What are the opening hours?

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

The Portia Learning Centre

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Ottawa, ON
The Portia Learning Centre

We use an interdisciplinary, evidenced based approach in providing ABA therapy. We offer a variety of ABA Services to suit each child’s unique needs.

The Portia Learning Centre’s individualized ABA treatment programs follow a developmental and interdisciplinary approach for children of all ages, starting at 6 months of age. Our team of Behaviour Analysts, ABA Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Pathologists and Psychotherapists, and Psychologists are here to help you and your family. We also offer worldwide supervision services.

03/25/2026

🎥 Take A Virtual Tour Of Our Whitby Location 🏢

Ever wondered what our Whitby centre looks like?

We've created a special video tour just for you.

Step inside and discover:
🌟 Our bright, welcoming therapy spaces
🌟 The innovative Life Skills Room
🌟 Play-based learning environments
🌟 Where the magic of naturalistic ABA happens

Located at 1614 Dundas St E in Whitby, our centre has been serving families since 2006 with personalized ABA therapy rooted in evidence-based practices.

Ready to see where your child's journey could begin?

Watch our virtual tour and experience the warm, supportive environment that families love!

Book your free screening today: https://www.portialearning.com/whitby/

03/17/2026

🌟 Staff Highlight: Alicia Monteiro 🌟

Alicia is one of our dedicated Instructor Therapists at our East End location. Since joining the team, Alicia has consistently gone above and beyond—showing initiative, supporting fellow therapists, and always advocating for the learners she works with.

Alicia is known for her compassion and calm presence, especially when supporting children through challenging moments. She models coping strategies and self-regulation in real time, helping learners build meaningful skills they can carry into everyday life.

It has been wonderful to see the progress her learners have made, particularly in developing stronger self-regulation skills.

Alicia has also shared her interest in continuing her education and growing her career in this field, and we’re excited to see her continue to develop within the Portia community.

Thank you, Alicia, for your dedication, kindness, and commitment to the families we support. 💙

03/11/2026

Does your child's picky eating feel like more than just a phase?

When mealtime turns into a daily battle — limited foods, meltdowns, and growing worry — it might be more than picky eating. It could be ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder).

In our latest guide, we teamed up with Mikayla Pickering, OT Reg. (Ont.) from CVE Inc to break down what ARFID really looks like, how it connects to autism, and how ABA feeding therapy can help your child build a healthier relationship with food — without the pressure.

Mikayla shares practical tips parents can start using right away, including why reducing mealtime pressure matters more than getting your child to "just try one bite."

Read the full guide: https://www.portialearning.com/blog/aba-feeding-therapy-for-arfid/

Looking for direct OT support for feeding challenges?

Mikayla offers OT Parent Coaching through CVE Inc. and is currently accepting referrals: https://www.cve.ca/parent-coaching/

Ready to take the first step? Book a free screening today: https://www.portialearning.com/book-free-screening/

03/04/2026

🌟 Staff Highlight: Bethany 🌟

Beth has been bringing her heart and dedication to the Portia team for four amazing years.

From Instructor Therapist to Lead Therapist to Clinical Lead, she's grown with us while never losing sight of what matters most - building strong, trusting relationships with our children, families, and staff.

What makes Beth special? Her ability to create positive experiences for families while mentoring and supporting her team through every step of their professional growth. Her warmth, reliability, and thoughtful leadership make her a cornerstone of our Portia community.

Thank you for everything you do, Beth! 💙

02/24/2026

🌟 MEET THE TEAM: Melissa Lennon 🌟
Supervised Clinical Lead, CYW

Melissa brings over 5 years of experience working with individuals on the Autism Spectrum to her role as Supervised Clinical Lead at our Whitby location.

She holds a Child and Youth Worker diploma and Bachelor's degree in Child and Youth Studies.

Passionate about helping clients reach their full potential, Melissa is equally committed to supporting her team through ongoing supervision and coaching.

Thank you, Melissa! 💙

02/19/2026

Communication Isn’t Just Spoken Words 🙌

At Portia, we believe every child has something to say, and it’s our job to help them find the best way to say it.

Whether it’s gestures, visuals, sign language, or AAC devices, we assess each child’s unique strengths to support meaningful, independent communication. For many children with minimal spoken words, AAC is a powerful, evidence-based tool that lets them express needs, make choices, and connect with the world. 💬

From guiding first button presses to celebrating spontaneous requests—we meet each child where they are and build from there. Because communication is more than words.

It’s connection, confidence, and being understood. 💙

🔗 Book a free screening today: portialearning.com

02/11/2026

Life Skills Are Part of Everything We Do

Across all of our clinics, adaptive and life skills aren’t taught in isolation—they’re embedded throughout our programming. We intentionally design our clinic environments to be as naturalistic and functional as possible, so learners can practice meaningful skills in real-life contexts.

One example of this is our Life Skills Room at our Whitby Clinic, set up as a mock bedroom with a bed, dresser, hamper, and clothing rack. This space allows learners to practice daily living routines in a way that feels familiar, purposeful, and transferable to home life.

🛏️ Skills we target include:
✔️ Bed-making and room organization
✔️ Dressing and clothing management
✔️ Laundry routines and self-care
✔️ Following daily routines and transitions
✔️ Building independence and confidence

While this room provides focused opportunities for adaptive learning, these same skills are reinforced throughout the clinic—during transitions, snack preparation, clean-up, play, and daily routines.

Our goal is to ensure skills are meaningful, functional, and generalized beyond the therapy space.

02/05/2026

Staff Highlight: Vicky Nguyen 💙

Vicky has been a valued member of the Portia team since July 2024 and currently works as a Supervised Lead Therapist, where she plays a key role in supporting both learners and staff.

Vicky does an exceptional job training Instructor Therapists and providing ongoing mentorship, helping to build confident, skilled clinicians across the team. Vicky is known for the meaningful relationships she builds with her learners and their families.

She regularly provides parent and sibling training when needed and is a strong advocate for her learners’ best interests. In her direct therapy work, she consistently delivers high-quality, individualized care supported by excellent behaviour management skills.

With a background in Psychology and Mental Health, and specialized training in crisis intervention and mental health first aid, Vicky brings a calm, thoughtful, and client-centred approach to everything she does. We’re grateful to have her as part of the Portia community. 💙

02/03/2026

Staff Highlight: Ava Anderson 💙

Ava has been a valued member of the Portia team since November 2024, and we are so grateful for the compassion, positivity, and care she brings to our learners every day.

As a Supervised Instructor Therapist, Ava has built strong, trusting relationships with the children she supports and consistently advocates for their best interests. In therapy sessions, Ava leads with enthusiasm, warmth, and fun—creating an environment where learners feel supported, motivated, and confident.

Her background in Social Work and experience supporting neurodiverse children shines through in her thoughtful, learner-centred approach.

Thank you, Ava, for your dedication to our learners and families and for being such a valued part of our Portia community. 💙

01/29/2026

Staff Highlight: Tianna Gabriel 💙

Tianna has been a valued member of the Portia team since November 2024, bringing energy, creativity, and a consistently positive presence to her work with learners.

She approaches therapy with a fun, child-centred, and engaging style, helping children feel motivated, supported, and confident as they build new skills.

Tianna is currently studying Cognitive Science and has a strong interest in speech and language development, which informs her thoughtful and responsive approach during therapy sessions.

Combined with her background in tutoring and education, Tianna brings creativity, flexibility, and enthusiasm to every session. Her dedication, compassion, and commitment to making learning meaningful and enjoyable make her a valued member of our Portia community. 💙

01/27/2026

Zeinab has been a valued member of the Portia team since 2024 and has recently surpassed her one-year anniversary with us!

She is now a Supervised Lead Therapist at our Ottawa East location where she ensures a compassionate, creative, and welcoming environment for both clients and staff. Zeinab also provides exceptional 1:1 therapy for our clients and prioritizes a supportive and fun atmosphere for all learners to be a part of.

Zeinab holds her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a concentration in Developmental Psychology. She is eager to continue studying developmental disorders and how best to support children with these diagnoses.

01/22/2026

Celebrating 20 Years of The Portia Learning Centre 💙

Founded in Ottawa in 2006, The Portia Learning Centre was created with a simple belief: every child deserves the chance to thrive.

From the beginning, we embraced naturalistic, child-led teaching and brought together behaviour analysts, psychologists, and therapists to care for the whole child, not just goals on paper.

Twenty years later, we’ve grown from one location to four centres across Ontario, including three in Ottawa and one in Whitby.

We’re still family-owned, still guided by the same values, and still honoured to support children and families at every step of their journey. 🤝

Thank you to the families who have trusted us over the past 20 years. Here’s to many more years of learning through play and unlocking potential!

Address

50 Steacie Drive
Ottawa, ON
K2K2A9

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday	8:30am - 4:30pm

Website

http://www.portialearning.com/

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