Who We Are: Compassionate, Collaborative Autism Services in Waterloo & Burlington
At Elemenoe (pronounced LMNO, like the alphabet), we are a dedicated group of empathetic and creative therapists who have a passion for providing meaningful and relevant therapy to children with autism and other communication challenges.
We're passionate about providing autism and ABA services with full heart. We are pleased to serve two locations in Ontario: Waterloo & Burlington.
Learn more about each of the wonderful teams.
Frequently Asked Questions
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We offer interdisciplinary support, including:
Speech-Language Pathology (SLP)
Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)
Psychotherapy
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We typically support children from about 18 months through 18 years.
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Neuro-affirming care means we respect neurodivergent ways of communicating, learning, moving, and regulating. Our goal is not to “fix” your child. We focus on skills and supports that help your child feel safe, understood, and successful.
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We do not provide medical diagnoses. If you’re exploring an autism assessment, we can help you understand what to look for and how to support your child while you wait.
Visit our blog. “Understanding Autism Diagnosis in Ontario: Who Can Help?” to learn more.
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Book an initial intake appointment using our booking link here.
Your intake is a first conversation where we:
Learn about your child and what’s been feeling hard
Clarify your goals and priorities
Recommend the best next step (assessment, direct therapy, parent coaching, or a mix)
If an assessment is recommended, we’ll walk you through what that includes (what we’re looking at, what tools we use, timelines, and what you’ll receive after).
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Families come to us for support with things like:
Speech and language delays
Social communication
Autism support
Emotional regulation and “big behaviours”
Transitions (school, routines, new environments)
Anxiety, stress, and family dynamics
Parent coaching and practical strategies for home
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A lot of clinics can offer therapy. We focus on how it feels to receive it.
Led by clinicians (and moms): Elemenoe is owned by two clinicians who are also moms. That lived experience shapes how we communicate, how we set goals, and how practical we keep the strategies.
Collaborative care: Our team works together across disciplines, so you’re not stuck trying to connect the dots between providers.
Play-centred and child-led: We follow your child’s lead and build skills through connection, motivation, and meaningful activities.
Neuro-affirming: We honour your child’s communication and regulation needs and prioritize safety, dignity, and belonging.
Evidence-based (and full of heart): We use best-practice approaches and real clinical expertise, while keeping the work human, warm, and relevant to your child’s life.
Elemenoe began with a shared vision.
As a Speech-Language Pathologist and Behaviour Analyst, we met while working within a large therapy organization. Although we often worked independently, we found ourselves continually inspired by each other's perspectives and united by a common belief: children deserve support that is compassionate, meaningful, and centred on who they are as individuals.
When we decided to build something together, we knew exactly what we wanted it to feel like. We envisioned a place where relationships would matter, where families would feel welcomed and supported, and where children would be met with curiosity, respect, and genuine care.
A guiding principle has always been simple: we only want to provide support that we would feel comfortable choosing for our own children.
That belief has shaped how we approach therapy from the very beginning. We believe children deserve to be treated with dignity, to have their communication respected, and to feel safe and valued while learning. If an approach does not align with how we would want a child in our own family to be supported, it does not belong in our practice.
As clinicians, we were both drawn to approaches that prioritized connection over compliance and sought to understand the "why" behind behaviour and communication. Rather than focusing on controlling behaviour, we believe in understanding it. Rather than asking children to fit into our expectations, we strive to create environments where they can learn, communicate, and thrive as themselves.
At the heart of our work is a commitment to functional communication. Not communication for the sake of meeting a goal, but communication that empowers children in their everyday lives. Whether a child uses spoken language, AAC, gestures, or other forms of communication, we believe every child deserves to have their voice heard and respected.
This philosophy shapes every interaction at Elemenoe. We honour autonomy. We value shared control. We celebrate strengths, interests, and individuality. We focus on meaningful learning opportunities that are engaging, motivating, and rooted in real life.
Today, Elemenoe remains grounded in the same foundation that brought us together from the beginning: a belief that therapy should be evidence-based, compassionate, collaborative, and deeply respectful of children and families.
Not sure what all of these terms mean? You are not alone.
We’ve created a guide to help decode the language of autism services, one step at a time.
