Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications; barbara@eafocus.com; 248.260.8466; Melanie Esland, LifeLab Kids; Melanie.Esland@LifeLabKids.Org; 248-635-5102

Ferndale, Mich.—April 26, 2023—Ferndale-based nonprofit center LifeLab Kids, which offers therapy, recreation, skill development, and creative outlets for individuals with disabilities from 18 months to young adult, is pleased to welcome Christine T. Morelli MA, MEd, BCBA, LBA, as Clinical Director of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) and Rubina Sama as Clinical Director of Occupational Therapy (OT). In these newly created roles, which reflect an expansion of LifeLab Kids’ multi-disciplinary approach, Sama and Morelli will oversee their respective teams at both the Ferndale and Clinton Township locations and play pivotal roles in implementing LifeLab Kids’ emerging prevocational program for job readiness.

Christine Morelli brings a wealth of clinical and leadership experience to LifeLab Kids, having provided quality behavioral services to individuals on the autism spectrum based on current practices in Applied Behavior Analysis. As new Clinical Director of ABA, Morelli will manage and collaborate with LifeLab Kids therapists and caregivers to ensure that the delivery of the organization’s unique service offerings and programs meet each child’s development needs with quality care. She most recently worked as a regional director at Gateway Pediatric Therapy, and also served in assistant clinical director and supervising BCBA roles there.

In 2018, Morelli received a Master of Education from Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, with a concentration in Curriculum and Instruction in Applied Behavior Analysis.  She also holds a Master of Arts in Community Counseling from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, and completed her undergraduate degree at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Social Work. Morelli is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Licensed Behavior Analyst.

Rubina Sama has held a variety of occupational therapist roles at pediatric centers and hospitals throughout Southeast Michigan and Ontario and most recently worked as Lead OT at Oxford Recovery Center in Troy. As LifeLab Kids’ new Clinical Director of OT, Sama will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of the organization’s specialized therapy services that address the physical and mental well-being of youth with ADD/ADHD, anxiety, autism, developmental delays, Down syndrome, feeding challenges, mood disorders and other learning disabilities, in addition to addressing further clinic needs.

Sama earned both her Master of Occupational Therapy and Bachelor of Health Science from Wayne State University, Detroit, and also completed a Bachelor of Arts, General Honors in Psychology, at the University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario. She holds certifications from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) and the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapy (CAOT), is licensed by the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario (COTO), and is a certified provider of Learning Without Tears® educational solutions, the Beckman Oral Motor Protocol, and Kay Toomey SOS Approach to Feeding. Sama is a former president of the Pi Theta Epsilon honor society for occupational therapists.

“LifeLab Kids’ unique service offerings and programs are growing rapidly and there was a need to bring our collaborative clinical efforts to the next level,” LifeLab Kids CEO and Founder Jai Reddy said. “We are fortunate to have such dedicated and qualified professionals as Christine Morelli and Rubina Sama join us in our mission.”

About LifeLab Kids
Founded in Ferndale, Michigan in 2019, with a second location in Clinton Township, LifeLab Kids is an immersive therapeutic, recreation, and learning center that provides unique, comprehensive and individualized programming to help differently-abled youth and their families be healthy and active – and to belong.  Empowering these individuals to see past their limitations and lead full lives, the 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization brings a multidisciplinary team together under one roof to collectively work with students to discover their strengths and engage in their passions. Learn more at www.lifelabkids.org.

# # #