ABOUT
Pivotal Minds ASD Treatment Centre was established to offer effective and affordable treatment options to children affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders. We are passionate about improving children's development, allowing them to thrive, and enabling them to live a full and rewarding life. We believe there is nothing better than watching a child grow and develop to their full potential and we are committed to providing outstanding quality services to reach that goal.
Dr. U. Cellupica, MD, FRCPC
Medical Director
Dr. Cellupica is a community-based pediatrician with a special interest in developmental and behavioural pediatrics. He works as part of a team that provides diagnostic assessments to diagnose or rule out ASD in children.
Dr. Cellupica completed his Bachelor of Science Degree at the University of Toronto and he received his MD from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. He completed his training in Pediatrics at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Dr. Cellupica served on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Pediatric Society and he has served on expert panels for the Government of Ontario, as well as other provincial and federal organizations.
Daniella Tarquini
Executive Director
Daniella ensures that our centre maintains the exceptional standards we have built our solid reputation on.
Her focus is on developing and maintaining a responsive, service-oriented organization that meets your family's needs. Daniella oversees the PRT Programs and provides compassionate guidance to families throughout their involvement in our centre. She brings a wealth of knowledge, kindness and patience to all of her encounters with clients.
GET TO KNOW US
KARIN FOULDS
CLIENT CARE REPRESENTATIVE & ADMIN ASSISTANT
Karin is our Client Care Representative and Administrative Assistant with a special flare for taking care of our Pivotal Minds Families. She is here to answer any questions you might have about the services we offer, will assist you in navigating your way at your initial consultation and will help settle you and your child in at the centre once you begin.
Karin has been working within the social services sector in a variety of settings for over 20 years and brings with her a friendly yet efficient approach in her role as an administrative professional.
SALIMAH HALANI, M.ADS, BCBA
CLINICAL SUPERVISOR
Salimah is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA). She earned her Masters of Applied Disability Studies (M.ADS) with a specialization in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), at Brock University in 2016. She also holds a BA (Hons) in Psychology from York University.
Salimah is a member of the Ontario Association for Behaviour Analysis (ONTABA).
MOJGAN ZARRABI, M. ED., BCBA
CLINICAL SUPERVISOR
Mojgan is a Board-Certified Behaviour Analyst. She has an MD from Tehran University of Medical Sciences and an MEd in Developmental Psychology and Education from University of Toronto.
Mojgan has been working with children with autism and special needs in both structured (DTT) and Naturalistic (PRT) settings. She has also worked for several years as a researcher in the field of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Supervising Therapist(s) (Certified in PRT)
CLARISSA WONG
SUPERVISING THERAPIST
Clarissa is a Supervising Therapist. She has over 7 years of experience working with children and youth aged 2 to 15 years in clinical, home and school settings. She has a passion for working with families and other professionals helping children with special needs develop skills for independence and overcome challenges. Clarissa holds a Masters degree in Mental Health Counselling and she is working towards accreditation as a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst.
VINCENZO MATUSDIAZ
SUPERVISING THERAPIST IN TRAINING
Vincenzo has been working with children and youth with complex needs since 2016. Specifically, his experience is working with individuals with varied diagnoses including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as well as comorbid developmental, physical, behavioural, emotional and challenging behaviours. Vincenzo has completed his Masters in Applied Disabilities Studies (M.ADS) with specialization in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) from Brock University. He currently uses Discrete Trial Training (DTT) and Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) to teach children various skills and programs.
Instructor Therapists (Certified in PRT)
Instructor Therapists are responsible for providing direct intervention, implementing programs, recording data and attending clinical team meetings + much more!
Each member of our team has a background in Applied Behaviour Analysis. At Pivotal Minds we provide ongoing proprietary training and support to our therapists. They work alongside a team of paraprofessionals and under the supervision of a Supervising Therapist and Clinical Supervisor (BCBA). They also work under the Medical Director and Executive Director.
Our Instructor Therapists will not be awarded clients until the Supervising Therapist(s) and Clinical Supervisor(s) give their approval.
We truly pride ourselves on our teams as they are a special bunch! Each valuable member of our teams bring such caring, compassionate and unparalleled skills to our organization. We all work closely together and consider ourselves the Pivotal Minds "family". Our clients feel this and consistently report that our team is one of a kind.