Suzanne Jacobson
Founder/Director, QuickStart-Early Intervention for Autism
Suzanne is the grandmother of two young boys, Alexander and Nathan, both of whom have been diagnosed with autism. Realizing that she needed to learn so much so quickly, Suzanne attended the International Symposium on Autism (Geneva Centre) three weeks after her first grandson was diagnosed with autism.
In early 2008, Suzanne founded QuickStart-Early Intervention for Autism which incorporated and became a registered Canadian Charity in 2010.
QuickStart formed a unique partnership with the Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre to establish the first pre-diagnosis clinic in Canada in late 2008, creating, for the first time, the opportunity for children and their families to receive services prior to a diagnosis. The Clinic now sees 200 children each year, all at no cost to the family.
Suzanne was invited in November, 2009 to speak at the Ontario Association of Children’s Rehabilitation Services (OACRS) conference in Toronto where children’s treatment centers from Eastern Ontario were introduced to this new pre-diagnosis clinic model.
Suzanne is the Eastern Ontario representative for Autism Parents Talking (APTalk). ApTalk provides parents with a virtural opportunity to relate their experiences with our Provincial autism programs directly to the Ministry of Children and Youth Services.
In April, 2010, Senator Jim Munson asked Suzanne to be the keynote speaker at his World Autism Awareness event on Parliament Hill.
In August, 2010, Suzanne received the Agent of Change Medallion from Mayor Larry O’Brien for her work with QuickStart.
In January, 2011, QuickStart began a new respite program called ReFresh ReStart. Parents are offered a one or two night stay at local hotels and receive funding for their childcare while they are away. In our first year, 31 stays were provided.
QuickStart is also a member of the Canadian ASD Alliance group which is seeking a national autism strategy for Canada.
Raymond Bourret, P.Eng.
Director, QuickStart - Early Intervention for Autism
Raymond Bourret graduated from Carleton University in Ottawa in 1983 with a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering with distinction. During his tenure as a student at the university, Ray worked for Carleton Universityʼs High Energy Physics Department as a Design Engineer and was a Teaching Assistant for the Departments of Engineering, Computer Sciences and Mathematics.
Upon graduation, Mr. Bourret joined the ADGA Group where he held various positions including the position of Vice President Systems Engineering from 1990 to 1999. He joined Montage eIntegration as the Vice President of Business Development for a brief period to provide assistance in preparing the company for an Initial Public Offering, subsequently joining JDSUniphase for a period of 2 years as the Director of Business Development for North America customers. Ray then joined General Dynamics Canada for a period of 5 years as the Director of Business Development for the Canadian and International Defence and Security Market before taking up his current position as the Business Development Executive for the Defence & Aerospace sector with CAE Professional Services!
In addition to working as a Professional Engineer in the Defence and Security sector for most of his career, Ray has been actively engaged in the establishment and promotion of youth programs in Canada, and in support of non-profit organizations in the Ottawa community. He was very involved in the establishment and development of the Terry Fox Youth Centre program, which is currently known as the Encounter with Canada program. This youth program for the 14-17 age group is considered among the most successful youth programs in Canada and has been providing a venue for 3000 youths each year to travel to Ottawa and discover this magnificent country.
Raymond Bourret is married to Ginette Rochon and they have a daughter and grandson.
Yolanda Korneluk, Ph.D., C.Psych.
Director, QuickStart - Early Intervention for Autism
Dr. Korneluk received a doctorate from the University of Ottawa specializing in child, adolescent and family psychology. She is a registered member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario and currently practices primarily in the areas of Autism Spectrum Disorders/developmental disability and adolescent mental health.
Dr. Korneluk has worked for the Childrenʼs Hospital of Eastern Ontario, the Ottawa Carleton Public School Board, and the Ottawa Childrenʼs Treatment Centre (OCTC). OCTC is the primary publicly-funded diagnostic and treatment agency for children with suspected or confirmed developmental disabilities. At OCTC, Dr. Korneluk was a clinical coordinator for a multidisciplinary team that included psychology, social work, speech language pathology, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy. Dr. Korneluk left OCTC in 2006 to focus on her interest in working with individuals on the Autism Spectrum.
Emerging Minds was founded by Dr. Korneluk in 2008 and provides comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services for children, adolescents and adults with ASD and other developmental conditions. The multidisciplinary team is comprised of representatives from a range of backgrounds, including psychology, speech language pathology, occupational therapy, social work, autism intervention specialists, communication disorder assistants, and early childhood educators. Emerging Minds operates a preschool in Barrhaven that provides both integrated and specialized support for children on the Autism spectrum.
Most recently, Dr. Korneluk and her associate, Dr. Robin Gaines (Speech Language Pathologist), in partnership with Pinecrest Queensway Community Health, Florida State University, and UC Davis – Sacramento received a one year grant from the Centre for Excellence in Childrenʼs Mental Health Research to conduct a diagnostic screening and parent training intervention study for children aged 12-24 months showing early signs of ASD.
