Meet Kirsten MacAdam

one of our Board Certified Behavior Analysts!

Kirsten is new to town! She is bringing her expertise from Ontario to British Columbia and we are so excited to have her as part of this team at YBG!

Here is a little bit more about Kirsten!

🔍 How it All Started: After graduating from St. Francis Xavier University with an undergraduate degree in International Development, a friend encouraged me to spend the summer in beautiful British Columbia working at an Easter Seals Summer Camp for children and young adults with disabilities. Following a magical summer of camp songs, s'mores, and water slides, I decided to change my focus and pursue a career where I could utilize creative problem solving to support individuals and families in gaining independence and improving their quality of life. After discovering the field of Applied Behavior Analysis, I never looked back and now get to combine my passion for cultivating safe, inclusive, and fun learning experiences with science!

👩‍🎓 My Journey to Becoming a BCBA: After completing my post graduate certificate in Autism and Behavioural Science at George Brown College, I went on to work as a behaviour technician, providing 1:1 and small group services to autistic children. In January of 2021, I began my Masters degree in Behavior Analysis Practice through the Florida Institute of Technology while accruing my 2000 fieldwork hours. In February of 2023, I passed the board exam and was certified as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Since then, I have continued my work supporting individuals and families by designing and overseeing specialized programming to be implemented in-centre, in-home, and in-school settings. 

🎯 My area of Interest: I love to support clients with "learning how to learn" skills and really focusing on the skills that will support them as they move into school and community programs. I believe that identifying teaching specific pivotal skills can open up a world of new opportunities for the clients I support, and I love seeing that explosion of skills when things just click!

💬 Communication & Relationship Building: In my opinion, open communication and mutual respect are paramount to building strong and trusting relationships with clients and their families. I believe that laying these foundations from the start helps to keep relationships strong during the highs and the lows, leading to better outcomes and improved quality of life. 

🌈 Client-Centered Approach: When supporting clients, I like to spend time connecting to the client as well as those close to them in order to determine the best way to support them. I prioritize developing well-rounded, holistic programming that targets areas of need while celebrating and utilizing the strengths and interests of the clients. So you love Plants vs. Zombies? Let's ensure that this interest is top of mind as we build out our learning plan! Peppa Pig is your favourite? Sounds like a great way to work on language goals! Developing programming that is socially significant and motivating to both the client and their families is my favourite part of what I do. 

Fun Fact About Me: I share my home with a lovable rescue pup from St. Lucia, and his name is none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi – because every day feels like an epic adventure in a galaxy not so far away! 🌌🐶