Meet cLaudia Ng

Claudia was born and has lived in Hong Kong for 8 years before moving to Calgary with her family. She kept her Chinese language and culture with her as she grew up within the Canadian society; integrating both the Eastern and the Western culture into her personality.

Like most Asian, Claudia vaguely chose Engineering as her undergraduate study because that was what her parents suggested.  Through an acquaintance one day, she was introduced to the work with children and youths with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Needless to say, she opted out of her expected Asian role to pursue a career that is much more rewarding to her.

Her professional background began as a Behavioural Aide to now a Behaviour Consultant. She started off with no knowledge of what Autism is or what interventions are available. With four years of work alongside registered psychologists and professional developments, her expertise has been growing to now providing consultation to families. Claudia has also been planning and facilitating Social Skills group for children with ASD, as well as community program in the summer for teenagers with a range of developmental disabilities.

This field is where she first acknowledges how cultural differences come into play in terms of therapy. Language and culture play a strong role in a therapeutic relationship can often become a barrier. She believes that there is a need for a culturally sensitive therapist today, a therapist who has cultural-awareness and cultural- sensitivity. By having strong interpersonal skills and familiarity with both sets of Chinese and Western values, she is able to move up a level from simply recognizing similarities and differences. Claudia takes a step further to incorporate her understanding into constructing what is known as “cultural formulation.” 

List of Professional Accomplishments:

• Social Skills Training for ASD – Dr. Jed Baker, Sep 2009
• Visual Strategies for Improving Communication – Linda Hodgdon, Jan 2009
• Social Thinking – Michelle Garcia Winner, Jan 2009
• Sensory Management – Sue Mitchell, Jan 2009
• Behaviour Support Plans – Marianella Barrantes, Jan 2009
• Tools for Tots and Sensory Processing Measure – Diana Henry, Sep 2008
• Sensory Processing Disorder: How Does it Affect Children with ASD – Dr. Lucy Jane Miller, Feb 2008
• Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, Oct 2007
• Pivotal Responses in the Treatment of Autism – Drs. Robert & Lynn Koegel, Apr 2007
• Connecting the Research “Dots” to Create Intervention “Snapshots” for Children & Adolescents with ASD – Diane Twachtman-Cullen, Apr 2007
• Biomedical Approaches to Autism Spectrum & Neurodevelopmental Disorders Conference – Jan 2007