Stress free Holiday Season- An OT perspective

The Holiday season is around the corner and it’s a time to spread cheer and happiness. However, for parents with kids on the Autism spectrum, it may also be a challenging time with children getting overwhelmed with sensory overload! So here are some tips to a hopefully stress free Holiday season. Decorations Decorations are beautiful […]

Helping Children with Transitions

As the schools reopens this week, we often hear parents and teachers looking for an easier way of helping children with transitions – be it from homes to cars, into classrooms, between classes or back to home. We are always looking at “getting ready” for our children with sensory processing challenges. As therapists, while preparing […]

Resuming Clinic Based Therapy Services

Dear Parents and Caregivers, We hope you and your families are keeping safe and healthy. We really appreciate all you have done to support your child while therapy was offered via TeleHealth due to the COVID 19 Pandemic. As you might be aware, the BC Government has announced plans to reopen slowly, which means the […]

Online Therapy and Intervention support (Telehealth)

Virtual Therapy Services/Telehealth Services If you are interested in finding out more about telehealth or scheduling an appointment by calling us at 778-395-8752. We are doing our best to make sure we help each child will continue to reach their developmental goals! WHAT IS TELEHEALTH? Telehealth therapy is simply therapy that takes place online. During […]

Feeding Therapy for Picky Eaters

Feeding Therapy at Symbiosis Pediatric Therapy uses an intervention program (The SOS Approach) to Feeding. The program uses the typical developmental steps of feeding to create a systematic hierarchy of skills and/or behaviors necessary for children to progress with eating a variety of tastes and textures and achieving appropriate growth. The SOS Approach to Feeding […]

Pairing Occupational Therapy with Behavior Therapy/Intervention

The evidence-based success of Behavior therapies and interventions have proved to be tremendously beneficial in helping children with autism learn new skills and replace the undesired ones. Today, we often find various treatments paired with behavior therapy as a practical and complementary approach to improving all skills, behaviors, and quality of life. Occupational Therapists (OTs) work […]

How Can Speech and Language Pathologists (SLP) help with Behavior Therapy?

Speech-Language Pathologists or SLPs are an integral part of an Autism team and can work hand in hand with any Behavioral Approach for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Children who struggle to learn speech and language may also be also at risk of reading and writing difficulties when they enter school. Early identification and […]

BRAVE Model for parents of children with developmental delays

The BRAVE model provides parents of children with developmental delays with a framework that they can use to understand their child’s needs. The strategies can be adapted by parents for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) too to ensure they are doing the best for their child. The BRAVE model can help parents to […]

Graduation: When Do We Finish with Therapy?

For the children attending therapy services, our goal is to achieve age-appropriate (or above!) scores on the standardized tests compared to their “typical” peers. Standardized assessments alone do not tell the whole picture.  We should also know that if the child can use improved motor skills, speech-language skills, and self-regulation skills in real life. On […]

Clinic-based therapy for children-Benefits and Advantages

Clinic-based therapy has several benefits and advantages which includes: Structured Approach: Clinic-based therapy often follows a structured approach that is tailored to the client’s specific needs and goals. This can provide a clear roadmap for therapy and help clients feel more in control of their progress. Professional Environment: Clinic-based therapy is conducted in a professional […]

Shalini Das

Director, Board Certified Behavior Analyst,Occupational Therapist

Shalini is one of the co-founders of Symbiosis Pediatric Therapy. She currently oversees the clinical and administrative departments of Symbiosis. Shalini has more than 25 years of experience working with children with autism and developmental disabilities.

Shalini completed her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy specializing in Pediatric Neurology in 2000. She also has her Masters degree in Special Education with a focus on Applied Behavior Analysis from The Pennsylvania State University.Shalini is listed in the RASP list as a Behavior Consultant and an Occupational Therapist.

Shalini has extensive clinical experience with assessment and program development that is designed to treat challenging behaviors, build communication, and functional life skills. Some of the team-based intervention which she incorporates are the Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), SCERTS, DIR®/Floor time model, etc.

Shalini has trained & supervised several teams of therapists, parents, and other professionals on evidence-based behavioral strategies to improve the quality of life for the children. She also assists with the development and implementation of evidence-based treatment approaches, in addition to providing clinical guidance and mentorship to the Behavioral intervention team.

Shalini is certified to administer the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT) from the University of Southern California and in Neuro-Developmental Therapy (NDT) from NDT Association, USA. She also enjoys working with children in Symbiosis embracing different therapy models while viewing the challenges faced by the children through the developmental framework.

Shalini is the mother of two children and understands the importance of considering the needs and wants of all members of the family when establishing therapy goals. She spends her spare time with her children and husband, reading, traveling, and cooking different recipes from around the world.