including her three young boys.

Sarah Semeniuk M.O.T., B.Kin.

Occupational Therapist
Certified Basic DIR Floortime® Practitioner

You can find me at the Richmond clinic!

Sarah graduated with a Master’s in Occupational Therapy from the University of British Columbia in 2020 after completing her Bachelor’s of Kinesiology at the University of Victoria in 2014. Sarah has previous experience working as a Behavioural Interventionist and Team Leader at a group home where she provided 1:1 care to children and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She is passionate about providing family-centred, holistic care that focuses on the individual and unique attributes of the child. Sarah is committed to creating a fun and safe space for children to play and develop social, emotional, and functional skills so that they can participate in activities that are meaningful to them. Sarah values ongoing learning and has attended workshops focusing on Trauma-Informed Practice and Core Emotion-Focused Family Therapy. She has also completed her certification as a Basic DIR Floortime Practitioner and is a certified SOS Feeding Therapist.

Sasha Wertheim M.A., RSLP, CCC-SLP

Speech-Language Pathologist

You can find me at the Richmond clinic!

Sasha received her M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from San José State University in San José, California in 2007. Sasha’s primary goal is to improve the lives of individuals with complex communication needs and their families. She has worked in both clinical and school settings to support children and young adults with complex communication needs through direct service and consultation models. Sasha specializes in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and has experience supporting children with a wide variety of needs, including Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, and Oral Apraxia. She is a strong proponent of strengths-based, child-led therapy for Autistic individuals and continues to pursue learning in the areas of Gestalt Language Acquisition and Autistic social communication that supports authenticity and acceptance of the needs of Autistic individuals. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the Lower Mainland with her husband and dog and finding ways to approach life with curiosity and creativity.

Garima Manek, M.O.T.

Provisional Occupational Therapist

You can find me at the Burnaby clinic!

Garima graduated from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 2024 with a Master’s in Occupational Therapy, having previously earned her Bachelor’s in Psychology from the same institution. Originally from India, she moved to Canada for her education and is trilingual in English, Hindi, and Gujarati. During her fieldwork placements, Garima worked as a Student Occupational Therapist at a private pediatric clinic in Montreal, where she gained experience with the DIR Floortime model, fostering relationships with children and implementing play-based interventions. Before her master’s degree, she worked as a Behavioral Interventionist with a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder. As a BI, she tailored interventions to target the child’s gross and fine motor development, communication skills, self-regulation, and social behaviours. Garima is passionate about providing culturally safe, strengths-based, and individualized care. She believes in recognizing and building on each child’s unique abilities and interests, tailoring her approaches to engage them fully. By collaborating closely with parents and caregivers, she aims to create meaningful experiences that help achieve each child’s goals. Garima is excited to continue learning about the DIR Floortime approach and is completing the professional development needed to become a certified Basic DIR Floortime Provider.

Leeza Pertsev, M.O.T., B.Kin.

Occupational Therapist

You can find me at the Burnaby clinic!

Leeza is profoundly committed to establishing strong partnerships with families and believes that collaborative efforts are paramount to facilitating meaningful progress that generalizes over multiple environments for the children she serves. Acknowledging and celebrating a child’s unique strengths and interests allows Leeza to create a highly supportive and empowering environment that promotes learning, growth and a deep sense of success and accomplishment for children and their families. Her dedication to fostering independence, coupled with her holistic and family-centered approach, makes Leeza an exceptional occupational therapist.

Leeza’s dedication and compassion for OT started with her strong academic background and diverse practical experience. Leeza has a Master’s in Occupational Therapy (UBC), Bachelor’s of Kinesiology UBC and a diploma in Sport Science. Her education provides her with in-depth knowledge of human movement and its impact on functional abilities. 

Throughout her career, Leeza has gained invaluable practical experience in both clinical and community-based settings. This varied exposure has allowed her to work with a wide range of children, each with unique needs and challenges. She has a proven track record of assisting children in developing greater independence across numerous vital areas of their lives. Her expertise encompasses motor development, where she helps children refine their fine and gross motor skills to engage more effectively with their environment. She is adept in the use of sensory processing by guiding children to better understand and respond to sensory input in a way that fosters self-regulation, managing their emotions and behaviors, and improving their daily living skills. Leeza is excited to be working in a setting that incorporates DIR Floortime® into every treatment session. Leeza leads an active life, enjoying hockey, soccer, and gym visits, highlighting her commitment to movement, teamwork, and well-being, which further informs her understanding of the importance of movement and engagement. She also values time with her dog and reading.

Giovanni Godoy, B.Sc.

Occupational Therapy Assistant
Certified Proficient DIR Floortime® Practitioner

You can find me at the Burnaby clinic!

Gio is a graduate of the University of Central Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Biology and is a certified Registered Behaviour Technician. Gio was born in Honduras and moved to the United States at eleven years old, he is bilingual in both Spanish and English. Growing up, he was always passionate about science and always found the human body pretty interesting, especially the brain. Gio has been working with autistic children since 2019. He is very passionate about this field and hopes to grow and make an impact in Occupational Therapy. He is a certified Floortime practitioner and has completed his DIR 202: Promoting Higher Functional Emotional Developmental Capacities.

Clare Urquhart, B.Kin.

Occupational Therapy & Speech-Language Pathology Assistant

You can find me at the Richmond clinic!

Clare is an OT and SLP assistant at our Richmond clinic. She has been working with us since 2019, previously working as our office manager. Clare has recently completed her Bachelor of Kinesiology at Capilano University and has been accepted to the UBC Master of O.T. program starting this fall. In her free time, she enjoys playing video games, creating embroidery artwork, and always finding new things to learn. Clare is a certified SOS Feeding therapist and strives to create meaningful relationships with our clients through laughter and play.

Yara Berron Garcia

Occupational Therapy Assistant

You can find me at the Richmond clinic!

Yara is a dedicated person who pursued a career in medicine because of her passion for helping others. She studied back in Mexico and worked as a doctor for three years. However, Yara wanted to explore new interests and broaden her horizons, so she moved to Vancouver and enrolled in the Kinesiology program at Langara College to deepen her understanding of the human body. Yara is also a creative person who enjoys craft activities like building Lego and miniature projects. She finds this artistic outlet helps her relax and be creative. Yara is also passionate about nature and animals and actively engages in environmental activities. She believes in the power of empathy and compassion and strives to make a positive impact on the lives of others. With her diverse range of interests and genuine love for helping others, Yara embraces every opportunity to contribute to the well-being of everyone she encounters.

Kwiryung Kim, B.Sc.

Occupational Therapy Assistant

You can find me at the Burnaby clinic!

Kwi graduated with a Bachelor of Health Science, Department of Occupational Therapy from Nagasaki University, Japan, in 2020. Before moving to Canada, Kwi worked as an Occupational Therapist at the Child Developmental Support Facility, which mainly used Sensory Integration Therapy with children and families who had diverse needs for two years. Prior to this work experience, Kwi had been joining the Pediatric Occupational Therapy Sessions as a student volunteer for four years at the same office. Through these 6 years, Kwi gained precious experience with a wide range of clients, from toddlers to youth, and developed her interest in children’s supportive environments in other countries and decided to come to Canada. After moving to Canada, Kwi started studying Early Childhood Education as a first step in her new journey and received an ECE license. Kwi finished the Infant & Toddler Education and Special Needs diploma as well as the Basic ECE courses and developed her knowledge of the fundamentals of the growth of children. She also worked with youth who have a variety of needs as an Integration Support Worker, using community resources in Vancouver. Kwi, fortunately, met this opportunity to work as an OTA at Little Buddies and restarted to develop her career in this field. In her free time, Kwi loves to watch movies, dance, and listen to music.

Jodi Ferrer, B.Sc.

Occupational Therapy Assistant

You can find me at the Richmond and Burnaby clinics!

Jodi is an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) working at the Richmond and Burnaby clinics. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of British Columbia in 2025. Jodi has extensive experience supporting individuals with disabilities, particularly children and adults with developmental differences. As a Behaviour Interventionist, she provided one-on-one support to children using evidence-based strategies rooted in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). Her role involved implementing individualized programs focused on communication, social skills, and daily living tasks, while building strong, trusting relationships with clients and their families. Her commitment to community inclusion and social connection is reflected in her volunteer work with Strive Living Society, where she helped facilitate recreational programs and co-led aphasia conversation groups. Jodi also contributed to research at G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre as a Research Assistant in the CEDAR Brain Injury Lab, where she supported studies aimed at improving quality of life for individuals recovering from brain injuries. This experience deepened her understanding of neurorehabilitation and further sparked her interest in occupational therapy. As an OTA, Jodi supports client-centered, goal-driven interventions that promote independence and meaningful participation in daily life. Outside of work, Jodi enjoys singing, exploring new travel destinations, and binge-watching horror movies!