Our Team
At Aspire we believe in building a supportive community around each child. Only through direct interaction between parents, therapists and program managers can the best outcomes be reached for your child.
Aspire culminates in a network of over thirty Early Intensive Behaviour Intervention (EIBI) practitioners lead by our highly experienced team of Behaviour Support Practitioners (BSPs) and Program Managers
Our Aspire Family is continually growing, we are striving to work cohesively with our parents and children, as well as develop professionally. Our team is at the forefront of Aspire and are all valuable in all that they do!
Founder
Dianne Verstappen
MA. (Linguistics), BCBA
Dianne frequently consults with schools in the Asia Pacific region (Hong Kong, China and Singapore) and provides teacher and staff training for international schools throughout Asia.
Dianne has lectured at Monash University for the Masters of Education. Her specialty area is working with children under 4, and her current research interests are in Relational Frame Theory, its practical applications and complex human behaviour such as perspective taking and Theory of Mind Skills.
Our Sydney Team
Emily – Behaviour Support Practitioner & Program Manager
B.Sc. (Speech and Hearing), M.A. (Speech Language Pathology)
Emily’s prior experience consists of 3 years of private tutoring covering all areas of the school curriculum, with young adolescents with special needs, including Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD. Emily has also worked in the disability sector as a Direct Support Professional for adults with a variety of disabilities for 2 years.
Emily started working at Aspire in 2013 and has been part of the Aspire team for 9 years. Emily has experience in working with children from 2-10 years of age in the clinic, at home, in school settings and in the community, as well as experience in providing parent training and conducting various assessments.
Emily is passionate about teaching her clients language, functional communication, daily living skills and increasing their independence.
Brittni – Program Manager
BCBA
When not working Brittni enjoys going to the beach, discovering vintage records, traveling, and live music.
Ashley – Behaviour Support Practitioner
BSpHLSc
Ashley has been working at Aspire since 2019 and has experience working in a wide range of environments including school, home and clinic. She loves working with her clients and teaching them new skills that will be functional in their everyday environment, particularly in regards to language development. She is passionate about creating a fun learning environment for her clients so they are engaged and enjoy everything ABA has to offer!
During her free time Ashley likes cooking, spending time with her family and hiking.
Kimberley – Behaviour Support Practitioner
BPsychSci
Having completed her Bachelor's in Psychological Science at the University of Wollongong in 2021, Kimberley is currently completing a Graduate Diploma in Psychology (Advanced) at Monash University. Kimberley has therapy experience across multiple settings including clinical, home-based and school, and wishes to deepen her knowledge in the area of ABA therapy as she strives to achieve her BCBA. She is passionate about developing children’s functional and communicative skills as well as parent training.
During her free time, you can find Kimberley in the gym, spending time with her friends and family, dreaming about travel or watching Netflix.
Jessica-Lily – Behaviour Support Practitioner
BSpHLSc
Jess started working in ABA in 2016 during her bachelors degree to grow her knowledge and practical experience but quickly fell in love with the fun and energetic nature of the role. During her time as a therapist, she has worked in home, school and clinical settings in Sydney as well as Cape Town, South Africa. She is passionate about creating group learning experiences for children to foster social and school readiness skills.
During her free time, Jess loves all things water; kayaking, swimming and scuba diving regularly with friends and family.
Emma – Behaviour Support Practitioner
B.A., RBT
Before coming to Aspire she worked for one year in an early intervention ABA clinic in Indianapolis and for three years in an ABA school specializing in severe challenging behaviours in London. She has experience with clients ages 2-19 with the communication styles vocal, sign language, PECs, Proloquo, Objects of Reference, GoTalk and eye contact. She is passionate about modern, compassionate ABA and specializes in interventions including functional communication training, reduction of challenging behaviours including SIB and aggression, feeding programs, social/emotional skills teaching and reduction of restrictive/repetitive behaviours.
In her spare time she likes to play football, AFL and rugby, go to the beach, travel, hike, sing and dance (not well).
Kerry-Anne – Speech Pathologist
B.App.Sc.(Speech Pathology); M. Inclusive Education (Autism); MSPA, CPSP
Kerry-Anne assesses and delivers speech pathology services for children aged 18 months to 18 years with communication difficulties including: articulation; phonological disorders; receptive language; expressive language; literacy and fluency. She has experience working with children who have a range of diagnoses including: specific learning impairments; ASD; Down’s Syndrome; ADHD/ ADD; ODD; VCFS and Foetal Alcohol Syndrome as well as families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Kerry-Anne enjoys working with families at the Aspire Early Intervention Centre, Newington Medical Centre, their preschools/ schools and their homes to assist them with improving their communication skills.
Mohamed – Program Manager
MA, BCBA, QBA
Mohamed completed his master’s degree in ABA from the prestigious Florida Institute of Technology, which further honed his expertise in this field. His
background in linguistics has also given him a deep understanding of the fundamentals of language and phonological errors, which helps him provide more nuanced and tailored solutions to his clients.
With his wide range of skills and experience, Mohamed has been instrumental in helping countless individuals overcome their behavioural challenges and lead more fulfilling lives. He has a proven track record of success in devising effective strategies that address a variety of problem behaviours, including tantrums, self-injury, aggression, and more.
When he’s not busy helping others, Mohamed enjoys reading, running, and playing football. He believes that maintaining a healthy work-life balance is key to long-term success and fulfilment, both personally and professionally.
Katie – Program Manager
M.Ed., BCBA
Katie is trained in all areas of ABA, such as verbal behaviour, functional communication training, behavioural skills training, acceptance and commitment therapy, and Hanley's Balance Program. Katie has held many roles during her time in ABA, such as training staff and caregivers in behaviour analysis. Katie's passion and dedication to her families and clients have driven her to Sydney, where she is looking forward to making a positive impact on the lives of families in the greater Sydney area.
In her downtime, Katie enjoys going to the beach, hiking, listening to crime podcasts, and exploring new restaurants around the greater Sydney area.
Annalene – Behaviour Support Practitioner
RBT
Before joining the team at Aspire, Annalene worked in Dubai, UAE. In her career, she has worked in various capacities, such as providing teaching and therapy to assist children in developing skills to deal
with and resolve their social and personal problems, reinforcing skills such as independence,
problem-solving and goal setting, and conducting and implementing behaviour assessment.
Outside of work, you can find Annalene travelling, reading leisure magazines or swimming.
Jonah – Behaviour Support Practitioner
BA-SocialPsych: Sub(Family&Children)
Jonah brings a unique perspective to the team and his passion for guiding children onto a path that allows them to feel safe, respected and supported in their environment shines through his work.
Passionate about helping children in all aspects of their life, Jonah coaches junior basketball where he is able to apply is professional knowledge in a casual context.
In his free time, Jonah enjoys playing golf and video games.
Morgan – Behaviour Support Practitioner
HBA, BCaBA
Morgan is passionate about helping clients access more of the world around them through improved self-help skills.
In his free time, Morgan enjoys spending time with his family and painting miniatures.
Amos – Behaviour Support Practitioner
B Psych
Amos has experience working with young adolescents and children with special needs, formerly as a swimming teacher. He has worked in multiple settings including, clinical, home-based and schools, and wishes to further develop his knowledge of ABA. Amos is passionate about helping children build their social skills with others, and creating opportunities for them to enjoy the time they get to be as 'kids'.
During his free time, you'll find Amos either swimming, jamming on his guitar or baking something sweet.
Marissa – Behaviour Support Practitioner
B.A Business, PgCert Psych Sci., PgDip Psych Sci. B.A Hons Psych Sci, RBT
Marissa is passionate about helping children attain lifelong independence, with her clinical focus primarly in natural environment teaching and classroom skill-building.
Outside of work, Marissa enjoys playing Minecraft, cooking, and nature walks.
Radi – Behaviour Support Practitioner
Since joining the Aspire team, Radi has been instrumental in providing early support, advocating for children, and helping them acquire the essential skills needed for a happy, healthy and meaningful life.
Justyn – Operations Manager
Justyn has a passion for communication, organization and creative problem solving. She loves working in tandem with clinicians and clients to support therapeutic outcomes.
Justyn enjoys traveling, vegetarian cooking and creating art.
Behaviour Technicians
Marija – Currently studying a Bachelor of Psychological Science at UOW, Marija joined the team to create an impact in the lives of children and their families.
Casey – Studying a Bachelor of Speech and Hearing Sciences at Macquarie University, Casey is passionate about promoting children’s confidence and growth, while supporting those closest to them.
Gabrielle– Joining the team in 2023, Gabrielle is currently studying a Bachelor of Psychology at Macquarie University. Gabrielle is driven by the goal of making positive impacts in the lives of children and hopes to continue her knowledge in the field of ABA.
Katarina – Completing her Psychology Honours Research Thesis, Katarina’s passion lies in psycholinguistics and executive functioning. Katarina aims to continue her education and training with the goal of becoming a better advocate for mental health and wellbeing.
Dalreen – With a Graduate Diploma in Psychology Advanced from Monash University, Daleen has been volunteering with children over the past several years. Dalene hopes to provide a supportive environment for children to grow and learn through evidence-based interventions while having greater inclusion in the community and everyday settings.
Taylah – After working as a nanny, Taylah discovered her passion for working with children with diverse needs. Taylah is now completing a Bachelor of Social Work so she can continue to make an impact in the lives of families.
Tahiya – Passionate about working with children, Tahiya is a psychology student studying at Macquarie University.
Our Canberra Team
Marie Therese – Clinic Manager
MA, BCBA
MT founded the ABA program at the Special Kids Clinic, part of the Pediatric Neurology Department at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC), creating a team of ABA supervisors and therapists and expanding ABA services across the country. The services provided included: initial assessments, therapies, parent training, and school and nursery support. She coordinated the team of Speech, Feeding, Occupational, Psychomotor and Physical therapists at the AUBMC Special kids Clinic. MT also completed the training course in the administration of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 (ADOS-2).
MT is fluent in English, Spanish and Arabic. Born to parents from different countries and cultural backgrounds, she thrives in a multicultural and dynamic setting. She is passionate about making a difference in the lives of children with special needs and their families.
Darcy - Behaviour Support Practitioner
B.Sc. (Applied Behavior Analysis), B.Sc. (Human Development and Family Science), RBT
During Darcy's time as an clinician, she has worked in various clinical environments and a private school setting with children ages 2 to 13. She is passionate about advocating for children with autism along with teaching them important new skills to gain more independence.
Nicole – Behaviour Support Practitioner
BSc (Management Information Systems), RBT
Having worked in early intervention from 2020, Nicole discovered her passion for helping children develop functional skills in a play-based setting. She loves how her role allows her to support her clients, along with their parents and other technicians as well.
In her free time, Nicole loves spending time with family and friends, going on picnics, and watching movies or TV series.
Rabani – Behaviour Support Practitioner
BApsych,MSc, Dip in NDP
Rabani has immense gratitude and passion for the field and wishes to contribute more by learning and growing through collaborative and community work.
Rabani has a happy-go-lucky personality and is a big Bollywood fan. When she’s not at work, you can find Rabani making Instagram videos or trying out new restaurants.
Syeda Sarah – Program Manager
M.A. (Applied Behavior Analysis)., BCBA
She has been working in the field of ABA for the past 4 years supporting children with special needs ranging from the ages of 2 to 11 years in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. She is consistently working to spread the positive value ABA services have to offer with the hope of bringing a socially significant change in the lives of her clients and their families in diverse settings (home, clinic, school).
Some of Sarah experiences with ABA include performing Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA), designing and implementing function-driven Behavior Intervention and Skill Acquisition plans and supervising professionals and colleagues in multiple settings as well as in different countries.
Sarah is passionate about what she does and takes great interest in coaching and supporting clients, parents and guardians in the best way possible.
In her free time, Sarah loves finding adventure in nature with her family, listening to music, learning, and exploring new things in life.
