Autism Professionals Edinburgh Scotland

Our Team

We are an enthusiastic, dedicated team of professionals located in the central belt of Scotland. Collectively, we have a range of experience applying the principles of behaviour analysis with children across a variety of settings. We are passionate about providing effective and meaningful services to children with autism and learning difficulties and their families. We work as a team, sharing knowledge and ideas, so that your child’s programme will benefit from our collective expertise and experience.

Gemma Gilmour, MSc, BCaBA – Supervisor and Founder

Gemma has worked with children with autism and related difficulties since 2005. She has an MA in psychology from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland and a MSc in Applied Behavioural Analysis from the University of Wales, Bangor. Gemma gained her BCaBA certification in 2012, having successfully completed all of the necessary academic modules through the Florida Institute of Technology.

Gemma received her initial training working on home programmes run by the Centre for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) both in the UK and Australia and other independent UK-based consultants. She is passionate about helping families who have children with learning and language difficulties and extending her knowledge and experience within the field of ABA.

Gemma has worked with children of a variety of ages but she is particularly interested in working with young children, minimising problem behaviours and teaching functional communication skills. Gemma has experience as an ABA therapist and as a programme supervisor, having delivered and designed programmes for toilet training, sleep issues, fussy eating, self help skills, play and more.

Gemma is a keen net worker and educator; she feels passionately about disseminating accurate and up to date information about ABA to professionals and parents.

Jennifer McCann BA, BCaBA – Supervisor

Jennifer has over nine years experience using Applied Behaviour Analysis / Verbal Behaviour (ABA / VB) with pre-school children through to young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other developmental delays. Jennifer obtained her BA in Behavioural Science from the University of West of Scotland and has recently achieved her BCaBA qualification through the Florida Institute of Technology. Jennifer also has experience with Pivotal Response Therapy (PRT) and DIR Floortime.

Jennifer supervises home programmes, delivers parent training, provides 1:1 sessions, runs social skills clubs in Glasgow, and provides training in schools/nurseries in Greater Glasgow and Ayrshire.

Laura Young MA, BCBA – Supervisor

Laura is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA), with a Master’s degree in Applied Behaviour Analysis from Queens University Belfast. Laura started off as a behaviour therapist for Keys for Learning in 2012 and found her passion in helping young children with developmental and language delays learn new skills using the principles of behaviour. Laura has since gained a wealth of experience working with children ranging from 2-16 years old, supervising home programmes, training new therapists, and attending professional development courses. Laura shows a great commitment and optimism to the families she supports and enthusiasm to the children she works with.

Laura is based in Glasgow and travels across Scotland to provide behaviour services to families, nurseries and schools.

Georgia Brayley, Junior Supervisor and Associate Therapist

Georgia has worked as an ABA therapist for the past three years and has experience working with children ranging from 2 years to 13 years. She has worked as a lead tutor taking on responsibility for training new tutors, graphing and providing evidence and reports for local authority meetings. Georgia has worked on a mixture of home school programmes and attended mainstream schools as a shadow ABA tutor. She has previously worked in a primary school for two years.

Georgia has completed a 10 week Register Behaviour Technician (RBT) course and is a Talk Tools therapist having completed Level 1: A Three-Part Treatment Plan for Oral Motor Therapy and Level 2: Oral Motor Therapy – Assessment and Programme Plan Development. She has obtained, with distinction, a postgraduate certificate in autism and Asperger’s syndrome which provided her with a great deal of knowledge about autism as a whole, including increased knowledge of sensory processing issues, anxiety, theory of mind, executive functioning and central coherence.

Georgia has a particular interest in fitness and has an Autism Fitness Level 1 certification. She has delivered a 4-week fitness programme which increased and developed gross motor skills and movement for children of a variety of ages. This was a successful project in that not only did it increase skills but also enjoyment for many of the children who participated.

Georgia has an interest in speech and language which is why she has recently moved to Edinburgh to commence a masters in Speech and Language Therapy. She recognises the advantage of combining speech and language provision that is delivered using ABA strategies and is excited for this next chapter.

Alison MacDougall, MSc, PGCert, MA (Hons) – Associate Therapist

Alison is an ABA therapist who has worked over 4 years’ part time with children with Autism in home based ABA programmes. While doing so; in 2015 she graduated with a First class honours degree in MA Psychology from the University of Aberdeen. She also went on to complete a postgraduate certificate in Autism & Learning with Merit while working as a Support worker in a residential school for children with autism which she did for almost two years. She has since completed her MSc in Applied Behaviour Analysis with Distinction from Bangor University.

Having recently moved to Edinburgh and finishing her Masters, Alison is now involved in ABA programmes in Edinburgh within home and school environments and plans to work towards becoming a Board Certified Assistant Behaviour Analyst. Alison is passionate about facilitating a child’s development and increasing their behavioural repertoire. She demonstrates this though her commitment, understanding and enthusiasm.

Alison currently delivers 1:1 sessions at Beetroot Sauvage in Edinburgh.

Vasi Dzhigreva, MSc, – Associate Therapist

Vasi has worked as an ABA therapist for the past two years in the UK and Bulgaria. She has further worked as a Support worker for children with ASD, Down syndrome and Generalised developmental delay in Sri Lanka. She has experience working with children and adolescents from 19 months to 18 years of age on both home- and community-based programmes. Vasi has further provided remote parent training under the recent lockdown conditions. In the past she has worked as an Assistant Psychologist for the NHS and later on as an Assistant Psychologist in a Brain Injury Centre. There, Vasi has worked with adults with ASD in providing psychoeducation and support in managing challenging situations and everyday pressures, while facilitating group social interactions.

She has an MSc in Psychology and Psychological Practice from the University of Birmingham, England. She has recently completed the 40 hour RBT training and is working towards achieving a level 2 Certificate in Principles of Working with Individuals with Learning Disabilities.

Vasi is based in Edinburgh and delivers 1:1 remote and home-based sessions across the city.

Our Team

Gemma Gilmour, MSc, BCaBA – Supervisor and Founder

Jennifer McCann BA, BCaBA – Supervisor

Laura Young MA, BCBA – Supervisor

Georgia Brayley, Junior Supervisor and Associate Therapist

Alison MacDougall, MSc, PGCert, MA (Hons) – Associate Therapist

Vasi Dzhigreva, MSc, – Associate Therapist

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