Marg Derraugh – Autism Consultant
B. Ed., Post Baccalaureate Diploma Inclusive Education
Marg has completed her Bachelor of Education and Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Inclusive Education. She has been a practicing educator for over thirty years, twenty-seven of which have been working with children and adolescents with autism and other developmental differences. Marg has held positions in inclusive education, special education resource, autism support and consulting across two school divisions.
Personally, Marg also has the unique perspective of being the proud parent of a child on the autism spectrum. Her firsthand knowledge and experience are an asset when working with families, school systems, therapy services and other agencies. She has attended training sessions in DIR Floortime, Relationship Development Intervention (RDI), Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Play Project, Sensory Differences, Regulation, Co-regulation, Interoception and Low Arousal.
Professionally, it is her passion is to assist families to better understand and embrace their child’s presentation. It is her aim to assist families to discover connections with their child and to become effective advocates across all settings.
Lena Morrow – Autism Consultant
B.A., (Honours)
Lena has supported neurodiverse children for over twenty years. She has extensive experience in preschool, as well as elementary school and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) program settings in the Winnipeg School Division. She also worked as part of an ASD Inclusion team (with an Autism Teacher and Occupational Therapist) at St. James Assiniboia School Division that mentored and instructed teachers, educational assistants, and administrators to build their understanding of best ways to support ASD students. She has attended training sessions in Sensory Awareness, Co-regulation, Interoception, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, and how to use “PLAY” to build social and communication connections using PlayProject principles.
Lena is strong advocate of visual supports for all children who can benefit from visual learning. She has an unlimited knowledge on how to create visuals using Boardmaker and has provided visuals for parents, Classroom and Resource teachers, Physical Education and Music teachers, Occupational and Physical therapists, and Speech-Language pathologists. In consultation with those in need of support, she can provide personalized visuals, transition visual tools and social stories. Lena is greatly aware of how visual supports can enhance understanding of daily activities, skill development, communication and help to reduce anxiety and frustration. She strongly encourages the importance of discovering ways to connect with all children.
Sue Merrick – Autism Consultant
BA, B.Ed, PBSE, M.Ed (Inclusive Education)
Sue Merrick has been a teacher in the Winnipeg school division for 20 years. During this time she has taught in classrooms, has been a Inclusive Education Resource Teacher, a divisional Early Childhood Transition Support Teacher and is currently a consultant at Inclusion Support services. Sue has been working with students who have Autism Spectrum Disorder throughout her career and is passionate about supporting children and their families while they navigate the complex school system.
Jenny Soriano Vernon – Occupational Therapist
OT Reg. (MB), OTR/L, OTRP, Winnipeg, MB
Jenny earned her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy degree from the University of the Philippines – College of Allied Medical Professions. She has practiced since 1998 in various settings including specialty clinics, schools, community settings (such as daycares and homes), camps, and diagnostic centers in the Philippines, Canada and the United States.
She moved to Winnipeg in 2006, and today she continues to collaborate with children and families who deal with various diagnoses; some of which include Global Developmental Delay, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, sensory processing/integration difficulties and other developmental delays. Clinically, her work draws on a variety of styles she has learned from mentors all over the globe. Recognizing each child has their own unique situation, Jenny believes the best intervention is not anchored on a single method or technique but is instead focused on the needs of the child and their family.
Academically, she has mentored and educated M.S. Occupational Therapy students at the University of Manitoba in Canada and was a member of the committee who drafted questions for the Canadian occupational therapy examination for Internationally Educated Occupational Therapists. She has presented in international conferences in Canada and the Philippines, and learning from colleagues and families continues to be her passion.
Discovering Connections 