Gopika Menon, M.Sc, SSW

Director

Gopika’s path to founding Turning Point began far from where it stands today — in a pediatric cancer research lab in India, where she was pursuing her Ph.D. in Cancer Genetics. Life brought her to Canada in 1997 with a fellowship and lectureship grant, but it was the families she met through her son’s preschool in Toronto that truly altered her course.

Many of these families were new to the country, struggling to access services because of language barriers. Speaking multiple languages, Gopika became their bridge– guiding them through community programs, connecting them with the right resources, and offering a listening ear. What began as volunteer work soon grew into a leadership role coordinating preschool programs, and in that work, she discovered her deeper calling: helping children of all backgrounds thrive.

She returned to school to complete a postgraduate certification in Social Service Work, then entered the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) as an Instructor Therapist. Over the years, she worked in diverse settings, learning from every child she met. Eventually, she and her close friend and colleague, Sivajini Sivalingam, dreamed of creating a space where high-quality, evidence-based ABA therapy would be delivered with genuine compassion. That dream became Turning Point.

Today, with over a decade in the ABA field, Gopika leads the centre with dedication, professionalism, and a deep belief in every child’s ability to grow and thrive.

“The children I serve have taught me to think outside the box — they taught me that there is NO box! Every day is a new lesson in perspective.”

When away from Turning Point, Gopika enjoys hiking, gardening, painting, practicing yoga, and discovering new places — pursuits that continually inspire her and deepen her sense of connection.

Sivajini Sivalingam (Jini)

Director

She is the co-director of Turning Point. She brings 10 years of experience to the field of ABA with her positive, optimistic attitude. Her first exposure to the field was after having a son on the spectrum. As a parent, she has first-hand experience in the trials one is put up against when striving to understand, accept and nourish their child’s environment. To provide this, she set out to educate herself about autism. After completing the Autism Behavioural Sciences Diploma Program, Jini began her hands-on clinical work as an Instructor Therapist.

It is here she crossed paths with Gopika Menon, a fellow colleague who shared her passion. They had a vision to provide a wholesome, specialized learning environment and quickly learned it is only possible in an individualized intensive clinical setting. With enthusiasm and passion, they set out to create Turning Point from the ground up. Today, Jini oversees the finance, administrative duties and overall maintenance of the Centre. The journey to developing Turning Point has not only allowed her to see autism from a parent’s and a clinical perspective, but to also from an encompassing perspective. Jini brings to the table a warm, caring whole-hearted outlook to the world of Autism allowing her to love and appreciate every child’s unique abilities. She has three sons and enjoys spending as much time with them as she can.

During her time away from Turning Point, Jini enjoys watching movies and travelling. In the future, she hopes to create a space where she can employ individuals with special needs in an attempt to provide them with a purpose while learning to be independent. Jini is a vital part of Turning Point as she continues to spread laughter and positive energy among her team members.

Autism plays an integral role in my family. My experience as an autism mom has overturned my thought process and taught me to look past trivialities.

Vrinda Raghavan, MSc., BCBA, IBA, RBA (Ontario)

Clinical Supervisor

Vrinda Raghavan is a Registered Behaviour Analyst – Ontario, certified by the BACB (USA), and a Special Educator licensed by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). She began her career as a Special Education teacher in 2009 and specialized in Applied Behavior Analysis in 2015 through the University of Colorado–Denver, USA.

Vrinda has worked in India, the Netherlands, the United States, and now Canada, supporting children with diverse developmental needs. She holds degrees in Psychology, Special Education, and Counselling Psychology, and is currently pursuing advanced specialized studies in Speech-Language Pathology to build her niche in language and communication for neuro divergent children, blending ABA with speech and language strategies.

With over 15 years of experience, Vrinda has learned that real progress comes from consistency across settings and strong interdisciplinary collaboration. She also prioritizes motivation and confidence in both children and the teams who support them. By providing training and ongoing guidance to frontline staff and parents, she ensures they understand both the “why” and the “how” behind each goal. This shared clarity keeps everyone motivated, reduces burnout, and leads to more meaningful progress for children.

Alongside her clinical work, Vrinda co-created Solutions ABA, a streamlined data collection platform that was born out of necessity when her team at Turning Point needed a simple, no-frills way to track progress effectively. The tool now helps the team monitor growth in real time, making data both practical and meaningful.

When she’s not working with families or mentoring therapists, Vrinda enjoys sewing, quilting, crocheting, crafting with her Cricut, learning new video games with her 11-year-old, or binge-watching a good mystery or crime drama series.

Felicia Cotterell, MPEd, BCBA, RBA (Ont), RP (Q), MA (candidate)

Clinical Supervisor

Felicia Cotterell is a Registered Behaviour Analyst (Ontario), Board Certified Behaviour Analyst, and Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying). She holds a Master of Professional Education in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) from Western University, an Honours Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto, and an Advanced Diploma in Behavioural Science Technology (with Honours) from George Brown College. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University.

With over nine years of experience in treatment centres and school settings, Felicia specializes in supporting neurodiverse individuals and their families, including those navigating ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, learning differences, and other cognitive or sensory differences. Her expertise includes conducting assessments, developing individualized skill acquisition programs and behaviour plans, monitoring progress, and providing ongoing supervision and staff training.

Felicia is deeply committed to tailoring interventions to each client’s unique needs and ensuring that treatment meaningfully involves all significant people in the client’s life. She emphasizes the importance of generalizing skills across environments, people, materials, and time to create lasting change. In her psychotherapy work, Felicia integrates her behavioural expertise with evidence-based counselling approaches to address a range of mental health concerns. She works with youth, and adults, tailoring interventions to the client’s developmental stage, personal goals, and unique strengths. Felicia is deeply committed to creating a therapeutic environment that is warm, inclusive, and non-judgmental. She believes that meaningful change happens when clients feel safe to share openly and are empowered to take an active role in their growth.

Sabeeha Patel, BA, CYC, M.ADS

Clinical Supervisor

Sabeeha Patel is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) and Registered Behaviour Analyst (RBA) with over five years of experience in the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). She holds a Master’s degree in Applied Disability Studies (MADS) with a specialization in ABA, and a Bachelor’s degree in Childhood Studies.

Sabeeha has worked across a variety of settings supporting children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other developmental needs. Throughout her career, she has taken on diverse roles, including Instructor Therapist, Senior Therapist, and Clinical Supervisor. Her responsibilities have included individualized program planning, skill acquisition, behaviour reduction strategies, caregiver collaboration, team training, and clinical oversight.

Known for her calm, compassionate, and thoughtful approach, Sabeeha is dedicated to creating supportive environments where both clients and team members feel valued and empowered. She is especially passionate about mentoring new professionals in the field, including those pursuing BCBA, BCaBA, and RBT certifications.

Sabeeha brings a strong clinical foundation and a genuine love for helping others to every aspect of her work. She believes in the power of person-centered, ethical, and data-driven practices to improve quality of life for the individuals and families she supports.

Outside of her professional role, Sabeeha enjoys trying new foods, traveling, spending time in nature, and relaxing with her two cats. These personal passions help her maintain a well-rounded and balanced lifestyle that she brings into her work every day.

Olga Medina, ABS, CYW

Clinical Coordinator

Olga Albines is our Clinical Coordinator and a crucial member of our team that holds this centre together! Olga ensures the centre is running smoothly by taking care of scheduling and ongoing schedule changes, as well as any therapist questions or concerns. She is an imminent part of our training team as all training sessions go through her.

Olga has a kind, warm and understanding nature with a high level of expertise and 10 years of experience in the Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) field. Olga holds a diploma in Child and Youth Worker (CYW) as well as Behavioural Science. While on her placement in a daycare facility for her CYW program, she met a child with Autism. Her interest quickly formed in working with this child and that interest soon turned into a strong passion to do more for children on the spectrum. Olga has experience teaching children with Autism and working with adults on the spectrum. She quickly realized her preference for working with children. Apart from Turning Point, Olga has a toddler she loves to spend time with as much as she can.

A work life balance is very important for her and she enjoys being active by rock climbing, reading and helping family and friends that have children on the spectrum. Working at Turning point has allowed Olga to adapt to differences in people and adjust her leadership styles to a friendly and inviting one. Olga’s passionate, outgoing and confident nature naturally makes her to be an incredible leader our therapists look up to.