Meet Our Students

Olivia Ng ('12) - M.A. (A.B.A)

In September 2008, I entered the Master of Applied Disability Studies (M.ADS) program with a specialization in Applied Behaviour Analysis.  Having worked with children with autism and developmental disabilities, I was excited to work towards a professional degree that was unique, challenging, and directly relevant to my career.  After a year, I decided to transfer to the Master of Arts program to pursue a more research-oriented curriculum.  Under the supervision of Dr. Maurice Feldman and Dr. Rebecca Ward, I am conducting research in the area of infants at risk for autism spectrum disorders.  I am also researching behaviour management strategies used by parents of children with autism and developmental disabilities.  During my practicum placement, I had the opportunity to assist Dr. Kimberly Harris in conducting court-ordered assessments of families for which child protection was a concern.  I am very pleased with the level of support I have received from my supervisors, and I have learned so much from the faculty and from my peers.  I am now in my final year of the MA program, and I am confident that my time at the Centre for Applied Disability Studies has prepared me well for a career as a scientist-practitioner.  If you are a prospective student, and would like to hear more about the program from a student’s perspective, please feel free to email me!

Jeff Hamelin ('08) - M.A. (A.B.A)

In completing my MA through the Centre for Applied Disability Studies (CADS) at Brock University I was able to integrate my dual interests in applied work and research in the field of intellectual disabilities. The courses were excellent but more than anything the MA programme provided me with the opportunity to work closely with some of the preeminent researchers in behaviour analysis and intellectual disabilities. I am absolutely confident that the experiences and skills I gained while in the programme are the primary reason for my continued success in my research, teaching, and academic work in my PhD Psychology programme at Queens College and the Graduate Center in New York. While at Brock I was able to get involved with a number of diverse research projects that interested me and some of this collaboration between the CADS faculty and I continues to this day.