The longest serving integrated paediatric therapy services provider in the Sea to Sky Corridor.

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Our Story

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Trusted Partner in Your Child’s Growth

Play in Motion Child Development Centre, located in Squamish, BC, opened in February 2017 to fulfill the need for a multi-disciplinary team of pediatric therapists within the sea to sky corridor.  Prior to becoming a Child Development Centre, Play in Motion, which was founded in 2008, provided solely Occupational Therapy services.

The large growth of the population within the sea to sky corridor led to an increased number of families looking for therapy services that were not readily available in their home town.  This resulted in many families driving into Vancouver for their child to access their needed services.  To help alleviate this additional stress to families, Play in Motion grew to include Physiotherapy and Speech and Language Pathology.

Play in Motion provides high quality pediatric therapy services to children from birth to 18 years old.  Our integrated team works closely with one another to ensure both developmental milestones and family goals are being met.

We aim to…

  • Reduce the cost, stress and frustration in the delivery of paediatric services in the Sea to Sky Corridor
  • Decrease the number of children on the wait list for the provision of therapy within the region
  • Become a trusted and desired provider within the community for the delivery of integrated, multi-disciplinary paediatric therapies
  • Provide education and outreach for parents and therapists of children who require additional support with their development
  • Improve the quality of paediatric therapy services to children within the region

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Average annual growth in the region

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Growth in vulnerability of children entering school (over 10 years)

Average hours per week traveling to appointments (children with diagnoses)

Number of years it takes to receive an assessment for services

The Current State of the Sea to Sky Region

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The region has seen higher than average growth of 14.5% in the last five years, compared to the national average of 5.9% and the provincial average of 7% for the same period.

 
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Parents are tired, frustrated and financially taxed, resulting in some children not receiving the care they need due to shortage of time, money and services.

 
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Therapists in the Corridor are also frustrated by the additional time required to travel to multiple sites to service the children, given that there is a lack of locations for the therapists to practice.

 
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A recent study by Sea to Sky Community Services screened four waves of children from 2004 to 2013 entering school and discovered a 30% increase in vulnerability around physical health and well-being, social competency, emotional maturity, language and cognitive delays.

 
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Currently, it can take up to two years for a child just to receive an assessment due to lack of available therapist in the region.

 

Meet Our Team

Tara-Leigh Cain, Clinic Director, Occupational Therapist

Tara-Leigh Cain graduated from McMaster University with a Psychology degree in 1996 and after years of working with children and travelling through Europe, she returned to school for her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy at UBC. Her love of working with children of all abilities was apparent since she was in high school so it wasn’t hard to make the decision to dedicate her focus to Pediatrics when she graduated.

It also wasn’t hard to determine where she wanted to pursue her career. Hiking, cycling, camping and running have always been a part of her life so it seemed fitting when she moved to Squamish in 2006. Life can’t get much better than having the mountains and trails right in her backyard.
Tara is on the Registry of Autism Service Providers and is registered to provide therapy services through the At Home Program with the Ministry of Children and Family and through the Community Brain Injury Program for Children and Youth in BC. She in a contract worker with Southern Stl’atl’imx Health Society where, on a monthly basis, she provides services to children and families in some of BC’s remote First Nations Communities.
Children play for a living and Tara bases her therapy sessions around play: play with a purpose. As a mother of two children, Tara has both the personal and professional knowledge of child development.

Sonya Kelly, Occupational Therapist

Sonya Kelly is a registered occupational therapist working part-time at Play In Motion.
Growing up in a family with healthcare professionals, it was no surprise that Sonya followed this path as well. Growing up on Vancouver Island as well as a few years living in New Zealand, she decided to head East for university.
Sonya first heard about occupational therapy during her first year of university and she decided that this was the profession that she would pursue. She was drawn to the holistic values, the variety of areas of practice that OTs work in and helping people through the activities are meaningful to them.
After graduating from the University of Western Ontario in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours degree (Kinesiology and minor in Psychology), Sonya stayed in Ontario for 2 more years to continue her education. She graduated from McMaster University in 2003 with a Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy.
Sonya moved back to the West Coast as soon as she graduated and worked for 9 years as an OT in Victoria, B.C. She gained experience in a variety of settings and areas of practice, including return to work programs, acute care, orthopedic rehabilitation, mental health and addiction services, seniors care in the community and long-term care. However, prior to working as an OT, she volunteered and worked with children and youth, and she loved her practicum experience at a Child Development Centre in Thunder Bay, Ontario, so she was always looking for an opportunity to work in pediatrics as an OT.
In 2013, Sonya was expecting her first child and she moved to Squamish to be closer to the mountains. She fell in love with the Squamish community and the endless outdoor recreation it has to offer. Following her maternity leave in 2014, she was able to pursue to passion of working with children as an occupational therapist in the Sea to Sky Corridor.
When not working, Sonya enjoys spending time with her family, including 2 children and 2 dogs. She especially loves being in the forest, especially on her mountain bike. She also loves skiing, dancing, and being creative through art.

Mike Hilliard, Physiotherapist

Mike is a registered physiotherapist that graduated from McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario) in 2004. Upon graduating, he promptly packed his bags and headed west to the mountains. He began his physio career with a short stint working at Lions Gate Hospital in Vancouver on the post-op orthopedic ward before making the move the move to pediatrics in 2006. For the last 10+ years Mike has worked in the Vancouver community supporting children with physical and developmental disabilities and their families. Mike’s role as a community-based physiotherapist has helped him develop an understanding of the many issues children with disabilities face beyond the confines of the clinic.
Mike’s approach to managing and supporting those with disability has been strongly influenced by both his parents. He is following in the footsteps of his mother Doreen who recently retired from her career as owner and practitioner at Footprints Pediatric Therapy in Toronto. Mike’s father Craig was a C5-C6 quadriplegic as a result of a trauma sustained when he was 18 years old in 1964. Craig chose to lead a fulfilling, independent and successful life in spite of this injury.
When the opportunity to make the transition from community to private-clinic presented itself, Mike was eager to jump on board. It has been something that he has been contemplating the last several years and is glad to have the opportunity to provide physio service to the Squamish community.
Mike aims to provide physiotherapy services to children with a wide range of conditions including neuromuscular, developmental, motor coordination, orthopedic and congenital disorders. He can see the potential for positive outcomes with a goal to improve children’s mobility, strength and independence.
Mike currently lives in Vancouver with his son Jackson and trusty mutt Rudy.

Chella Plastiras, Speech Language Pathologist

Chella is a registered speech-language pathologist. After completing her undergraduate degree in Linguistics at the University of Alberta, she attained her Communication Sciences and Disorders master’s degree from Western Carolina University in North Carolina (2010). She enjoys exploring through traveling, hiking, skiing, and gardening, and loves learning and trying new things.
Chella offers services for speech sound errors, language disorders, stuttering, and orofacial myofunctional disorder (OMD). She is very passionate about her career and has a strong interest in stuttering and OMD.
Orofacial myofunctional disorders and speech- When there is a combination of an orofacial myofunctional disorder and a related speech error, it is often difficult to correct the speech problem through traditional speech therapy, until the OMD has been corrected.
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) is a neuromuscular re-education of the muscles in the face, lips, mouth, tongue, and neck. Therapy focuses on oral habit elimination, habituation of nasal breathing, correct oral rest posture, and oral phase swallow. This supports airway development and optimal oral and facial muscle function, balance, and development.
This is also recommended pre- and post-frenectomy.
Stuttering– is a neurophysiological difference that is significantly impacted by motor speech, language, auditory feedback, and emotional regulation. There has been a lot of research focusing on the causes of stuttering and that research continues. The research has found that people who stutter have differences in their brain wiring and functioning. Though other factors do not cause stuttering, there are many factors that can contribute to a person’s stuttering.
Her approach is to address emotional and physical barriers that inhibit spontaneous talking. Through addressing these barriers and learning strategies the goal is to help clients become confident spontaneous communicators.
Chella works with all ages from preschool to adulthood.

Allison Empey, Speech Language Pathologist

Allison is a registered speech and language pathologist with a Master’s of Science degree from the University of British Columbia (2017). Allison provides empathetic practices that foster individual strengths through connection and play. She advocates for equitable and unrestricted access to communication and believes in empowering children to achieve their speech, language and literacy goals. Allison has interests in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), dyslexia and literacy support, American Sign Language (ASL), and language enhancing strategies for parents of young children. Allison is a Registered Autism Service Provider, a Community Brain Injury Provider and a Hanen certified It Takes Two to Talk therapist. She is committed to learning from the lived experience of the adult neurodivergent community and advocates for disability representation at a policy level.
Allison joined the Play In Motion team in 2018 and loves to explore the wilderness on bike, skis, and hiking trails. She lives in Squamish with her husband and three children.

Hillary Mastrodicasa, Rehabilitation Assistant

Hillary graduated from Concordia University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Arts and Art History. After traveling for a year her love for the mountains brought her to the west coast which she now considers home. In 2018 she decided to return to school to complete a certificate as a Rehabilitation Assistant at Capilano University. She feels fortunate to be triple trained to assist in the disciplines of Physio, Occupational and Speech and Language Therapy as she believes success in all aspects of life comes from fostering a holistic approach.
Having always felt most invigorated working with children it was an easy decision to return to paediatrics upon her graduation. Hillary’s practice is informed by her educational background, extensive work with children in the community as well as her passion for fostering positive mental health through skill building and leisure activities. Developing a strong connection with children and families is her top priority and the foundation of her therapy. She prides herself in being able to discover what excites children and find ways to incorporate those interests into safe and meaningful therapeutic activities.
Hillary looks forward to getting to know families in Squamish and empowering her clients to be their authentic selves in their daily life.

Alanna Poole, Occupational Therapy Assistant

Alanna graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Arts in Sports, Recreation, and Tourism in 2012. After graduating she worked as a Recreation Therapist at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton Alberta on the stroke, spinal cord, and amputee units. After 5 years, Alanna and her partner moved to Victoria BC to start their life on the coast. During that time she gained experience in long term care and started working with Autistic children. Alanna and her family settled in Squamish in 2019 where she started working for Whistler Adaptive Sports program, running their adaptive sport programming in Squamish and Whistler, as well as working in the District of Squamish physiotherapist led Neuro Fit program. It is during this time that Alanna fell in love with working with children and developing physical literacy in people of all abilities. Alanna is excited to continue to work with Squamish children and their families to help build skills that increase independence and quality of life.

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