Our Team
Physiotherapists
Emily Hik
Emily developed a passion for working with clients with neurological impairments and children with a variety of developmental conditions, both in the clinic setting & in the pool.
Experience:
- Pediatric Vestibular Rehab
- ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
- Parkinson’s
- Adult Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Cerebral Palsy
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Spinal Cord Injuries
Qualifications:
- Pediatric Vestibular Rehab Course
- Reflex & Sensory Contributions to Postural Control & Movement
- Decoding the Autistic Brain
- Parkinson’s Exercise Prescription
- BOBATH Technique
Languages:
- English
Outside of the clinic, Emily enjoys caring for her young son, cycling, traveling, camping, hiking, cooking, reading and gardening.
Gosia Mikszan
Gosia strives to provide treatments that are patient/family centered and meaningful. She truly enjoys working with children, helping them to achieve their goals by providing just enough challenge, motivation and enjoyment.
Experience:
- Torticollis
- Plagiocephaly
- brachial Plexus Injury
- Brain tumors
- Peripheral Neuropathy
- CP
- Stroke
- Post Taylor Spatial Fram Surgery
- Neurodevelopmental conditions
Qualifications:
- Co-Chair Fraser Health Paediatric Professional Practice Committee
- Health Care & Policy Initiatives – including Patient Education classes & pamphlets
Languages:
- English
When not working she likes spending time with her husband and three children often hiking and travelling. She likes heights so she has done some extreme zip lining, bungee jumping and now hoping to do paragliding.
Grace Antonio
Grace has developed a passion for working with seniors & children in her 25+ years of working in hospitals & different team-oriented rehabilitation centers in Canada & abroad, specializing in neurology, orthopedics, geriatrics and pediatrics.
Experience:
- ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
- Cerebral Palsy,
- Global Developmental Delay
- Muscular Dystrophies
- Genetic Disorders
- Brain injury
- Stroke
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Parkinson’s Disease
Qualifications:
- BSC Physical Therapy, Emilio Aguinaldo College (Philippines)
- Member of the Physiotherapy Association of BC
- Member of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association
- Community Brain Injury Program for Children & Youth in BC Registered Therapist
Language(s):
- English
In her spare time Grace loves spending time with family and friends, hiking, and traveling.
Sarah Dorsey
Sarah has a passion for working with individuals of all ages helping them meet their mobility goals.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor of Kinesiology (UFV)
- Masters of Physiotherapy (Queen’s University)
Language(s):
- English
Sarah enjoys spending her weekend hiking with friends, as well as running. Recently she trained for & ran her first ½ marathon. She enjoys reading and watching movies (the book is always better though)
Occupational Therapists
Joty Khangua
Joty has a special interest in working with children with feeding concerns.
Experience
- Fine Motor skills
- ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
- Sensory Concerns
- Infant Swallowing & Feeding disorders
- Cognition / Social Skills
Qualifications
- RASP (Registry of Autism Service Providers)
- Power of Play Strategies for kids with ASD
- BEST Strategies for ASD
- SOS Approach to Feeding
Languages
- English
- Punjabi
When she is not working, Joty enjoys spending time with friends and family, going on walks, and trying new cafes!
Speech Therapists
Agnes Gradowski
Agnes has a passion for working with individuals of all ages with a variety of speech or language disorders.
Experience:
- Fluency Disorders
- Speech Sound disorders
- Language Delay
- Social Communication
- Aphasia
- Dysarthria
- ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
Qualifications
- RASP (Registry of Autism Service Providers)
- Hanen More Than Words Certification
- Masters of Health Science
Languages:
- English
- Polish
When she is not working, Agnes enjoys hiking, spending time in nature/exploring the environment around her, baking, and spending time with her pets.
Anmol Dhillon
Anmol has a special interest in working with clients experiencing speech/language delay.
Experience
- Dysphagia
- Aphasia
- Late Talkers
- Literacy Difficulties
- Social Communication / Pragmatic difficulties
- ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
- Speech Sound Disorders
- Developmental Language Disorders
- Stuttering
- Lisps
Qualifications
- RASP (Registry of Autism Service Providers)
- Registered Speech Language Pathologist
- Master of Speech Pathology
Languages:
- English
When not working, Anmol enjoys hiking, travel, and reading.
Erin Riley
Erin is particularly interested in providing speech and language therapy to those who have sustained a traumatic brain injury or stroke, as well as school-aged children whose language is delay and children on the Autism Spectrum.
Experience
- Stuttering
- Articulation (Speech Sound Pronunciation)
- Language Disorders
- ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
- Post-Stroke
- Post Brain Injury
- Cognitive Communication
Qualifications
- Masters in Speech-Language Pathology (McGill)
- Certified by Speech & Audiology Canada
Languages
- English
In her spare time, Erin enjoy video-editing and exploring thrift stores.
Rehabilitation Assistants
Justine Chiba
Justine is passionate about educating individuals on how to optimize their physical function and mindset to enjoy life to the fullest. She enjoys exploring the outdoors, running, traveling, music, and spending time with her people.
Pawan Chera
Pawan brings experience as a Speech Assistant, having worked both virtually and in person with a diverse age group from adults to children.
When she is not working, Pawan enjoys drawing, calligraphy, creative writing, playing volleyball, and dancing!
Stefanie Pemble
Stefanie was the first employee of Abilities. She enjoys working with children with a wide variety of neurodiversities, and has a gift for making therapy sessions fun and engaging.
When she is not working, she enjoys white water kayaking, or spending time with her family.
Clinic Admins
Harjinder Dyal
Mindi Lazeo
Physiotherapists
Grace Antonio
Grace has developed a passion for working with seniors & children in her 25+ years of working in hospitals & different team-oriented rehabilitation centers in Canada & abroad, specializing in neurology, orthopedics, geriatrics and pediatrics.
Experience:
- ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
- Cerebral Palsy,
- Global Developmental Delay
- Muscular Dystrophies
- Genetic Disorders
- Brain injury
- Stroke
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Parkinson’s Disease
Qualifications:
- BSC Physical Therapy, Emilio Aguinaldo College (Philippines)
- Member of the Physiotherapy Association of BC
- Member of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association
- Community Brain Injury Program for Children & Youth in BC Registered Therapist
Language(s):
- English
In her spare time Grace loves spending time with family and friends, hiking, and traveling.
Sarah Dorsey
Sarah has a passion for working with individuals of all ages helping them meet their mobility goals.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor of Kinesiology (UFV)
- Masters of Physiotherapy (Queen’s University)
Language(s):
- English
Sarah enjoys spending her weekend hiking with friends, as well as running. Recently she trained for & ran her first ½ marathon. She enjoys reading and watching movies (the book is always better though)
Veronika Vlckova
Veronika obtained her Master of Science in Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, in Leuven, Belgium, with a major in adults with neurological disorders. She is a member of the Physiotherapy Association of BC and the Canadian Physiotherapy Association, Neurosciences division. Over the years she has gained hospital, community, and clinical experience, having treated a variety of conditions. Her passion is working with adults in the field of neurorehabilitation, particularly with those diagnosed with stroke, MS, and Parkinson’s disease, and has a growing interest in the area of vestibular rehab.
While developing her career in BC, Veronika has completed certificates in the Bobath concept, aimed at the treatment of neurological impairments, in the management of persistent post-concussion symptoms, and in vestibular rehabilitation. She believes in the principle of continuing education in the ever-evolving domain of physiotherapy.
Veronika fosters a strong therapeutic relationship, and provides individualized treatment in partnership with her clients. She is dedicated to empowering lives by helping individuals realize their potential when working towards achieving their goals and meaningful activities.
In her spare time Veronika enjoys spending time with her family and dog, hiking up the beautiful local mountains of BC, fitness, and traveling.
Occupational Therapists
Matthew So
Matthew has his Master of Occupational Therapy from UBC. He is passionate about pediatrics and providing treatment to children with Autism, Developmental Coordination Disorder, and Cerebral Palsy. Matthew especially enjoys his role in supporting and collaborating with families to work towards achieving their goals.
Outside of work, Matthew enjoys trail running, ultimate frisbee, yoga, and spending time with friends and family. He is also an avid fan of the Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Raptors.
Speech Therapists
Anmol Dhillon
Anmol has a special interest in working with clients experiencing speech/language delay, Dysphagia, Aphasia, AD, late talkers, literacy difficulties, and social communication/pragmatic difficulties.
When not working, Anmol enjoys hiking, travel, and reading.
Kira Shelton
Kira has a passion for working with Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Phonological awareness and early spelling skills.
In her spare time, Kira enjoys Knitting, DND, and Singing (pre-pandemic)
Scott Van Vliet
Scott has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Trinity Western University, and a Masters of Science in Speech and Language Pathology from the University of Alberta. He has a special interest in working with Voice Disorders, Speech Sound Disorders, and Brain Injury Rehabilitation.
In his spare time, Scott has lots of creative hobbies that he enjoys, including leather craft, wood working, soap making and knitting. He plays the guitar, and also loves outdoor activities such as fishing, hunting, and foraging for wild berries.
Rehabilitation Assistants
Justine Chiba
Justine is a Rehab Assistant and a member of the British Columbia Association of Kinesiology (BCAK). She earned her bachelor’s of Kinesiology from the University of Calgary in 2020. Justine is continually expanding her toolbox as a rehabilitation assistant.
While at University, she played soccer for the University of Calgary and through her own struggle with injury and concussion became passionate about helping others with their own recoveries. She has experience working with individuals of all abilities through coaching young kids in soccer to her volunteer work for the Rehab and Fitness program and the Joint Effort program at U of C. Justine aspires to continue to support her clients to the best of her ability while also developing her skills in neurorehabilitation as a Rehabilitation assistant.
Justine is passionate about educating individuals on how to optimize their physical function and mindset to enjoy life to the fullest. She enjoys exploring the outdoors, running, traveling, music, and spending time with her people.
Kassaundra Robson
Kassaundra grew up in the Langley area and went on to obtain her Associate of Arts from the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford.
In her free time Kassaundra enjoys artistic endeavors, such as sketching, painting and photography. She has a particular love of animals and does some dog grooming in he spare time. She also enjoys both cooking and baking, thorugh cooking a tiny bit more because she can get just a little more creative!
Stefanie Pemble
Stefanie was the very first employee at Abilities. She completed a diploma program as a Rehabilitation Assistant. Stefanie is a very competent and dedicated Rehabilitation Assistant. She is able to add fun to the work she does with our clients to keep them motivated. She is the mother of three lovely girls and enjoys being out in the great outdoors.
Clinic Admin
Candace Sparks
Nicole Chalmers
Physiotherapists
Francis Bowers
Francis has a passion for working with neuro clients of all ages
Experience:
- Post-Stroke
- Acquired Brain Injury
- Post-Op Rehabilitation
- Hydrotherapy
- Exercise Prescription
Qualifications:
- Masters in Medical Rehabilitation: Physiotherapy
- BA Kinesiology
- Diploma of Advanced Orthopedic Manual and Manipulative Therapy: Level 1
Languages:
- English
When he isn’t working, you’ll find Francis exploring the big city, site-seeing, searching for new places to eat and craft beers to drink. If he’s not in the city, he’ll be out exploring what nature has to offer: hiking, camping, and swimming in the ocean. Whichever the setting, he loves to be surrounded by friends and enjoys meeting new people.
Occupational Therapists
Karen Wong
As an occupational therapist over the past 15 years, Karen has enjoyed helping people of all ages engage meaningfully in their goals. She received a Masters of Occupational Therapy from UBC and joined Abilities in 2014.
She especially enjoys supporting children and youth to explore their strengths in a fun way, whether their goals involve motor skills, cognitive function, self-regulation, participation, and/or connecting with their communities.
She has taken further education in many topics including cognitive function, the CO-OP Approach™, upper limb rehabilitation, and sensory processing.
Karen’s interests outside the clinic include gardening, music, pets, and spending time outdoors.
Leeza Pertsev
Speech Therapists
Agnes Gradowski
Agnes joined the Abilities Team in 2023. She has a special interest in working with Speech Sound Disorders, Motor Speech Disorders, language delays, aphasia, fluency disorders, and cognitive communication disorders.
When she is not working, Agnes enjoys hiking, spending time in nature/exploring the environment around her, baking, and spending time with her pets.
April Adebayo
April rejoined the Abilities team in 2023. With a passion for working with Pre-K and School-Aged children, April has a lot of experience working with ASD, Articulation Delays, Developmental Delays, Apraxia, and Language Disorders.
When not working, April enjoys playing tennis, trying new restaurants, reading, and spending time with her friends and family.
Rehabilitation Assistants
Janna Grant
Janna Grant joined the abilities team in the fall of 2022. She is currently a student at Simon Fraser University studying linguistics, psychology, and learning and developmental disabilities. She also works at the Language Development Lab at SFU and is on the board of directors at Power for All Adventure Therapy.
Janna has a special interest in language disorders and language development. She loves working with children of all ages with all levels of ability.
Outside of school and work, she loves to go camping in all seasons, and enjoys skiing, cooking, reading, painting, and musical theatre.
Romina Allameh
coming soon
Clinic Admins
Maureen Bolli
Maureen joined the Abilities Team in 2022, bringing with her many years of experience as an MOA.
She enjoys learning about the different aspects of the medical field, reading about new research and medical discoveries.
When she is not working, Maureen enjoys baking, reading, camping (S’mores anyone?), and traveling.
Physiotherapists
Cindy Gilray
Cindy graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy in 2000. She has worked in a variety of settings since that time including Hospital, Private Practice Orthopedics, Early Intervention Pediatrics and Pediatric home visits.
She has taken many courses since graduating to enhance her knowledge in these areas of Physiotherapy. She has completed her Manual Therapy Orthopedic Level 3 and is certified in Acupuncture through AFCI.
Cindy has always had a desire to work in Pediatrics and began doing so in 2007 after coming off maternity leave with her second child. She worked at the Centre for Child Development in Surrey from 2007-2009 in Early Intervention. From 2009 to present she has been working in Private practice orthopedic setting working with adults and children. She has also continued to see neurological pediatric clients for home visits during this time.
Cindy is excited to join the team at Abilities and work with Children and their families. Her focus is to help them achieve their functional goals, and enhance their mobility and independence through Physiotherapy treatments.
When not at work Cindy enjoys watching her children’s sports and school activities, camping, travel and singing in choir.
Jessica Chow
Jessica enjoys working with kids who are trying to learn a new skill or achieve a new motor goal. She also loves disguising challenging therapeutic activities as fun games! She enjoys working with clients with acquired neurological conditions quite soon after their injury as well.
Jessica joined the Abilities team in 2020 after graduating with a Masters of Phsyical Therapy from the University of Western Ontario, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from UBC.
Jessica’s favourite way to spend her free time is staying active through hiking, biking, swimming and sports – including volleyball and badminton. She also enjoys thrifting, traveling, and reading about skin care ingredients, and eating out (bubble tea, noodle soup and sushi in particular)!
Veronica Newell
Veronica joined the Abilities team in 2023. Having obtained her Bachelor of Physical Therapy from UBC in 1997, she bring substantial experience working with children and teens with various diagnoses.
Veronica seeks to empower children and youth with physical differences to accept their bodies while also working to make physical improvements. She has supported clients along the health care path in BC, having worked in settings ranging from intensive care, acute hospital wards, early intervention and school therapy. She promotes the balance of a healthy life that includes physical activity.
When not working, Veronica enjoys painting and creative arts, fitness classes, nature walks, social activities, and family time.
Occupational Therapists
Karen Wong
As an occupational therapist over the past 15 years, Karen has enjoyed helping people of all ages engage meaningfully in their goals. She received a Masters of Occupational Therapy from UBC and joined Abilities in 2014.
She especially enjoys supporting children and youth to explore their strengths in a fun way, whether their goals involve motor skills, cognitive function, self-regulation, participation, and/or connecting with their communities.
She has taken further education in many topics including cognitive function, the CO-OP Approach™, upper limb rehabilitation, and sensory processing.
Karen’s interests outside the clinic include gardening, music, pets, and spending time outdoors.
Nehzat Fadaei
Bio coming soon
Speech Therapists
Melanie Regier
Melanie joined the Ablities team in 2021, with a M.Sc. in Speech Language Pathology, and background in Psychology, Criminology, and Linguistics.
She has a special interest in working with individuals with Motor Speech Disorders or Autism, and areas such as Pediatric Feeding therpay, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) needs.
When not working, Melanie enjoys crocheting and knitting, reading, going for walks. Most especially, spending quality time with her husband and their son.
Rehabilitation Assistants
Ashley Fleming
Ciana Saretsky
Rachael Zhang
Clinic Admins
Avneet Kaur
Mansimar Kaur
PHYSIOTHERAPISTS
Erin Reeds
Erin pursued her Masters of Science degree in Physiotherapy at UBC in 2007 after completing her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Victoria in 2005. After graduating, Erin worked at Royal Columbian Hospital for a year where she developed a passion for neurological rehabilitation. After gaining experience in the acute setting, Erin started working for a private neurological clinic in Vancouver BC. During this time, she took numerous courses to enhance her knowledge and expertise in the area of neurological rehabilitation, including a 3 week Bobath course that focused on treatment specifically for neurological impairments. In September 2009, Erin began working with adults at the Abilities Surrey location.
Her passion for rehabilitation and the desire for her clients to achieve their goals energizes Erin to challenge her clients in a functional, goal directed manner. Erin has completed numerous NDT, vestibular rehabilitation and concussion management courses. She also holds certification in acupuncture with AFCI. Erin has completed several courses in Parkinson’s rehabilitation including the LSVT BIG Certification and PWR! Therapist course. Erin is a certified yoga instructor and enjoys teaching weekly adapted yoga courses to her clients at the Surrey Abilities location.
Outside of the clinic, Erin enjoys spending time with her dog Bruce as well as exploring local trails.
Samantha Edwards
Samantha Edwards Physiotherapist Samantha completed her Master of Physical Therapy at the University of British Columbia. Prior to her physiotherapy degree, Samantha completed her Bachelors of Science Degree in Physics and Biology. Samantha found her passion for physiotherapy working as a physical therapy assistant here at Abilities while she pursued her undergraduate degree. Inspired by her patients, she then furthered her education with a focus on Kinesiology and Psychology. Samantha has experience and is comfortable working with all ages, with a variety of adult and pediatric neurological conditions. She has taken courses on FES devices, pediatric gait abnormalities, idiopathic toe walking and an integrated approach to shoulder treatment. Samantha is also certified in MyndMove training, a functional stimulation device for stroke and SCI patients and Sports Physiotherapy Canada First Responder. She enjoys using creative and functional based treatment programs in a collaborative approach that are patient centered and makes physio fun! She believes in treating the body as a whole, using a combination of manual therapy, pool therapy, modalities, active rehabilitation, patient education and home exercise to return you to the activities you love!
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS
Baneet Sra
Baneet completed her undergraduate degree in Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University, and graduated with a Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy from Brunel University London. Baneet has been a part of the Abilities Team since 2020.
Outside the clinic, Baneet enjoys spending time with her family and friends, watching movies/TV shows and physical activities.
SPEECH THERAPISTS
Agnes Gradowski
Agnes joined the Abilities Team in 2023. She has a special interest in working with Speech Sound Disorders, Motor Speech Disorders, language delays, aphasia, fluency disorders, and cognitive communication disorders.
When she is not working, Agnes enjoys hiking, spending time in nature/exploring the environment around her, baking, and spending time with her pets.
REHABILITATION ASSISTANTS
Romina Allameh
Comin Soon
CLINIC ADMINS
