Laura Lacavex | Family Support Lead
Laura has been part of our Support Team since 2017. Autism Calgary is like her second home; she loves to be part of this Community and be able to help and support families living with ASD. She has taken a major interest in helping families navigate and negotiate with FSCD, and specializes in education options for neurodiverse children, as she has 3 neurodiverse boys herself. She enjoys taking her sons to any of the beautiful parks and playgrounds around Calgary, picnics by the lake, and going to Mexico to visit her family.
Phone: (403) 250-5033, ext. 225
Anmol Hajraw | Registered Provisional Psychologist
Anmol first started working with Autism Calgary in 2019. Her role has grown over the years from being involved in various projects, taking on support worker roles, and now as a Registered Provisional Psychologist. Currently, Anmol provides specialized counselling services utilizing her experience and knowledge about ASD. She brings enthusiasm, compassionate-care, and most importantly an individualized and person-centered approach to her counselling. Anmol strives to create a supportive and safe environment and is passionate about nurturing positive change in her client’s lives. In her spare time, Anmol loves spending time with her friends and family, and exploring Calgary’s latest culinary hot spots.
Phone: (403)250-5033, ext. 229
Stephanie James | Family Support Worker
Stephanie first began working with Autism Calgary as a practicum student in 2016, then as a summer student over a number of summers until she took on her current role as a Family Support Worker. She has individuals in her personal life that are impacted by ASD, as well as a child with exceptional needs. Her educational background is in Social Work and she has a keen interest in walking alongside families impacted by ASD, especially those who are First Nations, Métis, or Inuit. Her role as a Family Support Worker is to provide peer support, information, resources, referrals, and help with navigating the systems of support such as education- or disability-related funding. In her spare time she likes to explore nature, go kayaking, rollerblade, and learn more about her Indigenous heritage.
Phone: (825) 994-4249 OR (403) 250-5033, ext. 226
Lisa Vanderwal | Family Support Worker
Lisa first started working for Autism Calgary in 2021. She is a family support worker connecting families to resources and helping them navigate their FSCD and PDD agreements. Lisa also hosts Autism Calgary’s Keeping It Together support groups. Her background is in broadcasting, marketing, and advertising. She has worked as a behavioural aide in the classroom and as a support worker for adults with disabilities. She founded and manages the Calgary Moms Autism Support Network group on Facebook.
Phone: (825) 407-8683
Hannah Maleski | Community/Adult Support Worker
Hannah joined the Autism Calgary team in 2022 but has been involved in various roles and affiliations within the Autism community since 2015. She began down this path as she had watched her mother support children with exceptional needs throughout her childhood, and quickly developed a love for assisting others in reaching their highest potential. She fulfills several roles within the agency such as “Talk Support”, facilitating Autism Support Network (ASN) peer support groups, as well as assisting individuals on the spectrum and their families connect to and navigate through resources. Hannah is a bubbly, friendly person who loves visiting the mountains, supporting others in achieving their goals, spending time with friends and family, and (maybe too much) time with her cats.
Phone: (825) 994-8449 OR (403) 250-5033, ext. 224
Tracy Mendoza | Events & Community Peers Coordinator
Tracy started working for Autism Calgary in 2014, in part due to her connection with the ASD community through her now-adult son. She fulfills a multitude of rolls at Autism Calgary, from being a family support worker to families and adults, to organizing events like World Autism Awareness Day and the annual holiday celebrations. She is also the facilitator of the long-running mothers’ self care group Keeping It Together (KIT), which meets twice a month to offer emotional and social support to the moms of children on the spectrum. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, singing, supporting the ASD community, networking, dream-building, business-building, spending time with friends and family (especially her son), and creating mutually-beneficial relationships.
Phone: (825) 994-3699
Tim Konditi | Operations Coordinator
Tim joined Autism Calgary in 2021, but his affiliations go back much further, having been a member of Autism Calgary’s team of contractors for several years. Holder of a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry, Tim brings a panache for research and design to Autism Calgary. His multi-faceted role includes community relations, technical writing, graphic design, and more. When he is not working, Tim enjoys playing and watching football (played with the feet—surprise!). He retains his composure remarkably well around those who erroneously call it soccer.
Phone: (403) 250-5033, ext. 227
Lyndon Parakin | Executive Director
Autism Calgary founding member. Handles corporate and community partnerships, including political advocacy work. Also runs the monthly Fathers’ Autism Network (FAN) support group.
Phone: (403) 250-5033, ext. 223
Shino Nakane | Director of Community Relations
Shino has a passion for helping non-profit groups that strive to meet the unique needs of families like hers. She currently helps with community relations and works on province-wide initiatives like Autism Alberta’s Alliance. She has volunteered on a variety of boards and committees over the past decade for organizations like the Alberta Children’s Hospital, is the Vice-Chair for the Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities (an advisory body for the Government of Alberta), and the Vice-Chair for the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorder Alliance (CASDA). Shino is the mother of a young adult who is on the autism spectrum who communicates uniquely without words to the people he loves and the world around him. She loves listening to music with her son, is an avid walker, likes playing soccer, and enjoys spending time with friends.
Phone: (587) 432-7192
Lauren Booke | Finance Officer
Lauren has been with Autism Calgary for over 12 years. She is in charge of donations, as well as the bookkeeping for Autism Calgary, Autism Society Alberta (ASA), and Spectrum Advantage.
Rina Kalra | Administrative Assistant for Autism Calgary and Autism Alberta
In May 2016, Rina started as a volunteer when another team member was leaving Autism Calgary, later becoming a full staff member and as an Administrative Assistant at Autism Calgary. She has a cousin In India who has Autism Spectrum Disorder, and as Autism Calgary’s front desk greeter she strives to make a personable and welcoming connection with anyone that enters. She manages office administration tasks such as making Emergency Disability Alert ID cards for people with ASD, triaging emails to the right people in our office or throughout the province, and otherwise ensuring that the day-to-day functions of Autism Calgary run smoothly. In her spare time she enjoys working out, cooking, reading, going on day trips, listening to music, watching movies, and spending time with family and friends.
Available Tuesday & Wednesday in office and Thursday virtually.
Click HERE to be redirected to the Spectrum Advantage website
Sarah Taylor | Program Manager
Sarah Taylor is the Project Manager of Spectrum Advantage and has been working at Autism Calgary since 2014. In 1996 as a University student, Sarah accepted a summer job working with children with autism that ultimately changed the course of her life. She discovered a passion for serving the autistic population and went on to train as a psychometrist and behavioural consultant. These days, she helps neurodiverse people get and keep employment. And teaches companies how to leverage neurodiverse talent. When she is not working, she loves to travel, cook and deep sea dive!
Phone: (403) 836-3073
Rebecca Small | ASD Employment Specialist
Rebecca started working as an Employment Specialist for the Spectrum Advantage team in August 2017. While completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, she developed a passion for advocacy and mental health. After working in disability services for several years, she was drawn to a more specialized role at Spectrum Advantage. As the lead facilitator and employment coach, Rebecca teaches young professionals on the spectrum how to obtain and maintain long-term employment. The four-week curriculum is comprehensive, covering topics from resumes and cover letters, to the social nuances of the workplace and how to effectively manage anxiety and stress. Outside of work, Rebecca enjoys hiking in Kananaskis and anything and everything related to food and music!
Phone: (825) 994-1290
Shakeyra Mason | Community Engagement Coordinator
Shakeyra Mason is an artist and Graphic Designer with a passion for collaboration and creative solutions. She uses her experience in Social Media Marketing, Design and Networking to serve as Spectrum’s Marketing and Community Engagement Specialist. Her superpowers include being an Activator; one who has the ability to turn thoughts, ideas and concepts into action and a Connector; a person who is able to make connections between what seem to be very different and disparate people and ideas. She thrives by using these abilities to bring awareness to the program through social media and by creating and sustaining relationships with employer-partners.
Lauri Comoli | Marketing and Community Engagement Coordinator
Lauri Comoli is one of Autism Calgary’s newest members. She has a BSW from the University of Calgary and combines her educational background with her diverse experience and passion for marketing and communications to serve as Spectrum Advantage’s Marketing and Community Engagement Specialist. Lauri’s role includes social media engagement and making and nurturing connections with employers in the community highlighting the advantages of hiring neurodiverse individuals.
Phone: (403) 250-5033, ext. 233