The Friend 2 Friend Team
Heather McCracken
Executive Director / Trainer / IPG Supervisor
Heather McCracken is the creator of the Friend 2 Friend Programs and the founder and executive director of the F2FSLS. A parent of three, one of her children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, Heather is a published author and speaker at professional conferences and post secondary institutes on the topic of fostering friendship, play and social competency for children with ASD and the F2F and IPG models.
Monique Hoekstra
Lead Presenter / IPG Master Guide
Monique Hoekstra has a Bachelor of Arts degree in music and a Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology. She provides speech and language therapy to children with autism spectrum disorder and special needs and has worked with children with autism spectrum disorder for the past 10 years. Monique supports the delivery of the Friend 2 Friend Programs and coordinates Integrated Plays Groups for children aged 3-14 throughout the lower mainland of BC.
Janet Cregan
Program Coordinator F2F / Lead Presenter
Janet is a parent with 2 boys, her older son has autism. Before having her sons Janet was a primary teacher for 12 years. Janet is the program coordinator and lead presenter for Friend 2 Friend as she feels that it is very important for children to learn about autism so that they can be more understanding towards their classmates who have autism.
Diane Tucker
Administrator / Office Manager
Diane is a mother of 2 boys, her youngest son has autism spectrum disorder. Diane joined Friend 2 Friend as a volunteer in October 2003 after watching a presentation and seeing the impact of the puppets on the children. She believes knowledge and awareness are key to accepting differences between typical children and their special needs classmates.
Joanne McCartney
Lead Presenter / IPG Master Guide
Joanne holds a Bachelor's degree in Speech Sciences from UBC and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Special Education with a focus on autism and developmental disabilities. She has eight years of experience in supporting children with autism and other developmental disabilities and was pleased to join the Friend 2 Friend team in 2005.
Angie Stallings
Program Assistant
Angie is the mom of three wonderful boys; a busy, neurotypical 10 year old and 9 year old twins who are on the autism spectrum. She is excited to join the Friend 2 Friend Society after experiencing first-hand the positive impact of the program upon moving to BC from Florida, US in December, 2005. Because their classmates have been taught how to relate to children who are different, the twins have been able to forge meaningful friendships for the first time ever, and continue to make great strides socially and emotionally in this secure and loving environment.
Melissa Romualdez
Program Assistant
Melissa “Mel” graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Ateneo de Manila University (Philippines) in May 2006. Her undergraduate thesis was on “The Effects of Music Therapy on the Communication Skills of Filipino Children with Autism.” She also did her internship at an organization for children with autism in Manila. Mel moved to Vancouver in the fall of 2006 and has been working with Friend to Friend since September 2007. She loves doing volunteer work, learning new languages and traveling.
Michelle Englar
Program Presenter / Administration
Michelle has a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy and psychology from the University of British Columbia and has a heightened interest in the fields of ethical philosophy and developmental psychology. She is passionate about connecting with children through the Friend 2 Friend programs as a program presenter for puppet plays and simulation games as well as on the administration side of Friend 2 Friend.
Lynette Lumbuan
Program Presenter
Cyndi Gerlach
Special Projects
Tanya Vipond
Special Projects
Monica Graham
Program Assistant
Friend 2 Friend Partner Teams
Marie-Claude Osterrath
Lead Presenter
Marie-Claude is a teacher and a mother of two fantastic kids. Her amazing 8 year old son who is on the autism spectrum and 6 year old typically developing daughter. Marie-Claude has lived and traveled all over the world and now happily calls Calgary, Alberta home. She enjoys being a Lead Presenter for Autism Calgary Association’s Friend 2 Friend Programs. Marie-Claude LOVES going into schools and meeting all the children as well as playing with puppets every week with her F2F team mates.
Lori Gibbs
Lead Presenter
Lori is a mother, stand-up comedian and music teacher. She has two son’s, one neurotypical (13) and one on the autism spectrum (9). Lori finds her work with Friend 2 Friend directly complements her comedy gigs. The children’s' delightful and surprising epiphanies and comments are a perfect training ground to deal with audiences of all ages. As a lead presenter, Lori finds great joy in the privilege of presenting the F2F model as it sends out a positive, caring and friendly message that benefits children and adults of all ages, with all different kinds of minds!
Valerie Bunz
Program Assistant / Program Coordinator
Valerie has a Masters Degree in Social Work and was working in health care and with non-profits before the birth of her two wonderful children. She has a 9 year old son who is on the Autism Spectrum and has Cerebral Palsy, and a 5 year old neurotypical daughter. Val learned about the Friend 2 Friend Program during an IPG seminar presented by Pamela Wolfberg in 2004 and was happy to join the Calgary Friend 2 Friend team in the fall of 2006. Val looks forward to the program growing to reach more children in Calgary and area.
Albina Khouzina
Program Presenter
Integrated Play Groups
Pamela Wolfberg, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Special Education at San Francisco State University and co-founder of the Autism Institute on Peer Relations and Play.
Her current research, grant activities and practice center on supporting children with ASD in the areas of peer relations, play, childhood culture and social inclusion. She earned her doctorate in Special Education from the University of California, Berkeley with San Francisco State University in 1994. Prior to pursuing a higher degree, she studied and worked with children in various capacities within the U.S. and abroad, including as an educator and play therapist. While teaching children with autism in the San Francisco public schools, she originated the Integrated Play Groups model. She now actively leads efforts to develop inclusive peer play programs at the local, national and international level.
Pamela is widely published and the author of numerous peer-reviewed articles, books and chapters. She recently co-edited a special issue on play in Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice (2003). Her recent books include, Play and Imagination in Children with Autism (1999), which is based on her doctoral dissertation Peer Play and the Autism Spectrum: The Art of Guiding Children's Socialization and Imagination (2003) (For more details, see Wolfberg's Publications). She is the recipient of several distinguished awards including: Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation from U.C. Berkeley (1994), Outstanding Journal Article in Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities (1999) and the Sandra L. Bailey (1991) and Glenna B. Collins (1993) scholarship awards from the Autism Society of America. She currently serves as associate editor for Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, on the editorial board of RSPD and as a guest editor for the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
