Wachiya! My name is Karen Sutherland, Omushkegowuk Cree, from Kattawapiskak (Attawapiskat) First Nation. I am the Project Manager on the team. I am passionate about working towards healing, health, and wellness, to support a holistic way of life. I strongly believe in connection to identity, culture, and language. I hope to contribute and promote wellness within my community and to increase wellness outcomes. I look forward to the journey ahead. Chi Miigwetch.
Joan is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) who work with children and youth diagnosed with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Joan’s background is also in education and she previously taught elementary and middle school students while completing her graduate degree. Joan has been a part of the AFNEA Wellness Team providing behaviour support to children and youth at the Kattawapiskak Elementary School and Vezina Secondary School, including providing training and support to teachers and school staff.
Wachay, my name is Monica Hookimaw, and I am a member of Attawapiskat First Nation. I spent my early childhood in the community before moving away to Timmins to continue my education. Returning home and giving back to my community has always been important to me, and I am excited to begin my new role as Case Manager for the AFNEA Wellness Initiatives. In this role, I will work closely with children, youth, families, both schools, community services, and Dalton Associates’ clinical team. While I do not provide therapy services, my role is to help connect clients and their families with the supports they need and ensure that receive ongoing care and guidance throughout their journey. Children are the heart of my work, and I am committed to supporting them and their families every step of the way. I look forward to meeting and working with community members. If you have any questions or would like more information about the services I do, please feel free to contact me by phone or email. Meegwetch.
Akayla Olajos, M.Cl.Sc., SLP, Reg. CASLPO, is a Speech-Language Pathologist who is passionate about helping children build confidence and find joy in communication. She strives to create sessions that are engaging, individualized, and meaningful. Akayla values working as part of each child’s team, collaborating with families, caregivers, educators, and other healthcare professionals to help children achieve their goals and develop communication skills that support success in everyday life. Akayla completed her Honours Bachelor of Science in Medical Sciences at Brock University and her Master of Clinical Science in Speech-Language Pathology at Western University. She has experience providing assessment and intervention for children of all ages in a variety of settings, including a children’s treatment centre preschool program, private practice, and school-based services. She has delivered virtual speech-language services to families across Ontario, including schools in Indigenous communities in Northern Ontario, and has also provided flyin services to remote Indigenous communities. Her clinical interests include speech sound disorders, childhood apraxia of speech, language, literacy, stuttering, autism, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Akayla is committed to ongoing professional development and has completed specialized training in Hanen It Takes Two to Talk®, the Lidcombe Program, Autism Navigator, the Motor Speech eCourse (SSI Training Hub), AAC assessment, and evidence-based /r/ remediation.