Our Team
Driven by our values and love for the population that we serve, we have come together to provide an interdisciplinary model of integrated services
Our mission is to offer optimal, innovative, well-coordinated and evidence-based approaches to treatment and management of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Our team is made up of highly trained and experienced registered health professionals that represent the medical, psychological, psychosocial, and educational professions working in partnership.
Our group provides a full spectrum of services by helping parents who have faced wait lists and sequential gaps in services over time.
Nathalie Garcin, PhD, clinical psychology and founder of Clinique Spectrum
For that last 7 years, Dr. Garcin was Executive Director of a non-profit endeavour offering services, research and knowledge transfer activities for people with autism spectrum disorders and developmental disabilities.
Following the completion of her PhD in clinical psychology in 1999, she was a professor in the department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine at Queen's University from 2000 to 2004.
She went on to act as Director of Professional Services for two developmental services agencies in Montreal, serving over 1,300 individuals with ASD and intellectual disability.
In 2012, Nathalie was appointed to the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Advisory committee on the surveillance of Autism spectrum disorder (NASS) and in 2016, she was appointed as Board Member of the Canadian Alliance for Autism Spectrum Disorders (CASDA).
When not caring for her clients and families, Nathalie enjoys traveling with her family and has recently received PADI scuba certification.
Carol Brebion, MD, FRCP, psychiatry
Dr. Carol Brebion has an MD from McGill University and has practised psychiatry for the past 20 years.
Most recently, she has spent 8 years working on the trans-disciplinary team for severe and challenging behaviours among the intellectually disabled and ASD populations of Montreal at the two large government agencies offering services to individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities (CRDITEDMTL and CROM). She is regularly involved in instructing psychiatry residents and is a faculty lecturer at the McGill Psychiatry Department.
Dr. Brebion offers pharmacological consultations for children and adults with autism and or intellectual disability suffering from comorbid psychiatric disorders and severe behavioural difficulties.
In her spare time, Carol loves reading books and spend time with her family.
Brittany Mendes, M. H. Sc., SLP (C)
Brittany Mendes is a Speech and Language Pathologist. She obtained her Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Ottawa which was preceded by a Bachelor of Child Studies with a minor in Linguistics from Concordia University.
She has experience working with clients of all ages, most recently preschool and school-aged clients with various speech and language difficulties in both English and French. She has worked in various settings and believes in a client-centered and functional approach in order to best meet the needs of your child.
She is a certified member of Speech Audiology Canada (SAC) and of the Ordre des Orthophonistes et Audiologistes du Québec (OOAQ). Brittany is certified in the Lidcombe Program.
In her spare time, Brittany enjoys travelling, cooking, and skiing.
Rebecca Simon, PhD, Psychologist
Rebecca Simon received her Ph.D. in School/Applied Child Psychology from McGill University in 2008. She then worked for 10 years as a clinical psychologist at the Montreal Children’s Hospital leading diagnostic assessments for children and adolescents suspected of having ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders. She has also been involved in various research and supervision activities at the McGill University Health Center. Dr. Simon received her certification as an independent ADOS-2 trainer in 2010 and conducts both clinical and research trainings in English and French both locally and internationally.
Nathalie Benaroche, MSc, BCBA
Nathalie Benaroche received her Master of Science in Applied Behaviour Analysis and Autism from the Sage Colleges in 2016. She is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst who has been working with individuals with autism for over 10 years. Nathalie has spent the last several years working as a senior interventionist in a center-based program, and has supervised numerous clients in schools, daycares and homes. She has experience integrating young children into school and daycare and has led social skills groups for elementary school-aged children. Nathalie also has extensive experience in the realm of toilet training. In 2018, she led a group of young adults with special needs on a 10-day trip to Israel. Nathalie is thrilled to be part of the team at Clinique Spectrum!
Akouvi Tugli-Gossou, BSc, BCaBA
Akouvi graduated from State University of New York, Empire State with a Bachelor’s degree in community and human services. She obtained her Associate degree in Early Childhood Education from Georgia State University’s Perimeter College. She joined the field of applied behaviour analysis in 2011 in the US where she worked as a behaviour interventionist in a school-based center for children with autism and intellectual disability. A few years later, as her interest in the field has grown, she decided to enhance her skills by taking ABA coursework at the Florida Institute of Technology.
Now as a BCaBA, Akouvi utilizes scientific, evidence-based ABA practices to treat problems of social significance. In collaboration with the team of service providers, Akouvi has conducted behaviour assessments, trained parents, designed and carried out treatment plans for her clients. She is dedicated to providing support to family members and allow her clients to live independent and quality lifestyles.
She currently lives in Montreal and provides services to clients in this area.
In her free time, Akouvi loves to spend quality time with her family, listen to music, and talk to her mother.
Isabelle Yun, Administrative Coordinator
After navigating in different fields, including media, health, and the legal world, Isabelle decided to go back to her first interest and return to the world of mental health. She worked for 5 years in Dr. Éric Fombonne’s team, in the ASD research department of the Montreal Children's Hospital. It is with great pleasure that she decided to join Clinique Spectrum in the fall of 2017.
Richard Kerkhoven, MSc, BCBA
Richard Kerkhoven is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) with over 15 years of experience working with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other special needs. Richard has worked in specialised school settings, has supervised over 50 interventionists offering intensive intervention services to children, and has worked with and supervised the programs of over 75 children, supporting their families, and successfully integrating them into the school setting.
He obtained his Master of Science in Psychology from Kaplan University specializing in the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis, which was preceded by a bachelor of Psychology from Concordia University. He has extensive experience with parent coaching, conducting behavioural assessments, and the creation of successful intervention plans.
Richard has experience working in public and private, center-based intensive behavioural intervention programs, integrating children into the school system and working privately with clients in home-based settings. He has clinically supervised center-based programs and given trainings promoting the use of applied behaviour analysis (ABA) to help treat children with special needs., Richard has also received training and has developed his clinical skills in the assessment of children and is now working closely with the Clinique’s assessment team.
In his spare time, Richard is a Canadiens hockey fan, likes to take long runs, and is busy spending time with his family, and raising his two boys.
Lisa Reisinger, PhD, psychology
Dr. Reisinger is a developmental psychologist who has over 25 years experience working with populations with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Over the years she has enjoyed working in the public and private sectors. In the public sector, she worked as a clinical leader in the Montreal Children’s Hospital’s ASD Complex Case and research teams and she worked in the West Montreal Readaptation’s trans-disciplinary team for severe and challenging behaviours. She has enjoyed many years providing psychotherapy to children, teens, and adults.
Dr. Reisinger was a Canadian site-supervisor in the collection of the Simons Simplex Collection (SSC), which is to date, the largest permanent repository of genetic samples from families of individuals with ASD who do not have a family history of autism.
Dr. Reisinger has her certification as an independent ADOS-2 and ADI-R trainer. She offers private training and supervision to professionals involved in the diagnosis of autism and its related populations.
She has over 15 years of experience as a McGill University lecturer and she has written peer reviewed scientific journal articles and book chapters about autism and it’s related populations. She is a budding yogi and practices yoga to relax and connect with friends.
Hayley Vininsky, PhD, BCBA
Hayley Vininsky has a PhD from the Educational Psychology (Human Development) program at McGill University. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Concordia University, and a Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism from The Sage Colleges.
During her studies, she cultivated interests including best practices in applied behaviour analysis, and using technology in early intervention. As a "special sibling" herself, Hayley is also very interested in the experiences of siblings of individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Hayley has presented her research at international conferences across the United States.
Hayley is a practicing Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) most recently working as the Program Supervisor for a consultation program in Montreal, providing ABA consultation services for children, teenagers, and teenagers with ASD. Hayley has garnered much experience in working with both elementary and high school aged kids, and in running social skills groups for children and young adolescents. Additionally, Hayley co-developed an exam preparation course for Master's students in ABA working towards BCBA certification, and has supervised over a dozen individuals building their credentials in behaviour analysis.
In her spare time, Hayley enjoys reading, crafting, and catching up on the latest shows on Netflix.
Brenda Melhem, MA, BCBA, Clinical Supervisor
Brenda’s journey started as an ABA interventionist when her brother got diagnosed with autism. She wanted to stand by her brother and all children in need, and nurture them. Brenda joined Clinique Spectrum in November 2017, where she started offering behavioral analytic services to clients with special needs. She obtained her Master of Arts in Applied Behavioural Analysis from Florida Institute of Technology in May 2019 which was proceeded by a Bachelor of Biology from Concordia University in 2014. Brenda then received her BCBA Certification in September 2019.
With over 8 years of experience working with children with autism and other special needs, she has experience implementing direct behaviour analytic intervention, conducting behavioural assessments, supervising therapists, and supporting individuals and families to meet behaviour goals. Brenda has experience working with children in different settings such as daycares, homes and schools. She is also an instructor teaching individuals to learn how to effectively teach and support children with special needs and help them become a Registered Behaviour Technician. Brenda’s objective is to continue to serve children with developmental disabilities and help them achieve long-term goals. She is always looking forward to bringing her personal and clinical experience into the field of behaviour analysis.
In her spare time, Brenda likes to spend time with her family, cook and catch up on the latest movies.
Carolina Solis, MSc
Carolina Solis is a psychologist that has 15 years experience in the field of Autism and intellectual disability. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Mexico, a specialized graduate diploma (D.E.S.S.) in assessment, intervention, and psychological support for people with intellectual disabilities from UQAM (Université du Québec à Montréal), and a master’s degree in psychoeducation from UDEM (Université de Montréal).
She has enjoyed working in specialized services with clients and families that present comorbid conditions like severe challenging behaviours, trauma, sexual abuse, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation and cyberaddiction. She has experience working with parents with intellectual disability and she has also provided clinical supervision to graduate students across different disciplines, provided clinical support and training to various service providers in government and community organizations. Carolina uses evidence-based approaches like Cognitive behavioural therapy, Dialectical behavioural therapy, Play therapy and Motivational interviewing. She likes finding and creating concrete tools and strategies to support her clients. She offers services in French, English and Spanish, and works with children, adolescents, and adults.
In her spare time, Carolina loves travelling, hiking, gardening, and watching mystery Netflix shows.