Meet Heather Byrne,

one of our Board Certified Behavior Analysts and the newest member of the YBG team!

Here is a little bit more about Heather!

🔍 How it All Started: I love working as part of a team and learning from others. In my first job, I worked with some amazing BCBAs who inspired me to pursue certification. I worked in an independent school for students with autism and found joy in working with the kids and seeing them grow into themselves while learning and experiencing new things every day. The fulfilment and passion I felt working as an EA in the school was a huge factor in taking my education further and I started my master's program in special education in 2018. As cheesy as it sounds, I love learning and supporting the learning of others (adults and kids alike!). Being a BCBA motivates and challenges me to keep learning and continuously grow my skills while supporting others to do the same.

👩‍🎓 My Journey to Becoming a BCBA: My bachelor’s degree is in Speech & Language Pathology. I finished my master's in Special Education in 2020 and achieved BCBA certification in 2022. I worked as an EA and completed my BCBA supervision at PALS Autism School before stepping into a BCBA role in the school in 2020. Since 2022, I have been working as a Behaviour Consultant in the North Vancouver School District supporting school teams and students in elementary and secondary schools. In September 2024, I joined the BC Provincial School Outreach Program as a consultant providing specialist inclusive education support to rural and remote schools in British Columbia. I have also been a Safety Care Trainer for 4 years.

🎯 My area of Interest: Working in schools, I so often see sleep challenges acknowledged as a setting event, but accepted as the "status quo" for that student. Every day, tired kids are asked to do something no human can do -function and function well. Focusing on sleep can act as the ultimate setting event strategy for supporting meaningful learning and experiences throughout the day. I think when it comes down to what brought me to sleep, the overarching curiosity I have is — What if the complex situations that some children experience during the day had a simple solution? And what if that solution was to help them sleep well at night?

💬 Communication & Relationship Building: Working to create a space where families and clients feel comfortable sharing their lived experiences. I believe the pillars of a trusting relationship are open communication, respect for the knowledge families and clients have for their loved ones and themselves, and genuine care for their wellbeing. A big part of open communication includes seeking feedback from those I support about what is working and what could be adjusted throughout the consultation process.

🌈 Client-Centered Approach: It's all about relationships! I find focusing on a relationship-first approach has had the greatest impact on my work with clients and staff. The most meaningful experiences in my career are those in which a parent has told me they feel their child has truly been seen for who they are. Sometimes things are hard, and that's ok. In difficult situations, trust and teamwork are the things that we can keep within our control and that all comes down to how we connect with each other. Relationships first, behaviour second.

Fun Fact About Me: I am from Ireland and have been living in Vancouver for 8 years. I could spend hours reading and my favourite genre is fantasy. ☘️📚