Our Team

Stephanie Chan

Ph.D., M.Ed., BCBA

Senior Behavior Consultant | Clinical Director

Stephanie obtained her Master’s degree in Behavior Analysis and Special Education, and completed her clinical training in the Early Childhood Autism Program at the University of Nevada, Renon (UNR), one of the top three behavior analysis programs in North America. She later earned her Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis, and is currently pursuing licensure as a Clinical Psychologist. With over 10 years of experience supporting children and adults with autism and other developmental disorders, Stephanie has worked across diverse settings, including home-based, center-based, school, and vocational environments.

Her research interests span a wide range of basic and applied areas, including Relational Frame Theory (RFT), social skills (with a focus on perspective-taking and friendship skills), problem-solving, play skills, communication, challenging behavior, literacy instruction, music instruction, bilingual interventions, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), cultural issues, and Organizational Behavior Management (OBM).

Stephanie has published scientific papers in top-tier journals and has regularly presented at international conferences, sharing her findings on topics across behavior science and clinical practice. Outside of her professional work, Stephanie enjoys writing, painting, travelling, skiing, boating, homesteading, DIY, and other new adventures, which bring creativity and balance into her life.

Mabel Tan

Junior Behavior Consultant | BCBA Candidate

Mabel holds a BA in Psychology from UBC and is pursuing a M.Ed with a focus on ABA at The University of Western Ontario. She has gained a few years of experience working with children between the age of 4-12 in one-to-one and group settings. During her time as a volunteer and a Behaviour Interventionist, she found a passion for improving children’s learning skiils and helping them build confidence socially and academically.

In her free time, she enjoys watching Netflix shows and trying new restaurants.

Carina Gong

Junior Behavior Consultant

Carina graduated from UBC with a degree in Psychology in 2022 and has been working at PlaySmart ever since. As a Senior Behavior Interventionist, she supports children from toddlers to teens in both behavioural intervention and academic settings. Known for her playful spirit and creativity, Carina brings positive energy to every session, helping children feel engaged, supported, and confident in their growth. She is fluent in both English and Mandarin, allowing her to effectively connect with a diverse range of families.

Hani Khambaty

Registered Behavior Technician (RBT®)

Hani is a RBT and Senior Behavior Interventionist with 13 years of experience supporting children's learning and development. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Commerce, a Diploma in Montessori Teaching, an ECE licence, and ABA training.

Her professional experience spans early childhood education, daycare, school, and clinical settings. She has supported children with autism and diverse learning needs as an Early Childhood Educator, BI, and Special Education Assistant. Through these roles, Hani has developed a strong understanding of how to support children's communication, social, behavioural, and adaptive functioning skills across different learning environments.

Hani believes that children learn best through play, exploration, and meaningful interactions. She values each child's natural curiosity and strives to create engaging, individualized learning experiences that foster confidence, independence, and a lifelong love of learning.

At PlaySmart, Hani is passionate about combining evidence-based ABA strategies with developmentally appropriate, play-based approaches to help children learn, grow, and thrive.

Manavi Duggal

Senior Behavior Interventionist

Manavi has a background in Health Sciences and extensive experience supporting children with autism across clinical, daycare, and home settings. As a Senior Behaviour Interventionist at PlaySmart, she implements individualized, evidence-based intervention strategies to help children develop communication, social, and adaptive skills in different learning environments. Manavi is passionate about creating positive, engaging, and supportive learning experiences that are tailored to each child’s unique strengths and needs. She values building meaningful relationships with children and their families and enjoys helping children develop greater confidence, independence, and essential life skills.

Outside of work, Manavi enjoys travelling, trying new foods, watching movies, and spending quality time with friends and family.

Amy Wong

Senior Behavior Interventionist | Early Childhood Educator (ECE, SNE & ITE)

Amy holds a degree in Communications and Psychology and is a certified ECE, Special Needs Educator (SNE), and Infant and Toddler Educator (ITE). She is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Behaviour Analysis, further expanding her knowledge of evidence-based behavioural interventions.

As a Senior Behaviour Interventionist at PlaySmart, Amy brings a strong background in early childhood education and experience supporting children across different developmental stages. She implements individualized intervention programs developed by the clinical team, focusing on the development of foundational communication, social, adaptive functioning, and learning skills.

Amy values structured, consistent, and individualized teaching approaches that support children's skill development and independence. She recognizes the importance of early intervention and family collaboration in helping children make meaningful progress.

Sun Lee

Behavior Interventionist

Sun holds a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics from SFU and an Intervenor Certificate. She has experience supporting students with diverse learning and communication needs, including those with deafblindness. Through her work as an Intervenor, she has developed a strong appreciation for individualized communication strategies and accessible learning experiences.

At PlaySmart, Sun brings a thoughtful, compassionate, and individualized approach to supporting children’s learning and development. She believes that every child is unique and learns differently, and that children thrive when they feel understood, valued, and supported.

Outside of work, Sun enjoys spending time in nature with her family, travelling, exploring new places, and trying different foods.

Kathy Fan

Behavior Inteventionist

Kathy holds a Bachelor of Arts with double major in Psychology and Sociology from UBC. Kathy has been with PlaySmart since the end of 2018 where she enjoys being able to work and bond with children. She has a passion for learning and wishes to be able to help others with her abilities. She has wanted to pursue a career in education from a young age and is hoping to continue her career in the field of Special Education. During her free time, Kathy enjoys engaging in group activities, taking care of animals and reading.

Rony Lam

Behavior Interventionist

Rony holds a Bachelor of Education (Honours) from The Education University of Hong Kong, majoring in early childhood education. She worked as an early childhood educator for 7 years, specialized in supporting children at different developmental stages. She had been the supervisor of an international kindergarten in Hong Kong. With her strong understanding of the developmental stages of young children, Rony has been making great contribution to enhancing clients' learning based on their needs. She has been running our popular Choo Choo Train Group for 3-5 year olds and the Proud Patrol Group for 5-8 year olds. She is currently working towards the Registered Behaviour Technician license.

Pei-Chyi Hung

Program Manager

Pei-Chyi joined PlaySmart as a Behavior Interventionist. She holds a B.A. in English. She volunteered as program coordinator and worked to structure curriculum design for winter camps at schools in rural areas. She also volunteered as a youth mentor and academic support for tweens and teens in low-income families in Taiwan. Throughout her 6-year dedication in childhood education, she has always been fascinated and inspired by children's curiosity and openness to learning.

She believes in the significance of early intervention for kids with ASD and the compounded effectiveness through parents' joint effort. She sees and respects the individual difference so she strives to devise and flex the way of teaching to best suit each kid's needs.

Catherine Chen

Senior Behavior Interventionist

Catherine is a Psychology major at UBC with a strong passion for supporting others and creating inclusive communities. Catherine believes in the importance of fostering environments where everyone can thrive, and she is excited to bring her energy, dedication, and experiences to PlaySmart.

During her free time, she enjoys baking, hiking, and travelling. Catherine is excited to bring her enthusiasm and experiences to PlaySmart!

Sukhpreet Kaur

Behavior Interventionist

Sukhpreet got her diploma in Early Childhood Education from Langara College, and is pursuing Special Needs Education. She enjoys working with children as their curiosity and imagination always amaze her. She believes that children are unique and are competent to achieve any goals if the right learning environment is provided. Play-based learning and hands-on exploration are her teaching approaches in early childhood education. She respects children's individual differences and strives to support children to reach their best potential.

When she’s not working, she enjoys cooking and trying new dishes. You can also find her working out in the gym and engaging in some exercises!

Vanessa Wong

Behavior Interventionist | Clinical Assistant

Vanessa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from UBC. She is passionate about supporting children's learning, development, and social-emotional well-being through evidence-based, individualized approaches.

With a strong academic background in psychology, Vanessa has contributed to research projects exploring cognitive processes, motivation, self-control, happiness, and behaviour at UBC, the University of Oregon, and RWTH Aachen University in Germany.

As a Clinical Assistant and Behavior Interventionist at PlaySmart, Vanessa supports the clinical team and works directly with children to help them develop meaningful skills, build confidence, and achieve their individual goals. She is committed to creating a positive, engaging, and supportive learning environment where every child has the opportunity to thrive.

Outside of work, Vanessa enjoys travelling, music, and running.