Our Team - A Block Above Behavioural Consulting

Alexia Stack, M.Ed., BCBA

Behavior Analyst & Clinical Supervisor

Alexia resides in the breathtaking community of North Vancouver, British Columbia, with her growing family, where she enjoys road cycling, mountain biking, skiing, backpacking, travelling, surfing, painting, and writing. Alexia is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with over 17 years of experience working with toddlers, children, teens, and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Simon Fraser University (SFU) in 2001, and her Master of Education from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 2006. Her graduate coursework concentrated on the study of Autism and developmental disabilities.

Alexia is Clinical Director of A Block Above Behavioral Consulting. Alexia maintains a moderately sized caseload, allowing her to have direct contact with her own clients. Additionally, she provides supervision and training to a team of behavior consultants, whose aims are to become Board Certified Behavior Analysts. Alexia has a varied knowledge base of behavior analytic techniques including: Precision Teaching (PT), teaching to fluency, Direct Instruction (DI), Verbal Behavior (VB), Natural Environment Teaching (NET), Incidental Teaching, and Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT). Alexia is a PEERS certified instructor, and runs sessions with colleagues in her community.

Alexia is a sessional instructor at the University of British Columbia, and Capilano University, where she teaches courses in the department of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Special Education. She teaches courses in principles of ABA and the education of individuals on the Autism Spectrum. She has developed a research interest in the study of the treatment of trauma in children with Autism, and plans to expand her education and training in this area of study in the near future. Although Alexia works with a wide range of clients between the ages of 18 months and 40 years, she has developed a specialization in teaching pragmatic language and social skills, academics, emotion regulation to children and youth, and has expanded her skills to include programming for adults with ASD.

Alexia maintains ongoing membership with the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI), the Standard Celeration Society, and the British Columbia Association for Behavior Analysis (BC-ABA).

Alexia regularly presents her applied work at the Annual Convention for Applied Behavior Analysis, and has developed and presented workshops for parents, professionals, and schools in British Columbia. Alexia continues her education by attending conferences and workshops annually, locally and internationally.

Andrea Schneider, BCR., BCaBA

Junior Consultant & Program Manager

Andrea has been interested in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and developmental disabilities from a very young age. As a teenager, Andrea provided respite care and 1:1 support in summer camps to her cousin who is an individual with ASD. Over the years, Andrea recognized her intense passion for teaching, and her love of educating others about ASD. Andrea began to pursue formal education in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in 2008.

Since joining the A Block Above Behavioral Consulting team in 2009, Andrea has completed a Bachelor of Community Rehabilitation and Disability online through the University of Calgary. Currently, Andrea is working toward completing a Masters of Education in Special Education with a concentration in Autism and Developmental Disabilities at the University of British Columbia. Andrea attends local and international conferences, and has ongoing memberships with the British Columbia Association for Behavior Analysis (BC-ABA), the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI), and the Standard Celeration Society.

Andrea is a Board Certified assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) at A Block Above Behavioral Consulting where she works as a Junior Consultant and Program Manager. She has experience working with many different learners, ranging in age from toddlerhood to adulthood. Andrea has worked with these individuals across diverse home, community, and vocational settings. Additionally, Andrea has experience providing 1:1 support to students from preschool through high school.

Andrea has experience implementing a variety of interventions, including Natural Environment Teaching, Fluency Based Instruction, Verbal Behavior, and Direct Instruction, and the PEERS curriculum. Andrea is particularly interested in supporting individuals across the lifespan in terms of planning and transitioning to adulthood.

Outside of work, Andrea enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing soccer, road cycling, playing in community dodgeball leagues, camping, hiking, and travelling.

Robyn Lee, B.Kin.

Lead Behavior Interventionist & Program Manager

Robyn is originally from a small town in Ontario but has been calling Vancouver home for the last couple of years. She graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Kinesiology and then moved out west to find a job as a Kinesiologist. Through working at a children’s physiotherapy clinic, she was introduced to Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and soon found work as a behaviour interventionist. Although this was Robyn’s first job in the field of applied behaviour science, she has worked with children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities for the past 9 years. Robyn’s clinical experience working with this population include as a child and family support at SickKids Hospital and as a program facilitator for various recreation and education programs at Holland Bloorview Rehabilitation Hospital. Robyn has also provided support in recreation settings through summer camps for children with autism and facilitating provincial Special Olympics sporting events. Robyn has also provided services in home and community settings as a support staff for adults with developmental disabilities and as a behaviour interventionist for families and their children with autism. She has also worked in school settings as an education assistant, to support neurodiverse elementary and high-school aged students throughout Vancouver. These opportunities have allowed Robyn to gain experience working with a diverse range of individuals, from young children to adults, and in a variety of settings.

Through these diverse professional experiences, Robyn has developed a deep respect and passion for working with and teaching individuals with autism. To further pursue this passion, she is currently completing a Masters of Special Education at the University of British Columbia and specializing in Autism and Developmental Disabilities. With professional and volunteer experience in multiple different settings, Robyn understands the importance of holistic and individualized support in all of these areas. She joined the team at A Block Above in 2021 and looks forward to growing and learning as a professional while educating and empowering those she works with!

Besides Robyn’s passionate work pursuits, she loves being outdoors and exploring the natural beauty the Pacific Northwest has to offer through camping, paddle boarding and biking. She considers herself a foodie and loves trying new recipes and restaurants around the city!

Sam Wong, B.SC

Lead Behavior Interventionist

Samantha joined the team in May 2018 as a behavioral interventionist. She has a behavioral neuroscience background and has recently received a Bachelor of Science degree in this discipline from the University of British Columbia. Throughout her degree, Samantha has conducted academic research in abnormal psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Recently, she also completed a research project on inclusive education in British Columbia focusing on the needs of students on the autism spectrum with a team of four.

Her experience with children includes volunteering in inner-city in-school projects through the UBC Reading Week Project and Writers' Exchange. She has also worked in a summer camp for the summer of 2017. Currently, she is focusing on working with children on the autism spectrum with age ranging from 2 to 10.

Samantha is aspiring to pursue graduate studies in school psychology and conducting academic research in the area of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Outside of work, Samantha enjoys spending time with friends and family, going to the beach, watching Netflix, and going out for brunch.

Diane Nguyen B.SC

Lead Behavior Interventionist

Diane studied Neuroscience and Physiology during her undergraduate degree at the University of British Columbia, and has always been passionate about working with individuals with additional needs. This led her to supplement her degree with coursework that taught her the importance of early intervention, how stimulating environments can aid in development, and how to document behaviours in early childhood settings.

In the last 5 years, she has had the opportunity to apply her theoretical knowledge through facilitating recreational programming for children and teenagers with autism, and later shadowing multidisciplinary teams working towards community rehabilitation for children on the spectrum and individuals facing the lasting effects of Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam.

In search of an opportunity to gain more hands-on experience in supporting individuals with additional needs, Diane became a behaviour interventionist with A Block Above in 2018. She is thrilled to continue developing her skills, and always looks forward to seeing what each day on the job brings.

On the weekends, she spends her time drawing, singing, exploring fitness classes around Vancouver, and browsing movies at Black Dog Video.

Sophia Savalli

Lead Behavior Interventionist

Sophia joined the team in January of 2021 and is currently one of the lead behaviour interventionists. She is currently in her fourth year of completing a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Sciences at the University of British Columbia. During her time at UBC, Sophia has focused her research and studies on mental health disorders and utilizing digital healthcare platforms. Sophia is planning to pursue a Masters in Occupational Therapy with a concentration in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Assistive Technology.

Sophia loves working with children of all ages. Over the years, Sophia has gained experience working with children in various capacities by coaching children's sports programs, tutoring French, and working as a leader at children's camps. Working at A Block Above has introduced new skills, resources and a deeper passion for seeing children succeed in what they do.

Sophia loves art, spending any free moments drawing, painting or doing digital design. She also loves to spend time exploring what beautiful British-Columbia has to offer, though most of all she enjoys spending time with friends.

Annkatrin Becker, B.A.

Lead Behavior Interventionist

Anni joined the team of A Block Above in June 2021. She recently received her degree in Psychology from the University of British Columbia, where she formed an interest in developmental psychology and a passion for working with individuals who need additional learning support. Before moving to Canada, Anni worked with refugee children from Syria in Germany. She spent her time teaching German and helping to build community skills, which fostered a deep enthusiasm for encouraging children and youth to thrive as their unique selves. During her undergraduate degree, she spent 1-2 days a week at the Elizabeth Fry Drop-in Centre providing emotional support to women with diverse backgrounds.

Since Anni joined the team as a behaviour interventionist, she has learned about the value of individualized intervention. She is excited about continuing to grow and improving her skills in the field of ABA. In the near future, Anni is eager to pursue graduate school in Developmental Psychology focusing on mental health in individuals with developmental disabilities.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time outside with friends, hiking, cooking, exploring restaurants around Vancouver, and reading.