Director & Behaviour Analyst Consultant, British Columbia

Meet Dr. Lauren, active mom of one and Clinical Director and Board Certified Behaviour Analyst at West Coast Feeding and Behaviour Specialists. She has her PhD in Special Education (concentration in autism and related disabilities). Lauren has been in the field since 1997 and has focused her research and clinical work on supporting families and individuals with severe feeding disorders. In 2010, Lauren opened her clinic as she wanted to provide families with evidenced based, family centred practice to treat feeding disorders. Being in the field, she observed a need to provide quality service to treat each individuals needs and a positive impact on their lives. Lauren’s practice has expanded to include a range of feeding concerns including, picky eating, bottle or milk dependence, chewing issues, and the eating disorder ARFID. For fun, Lauren enjoys cooking with her daughter, listening to live music, hiking, biking and coaching soccer.

“One of the greatest enjoyments of my work is helping parents teach their child to eat healthy foods. I love seeing parents develop the skills and confidence to keep adding foods into their child’s diet.”

Behaviour Analyst Consultant, British Columbia

Christine received her master’s degree in Special Education (concentration in autism and related disabilities) from UBC and her Advanced Citation in Disability and Applied Behaviour Analysis from Douglas College. Christine has been supporting children and families within the neurodivergent community since 2003. Since 2010, Christine has specialized her practice in the area of pediatric feeding. Christine has experience treating a range of feeding concerns, not limited to, picky eating, bottle or milk dependence, chewing issues, and the eating disorder ARFID (Avoidance Restrictive Food Intake Disorder). Outside of the clinic, you can find Christine spending time outdoors with her dog, paddle boarding and spending time with family and friends.

“One of my biggest joys is supporting families develop healthier and more functional meal routines which not only improves their child’s health and development but leads to improved quality of life for their entire family.”

Behaviour Analyst Consultant, British Columbia

Chantal received her master’s degree in Special Education (concentration in developmental disabilities) from the University of British Columbia and is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst. In 2013, Chantal began specializing in feeding disorders under the supervision of Dr. Lauren Binnendyk with West Coast Feeding and Behaviour Specialists. Chantal has focussed her practice to working with individuals diagnosed with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, food selectivity, food refusal, and oral motor delays. Chantal understands the underlying fear involved with trying new foods for most of the individuals she works with and uses evidenced based strategies to help them work through their fears to reach their goals. Outside of the clinic Chantal likes to travel, volunteer, and spend time with family.

“Eating touches on many aspects of life. I strongly believe that intervention is most successful when the the quality of life for the entire family has improved.”

Behaviour Analyst Consultant, British Columbia

Ivana graduated from UBC in 2020 with a Master’s degree in Special Education, and a concentration in Autism and developmental disabilities. In addition, Ivana also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Behaviour Analysis, and an Associate of Arts Degree in Psychology from Capilano University. Working in the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis, Ivana has acquired experience in providing respite care to families, implementing early intervention programs, collaborating with families to develop problem behaviour support plans, and most recently in supporting families with problem behaviours surrounding the mealtime routine. Ivana has a particular interest in teaching the necessary oral motor components for chewing.

“One of the best parts about my job is developing collaborative partnerships with parents and empowering them to support their child, through the intervention journey!”

Behaviour Analyst Consultant, British Columbia

Lindsay has a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and Autism from Capilano University and is a Board Certified Assistant Behaviour Analyst (BCaBA). She has been working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) since 2010. Lindsay has worked as a Behavioural Interventionist on home-based ABA teams, as an ABA Support Worker at a school for children with learning disabilities and as a respite provider for adults with ASD. Since 2018, under the supervision of Dr. Binnendyk, Lindsay has specialized her practice to the area of paediatric feeding where she has found her passion helping children learn to eat. Lindsay supports children with ASD and other developmental disabilities who are selective eaters and exhibit severe food refusal behaviour. She has a particular interest in working with toddlers and very young children. Outside of work, Lindsay enjoys exploring her neighbourhood of Strathcona, spending time with her friends and family, and playing with her cat Frankie.

“I believe all children are worthy of learning to eat and enjoy food. I love seeing the ripple effect a healthy and happy meal routine has on the rest of a child and their family’s lives!”

Behavioural Analyst Consultant, British Columbia

Patrick earned his Bachelor's degree (Hons) in Psychology with a clinical concentration from Bishop's University in 2013. He went on to complete a Master's degree in Child and Youth Care from the University of Victoria in 2017, and a post-graduate certification program in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) from Ball State University in 2019. He became a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst in 2020 and has been passionately practicing early intervention ever since, continuing to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the families he works with.

Since beginning his career in ABA in 2015, Patrick has accumulated a wealth of experience in early intervention and a wide range of skills that has expanded to include supporting clients with feeding disorders. Patrick strives to make each session not only effective but also engaging and enjoyable for his clients. His approach is rooted in the belief that learning should be a fun and positive experience, allowing his clients and their families to thrive in a supportive and encouraging environment.

Registered Behaviour Analyst (R.B.A) ONT, Ontario

Renata received her Master of Applied Disability Studies with a specialization in Applied Behaviour Analysis from Brock University in 2014 and is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst. She is a member in good standing with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario. Renata has worked in the field of autism since 2007 where she has held various roles including providing direct 1:1 service, consultation and clinical supervision within the Ontario Autism Program. With a passion for learning strategies to support children and families facing challenges around feeding, Renata received clinical supervision from and completed an internship with Dr. Binnendyk and her team from Spring 2022-Spring 2024.  Currently, Renata is partnering with Dr. Binnendyk to bring feeding services to Eastern Ontario and the GTA. Outside of work, Renata enjoys spending time with family and friends, being active outdoors and traveling.

“Eating is such a critical component of growth, development and general well being and being able to help families learn the skills to introduce new foods to their children is so rewarding! Seeing a parent empowered to support their child in such a meaningful way is truly incredible.”

Supervised Feeding Therapist, Ontario

Megan is a Board Certified Assistant Behaviour Analyst and a Capilano University graduate with a degree in Applied Behaviour Analysis-Autism. Megan has worked with neurodiverse individuals for the past twelve years. Her experience includes facilitating structured social skill groups, working as an ABA support worker, a Behavioural Interventionist in home and clinic settings, and a respite provider. Megan completed her six-month practicum under the supervision of Dr. Binnendyk and has been working as an employee of West Coast Feeding and Behaviour Specialists since May 2022. Megan focuses her practice on assisting individuals with food selectivity, food refusal, and caregiver training. Megan is passionate about building meaningful connections with a wide variety of families and children while implementing manageable mealtime routines.

“Mealtimes shape many aspects of our lives, and I am passionate about instilling confidence in families and children by making ABA relatable and meaningful.”