The Team

Dr. Kate Ballem Chase is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist and a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst. She is also a certified Early Start Denver Model therapist. After pursuing undergraduate studies at the University of Victoria, Kate studied at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, where she completed her doctorate in Experimental Psychology in 2004, with a focus on early language and cognitive development. After returning from Oxford, Kate completed her clinical training as a speech-language pathologist at the University of British Columbia in 2006. Kate worked briefly at the BC Centre for Ability before joining Loyst and Associates Autism Services, where she led the early intensive intervention team in the Richmond area from 2007-2013. Kate is also a Clinical Assistant Professor in the School of Audiology and Speech Science at the University of British Columbia. When she isn’t playing with clients and their parents, Kate can be found playing outside with her husband, two children, and their dog!

Patty (Wu) Zimmerman has been a practicing occupational therapist since 1988, and is a certified Early Start Denver Model Therapist. She was trained at the University of Puget Sound, where she specialized in paediatrics with additional internships in the United States. She returned to Canada and after working at BC Centre for Ability for 15 years, she launched a private practice, Benchmark OTS , which has provided outstanding occupational therapy service in the Richmond area since 2002. Patty has extensive training in sensory integration, feeding therapy, executive functioning, and many other areas of specialized occupational therapy.When not playing with kids and their parents, Patty can be found enjoying the outdoors with her husband, two boys and their dog.

Wendy Huang is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist, and is a certified Early Start Denver Model Therapist. Wendy completed an undergraduate degree in psychology and human biology from the University of Toronto, and a graduate degree in speech-language pathology from the University of British Columbia. She has experience in a range of autism interventions, including a mixture of behaviourally-based and play-based programs. Prior to becoming an SLP, Wendy worked for many years as a behavioural interventionist and play therapist for children with autism. She values team empowerment and relationship building as foundational to her practice. In her spare time, Wendy likes to explore new places and take beautiful photos.

Andrea Schneider is a registered Occupational Therapist with a background in Neuropsychology. She completed a Masters of Science in Experimental Neuropsychology at the University of Victoria (UVic) in 2012, and a Masters of Occupational Therapy at the University of British Columbia in 2014. Her research at UVic focused on the assessment of executive function, and she directed a research lab focused on improving intervention for school-aged children with Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Andrea is an avid outdoors enthusiast, and when she is not playing at Nurture she can be found volunteering as an adaptive ski instructor, rock climbing, or hiking. 

David Herb is a registered speech language pathologist and a certified Early Start Denver Model therapist.  David has a background working with a variety of communication disorders in both children and adults. He completed an undergraduate degree in linguistics and psychology at Simon Fraser University prior to completing his Masters of Science in Speech Language Pathology at the University of British Columbia. He is passionate about using evidence-based practice to bring each client an effective, individualized therapy program. Outside of work, David enjoys playing guitar, attending concerts, and getting outdoors.

Emily Lee is a registered Occupational Therapist and a certified Early Start Denver Model therapist. She completed her undergraduate degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto in 2002. Upon graduation Emily dove into working with children, the source of her inspiration for becoming an OT.  After moving to the west coast she worked at St. Paul's Hospital for half a year and then joined the Early Intervention Therapy program at the BC Centre for Ability. Emily worked with children with a broad range of strengths and needs, including many children with autism. During her final year at the BC Centre for Ability she directed the occupational therapy department, supervising the provision of OT services across 5 programs. Switching gears in 2016, Emily completed her Masters of Rehabilitation Sciences through the University of British Columbia in 2017. Through her studies she has extensively explored research literature regarding early identification of and intervention for Developmental Coordination Disorder. During her family time, Emily can be found playing in the woods or at the pool with her husband and two kids.

Shelby Sutker is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist and ESDM certified therapist who is passionate about helping families by providing them with the tools to grow and learn. Growing up with a brother with autism she experienced first hand what it is to want the best outcome for her family and was inspired to pursue a career in intervention. Shelby has extensive experience working with children and adolescents with autism. Prior to becoming an SLP, she worked as a support worker and behaviour interventionist. She obtained her undergraduate degree in linguistics and psychology at Simon Fraser University before completing her master's in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of British Columbia. When she’s not playing at Nurture, Shelby enjoys learning the cello, riding her bike and solving mysteries in real life escape games.

Marli Siebrits is an Registered Occupational Therapist with a background in psychology. She completed both an undergraduate degree in psychology and a graduate degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of British Columbia. In 2020, Marli presented a research project at the CAOT national conference examining the effectiveness of Occupational Therapy assessment as part of the diagnostic pathway for children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Prior to commencing her journey as an OT, Marli worked as a behavioral interventionist, OT assistant and dance instructor with individuals with a variety of developmental needs. She is passionate about working with young children in evidence based and collaborative environments with a strength based approach to treatment. Marli has had clinical exposure to practice areas such as the neonatal intensive care unit and neonatal follow-up clinic as well as with children and teens living with autism, Down syndrome and mental health challenges. In her spare time Marli enjoys baking, enjoying nature and practicing yoga!

Emma Hutchinson is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist. She graduated with a BA in psychology and a certificate in speech sciences at Simon Fraser University before completing her M.Sc. in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of British Columbia. Prior to becoming an SLP, Emma volunteered in children’s speech and language groups and worked as a research assistant in a first language acquisition and infant development lab. During her clinical externships, she gained valuable experience implementing evidence-based practice when providing therapy to preschool and school-age children with complex communication differences. Emma is passionate about continuous learning and strives to implement a collaborative play-based therapy approach to best support clients and their families. When she’s not playing at Nurture, Emma enjoys being active and exploring the outdoors.