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Rahaf is the Head of Speech and Language Department offering therapy in Arabic & English. She obtained her Master’s degree in Speech and Language from The University of Jordan. Over the last 17 years Rahaf has dealt with patients of different age groups working across various clinical settings including a multi-disciplinary rehabilitation centre, a special needs school in UAE, as well as her own private clinic in Syria.
Rahaf moved to Dubai in 2012 after working in her private clinic in Damascus for eight years. She worked as a Speech and Language Therapist in a centre for learning and rehabilitation then worked as Head of Inclusion in a private school in Dubai where she was providing supervision to the Special Education Teachers, developing and facilitating implementation of training programs, accepting students with special needs, developing and monitoring the implementation of Individual Educational Programmes (IEPs) and collaborating with parents of children with Special Education Needs (SEN) to raise awareness of their children’s rights and needs.
Rahaf has been a speaker at many conferences and on television programmes as well as having published numerous articles in medical journals.
Previous positions:
- Special Education Supervisor, Dubai Modern Education School, Dubai, UAE
- Speech and Language Therapist, Awladouna Center, Sharjah, UAE
- Speech and Language Specialist, Little Village School, Damascus, Syria
- Speech and Language Therapist, Aamal Syrian Organization for the Disabled, Damascus, Syria
- Master in Speech-Language Pathology, University of Jordan and Damascus University, Damascus, Syria
- Postgraduate Diploma in Philosophical and Social Sciences, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria
- Bachelor in Literature, Social Studies Department, University of Damascus, Damascus, Syria
- PROMPT Certified Therapist and Instructor
- Certified by the International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM)
- Certified in administering the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2)
- Dubai Healthcare City Authority Regulatory (DHCR), Dubai, UAE
Her Clinical Areas of Specialisation
- Children presenting with Neurodevelopment Disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD) as well as Down’s Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and Global Developmental Delay (GDD)
- Voice disorders and swallowing
- Children and adults with difficulties in speech and language including articulation errors, phonological processes, stuttering, apraxia, aphasia, stroke, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson
- Hearing loss, cochlear implant, and auditory processing disorder
Therapy Modalities:
- Rahaf has recently completed her training on The Listening Program by Advanced Brain Technology from UK with the rights to be a TLP provider. She is also familiar with the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) and Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC).
- Rahaf is a PROMPT certified therapist and instructor. PROMPT is an acronym for Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets. The technique is a tactile-kinesthetic approach that uses touch cues to a patient’s articulators (jaw, tongue, lips) to manually guide them through a targeted word, phrase or sentence. This technique is appropriate for a wide range of patients with communication disorders such as Apraxia / Dyspraxia, Dysarthria, Brain injuries, Cerebral Palsy and Autism Spectrum Disorder.
- She has also been certified by the International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM) and practicing orofacial myology exclusively since 2016. OMT identifies, prevents and treats disorders of muscle function of the face and mouth to optimize complex functions such as chewing, swallowing and speaking.
- In 2017, Rahaf completed her training on ADOS-2. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition is an observational assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). It is a semi-structured, standardized assessment of communication, social interaction, play, and restricted and repetitive behaviours. It presents various activities that elicit behaviours directly related to a diagnosis of ASD. By observing and coding these behaviours, therapist can obtain information that informs diagnosis, treatment planning, and educational placement.
