Alyaa Hassanein
Therapist
Alyaa has received her phonetics and linguistics degree from Alexandria university in 2015. She has over five years of experience in UAE and abroad as a special educator and a speech and language therapist. Alyaa has worked with children with wide range of disabilities and ages (3-18 years old). She is also trained in AAC (Augmentative and Alternative communications) and Makaton certified in levels one to five. Alyaa always try to implement her goals in a play-based approach and implement new technologies into detailed therapy plans. Spoken languages: Arabic, English
Armel Arcadio
Therapist
Armel holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy and has extensive training and work experience in different settings like centers, hospitals, and clinics. As a licensed Occupational Therapist back home, she is an active participant in community-based rehabilitation programs. Armel works with a multidisciplinary team handling children with various disabilities and disorders including Autism, Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Down Syndrome, Global Developmental Delay, Cerebral Palsy, and rare syndromes like Williams and Kabuki syndrome. She has experience working online and face to face sessions in individual and group settings. Armel is skilled in administering standardized and non-standardized occupational therapy assessments for children. Her child-centered approach also includes strategies for home support. Armel joined Stars for Special Abilities as an Occupational Therapist in February 2022 and now joined Stars Rehabilitation Centre to further support the growing clients of the center. Strong areas of interest of Armel include working with children who have gross motor, fine motor, visual perceptual, pre-writing, handwriting, activities of daily living and sensory processing difficulties. As a part of her continuous professional development, Armel has been one of the first Certified ReadOn Cognitive Therapist in Abu Dhabi in 2022.
Mohammed Elyassa
Psychologist
Mohamed holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Al-Neelain University with highest honors, and Director of Centers for People of Determination in Dubai and Sharjah and a psychologist with 11 years of experience in the mental health field providing supportive therapy and counseling in individual and group settings, group settings and through community programs using evidence-based methods. He has experience conducting standardized psychometric assessments of children and adolescents with a wide range of social, cognitive, and developmental difficulties. His passion and professional formation underwent a series of trainings in Sudan and outside Sudan, and he lectured in Sudanese universities. He also obtained a master's degree in clinical therapeutic psychology provided to children and adolescents, behavior modification and family counseling, and in the case of managing children on the autism spectrum with various intellectual disabilities. His therapeutic approach is specific to the client's needs and strengths with the integration of strategies from expressive therapies where extracurricular and methodical activities can use play, art and stories to achieve therapeutic goals.
Maria Cruzada
Special Educator
Maria has been working with children with exceptional needs for the past 16 years. She had extensive experience with students who had cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, learning disabilities, and autism in rehabilitation centers and mainstream schools in the UAE. Maria is trained to use TEACCH program, Makaton Sign Language, and basic ABA techniques in the class.
Ayaa Al-Solia
Special Educator
Ayaa is going into her 8th year as a Special Educator handling students with different needs from different countries in the gulf region where she leads a class of learners with different abilities. Her approach to education is child-centered taking into consideration the needs of the child first and work on the skills necessary to build it up. She joined Stars Rehabilitation Center with high hopes of making an impact with her learners’ functional skills.
Zainab Awad
Special Educator
Zainab has a bachelor’s degree in special education and mental health. She has been in the mainstream and rehabilitation center for a total of 5 years. She has a Professional Certificate for the Development of Autistic Children, a Certified trainer from Kingston British College of Business and Development and Representative of the International Center for Disability Science in the United Arab Emirates. Aside from her many accolades, she is also an Internationally Certified Special Education and Mental Health Specialist from the International Center for Disability Sciences.