Getting to know… our Social ABCs Coaches

Grandview Kids is the lead agency for the Ontario Autism Program – Durham (OAP-D), a local partnership providing programs and services to children and youth with Autism.

In 2021, the OAP-D was selected by the Province of Ontario to offer Caregiver-Mediated Early Years Program as part of the Ontario Autism Program. Grandview Kids offers one of three programs in the Durham Region, known as the Social ABCs.

After several months of intensive fidelity training, four members of Team Grandview have successfully become Social ABCs coaches through Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.

Karen J. is a Social ABCs Parent Coach and Site Lead who has been part of the Grandview team since 2003. Her experience includes supporting Preschool Speech and Language Services, Autism Services, and the ASD Diagnostic Hub. Since joining the Social ABCs team in 2021, Karen has focused on empowering parents to build positive, playful interactions with their children. She loves helping families explore how everyday moments, often using simple household items or even kitchen ingredients, can become powerful opportunities for connection, communication, and natural learning.

Vareesha K. is a Social ABCs Coach and Site Lead and has ten years of experience supporting neurodiverse populations with communication challenges. She joined Grandview Kids in 2019 and has worked in the Preschool Speech and Language Program and OAP Program. She also pertains certification in Solution Focused Coaching and training in the Early Start Denver Model approach. As a Social ABCs site lead and coach, her work focuses on empowering parents to support their child’s social communication skills and self-regulation needs. In this program, strategies are practiced through play-based routines and naturally occurring moments throughout the day that are intrinsically motivating for the child. What sets this program apart is the level of intensive coaching provided to families.  It is direct, supportive, in the moment and adapted to the caregiver and child’s needs. We get back to the basics to set the foundation of play, interaction, and fun! This program highlights the power of shared positive emotions between caregivers and their children to foster meaningful connections and engagement.  

Here are some parent testimonials from the program:

“Thank you for giving me the confidence to be able to interact with my child and connect with them on a level I never thought was possible.” 
“This program not only benefits my son, it also benefits my whole family.” 
“The knowledge you’ve shared with us has been invaluable, and I will always appreciate it. I’ll definitely recommend this program to anyone in a situation like mine.” 

Celcela N. is a Communicative Disorders Assistant and Social ABCs Coach in training and has been a part of the Social ABC’s team since February 2025. Prior to joining Social ABCs, Celcela supported the Preschool Speech and Language Program at Grandview, providing parent coaching for a diverse range of communicative needs.

Celcela strongly values Social ABCs’ emphasis on intentional communication through connection building and shared joy. By fostering social communication within positive, motivating and emotionally engaging experiences, Celcela supports gentle and naturalistic learning opportunities that feel authentic and enjoyable for both the child and caregiver. It’s incredibly rewarding for her to observe children throughout the program as they discover how much richer and more meaningful play and daily routines can be when shared with another person, especially as they begin to initiate interactions, take turns, direct their attention, and send messages to others.

Through her work at Social ABCs, Celcela has come to value positive emotion sharing as the foundation for communication. Witnessing caregivers and children reciprocate smiles and laughter demonstrates that social communication truly begins with connecting with another person.

Ashna D. has been a Communicative Disorders Assistant since 2023 and joined Social ABCs in October 2025. Prior to becoming a Communicative Disorders Assistant, Ashna spent several years working with individuals with diverse neurological and developmental needs, building a strong foundation in supporting a wide range of communication and learning profiles. Her favorite part of Social ABCs is watching parents and children discover new ways to play together. Research shows how important play is for both connection and learning. Yet adults often spend much of their time being serious. Being able to help parents find new activities and opportunities to be silly during play and seeing how that translates into deeper learning for children is truly amazing. Ashna finds it incredibly rewarding to support families in embracing play as a meaningful, joyful part of everyday learning.

Grandview Kids is proud to offer the Social ABCs as a caregiver-mediated early years program. If your family has received a letter of invitation from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, visit https://grandviewkids.ca/caregiver-mediated-programs/ to learn how you can enroll in the Social ABCs.