User talk:Samadisa

Sayyed Ali Samadi (12 Dec 1964 Mahabad Kurdish part of Western Azerbaijan-Iran) is a professional in the field of Autism and Developmental Disabilities. He earned his doctorate in Developmental Disabilities from the Faculty of Life and Health Science at the Ulster University, Northern Ireland, UK in 2010. His thesis title was: (The impact on Iranian parents who have children with an Autism Spectrum Disorders “ASDs”). Although the training he received has left him well prepared to embark on a research career, he is eager to expand his experience and expertise as a doctoral graduate. Since 1999 he had the opportunity to work in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities as a practicing clinical psychologist and as a researcher, both in the governmental and non-governmental spheres. These experiences have created a passion in him to work in this field and learn more about it. Before starting his PhD program he had undertaken a number of research studies which have been published in research journals in Iran and he has continued to publish in Farsi. He authored 6 textbook on Autism Spectrum Disorders; the first of its kind in Iran. At the beginning his interests were diverse and it was after starting his PhD program that he recognized that he needs to learn more regarding theoretical frame works in the field of disabilities. Three areas are of specific interest to me: namely early intervention, parental support and education and vocational training for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

1.	A key component throughout his 12 years of professional experience and research in the field of developmental disabilities was the importance of early detection and early intervention. He had the opportunity to develop, deliver and evaluate a specially developed family-centered program for Iranian children with ASDs called ‘OMID’ that arose from my doctoral thesis. This home-based program aims to help parents and children with ASDs develop better communication through play and daily activities. With help of colleagues in the Iranian Special Education Organization (ISEO) he evaluated the efficacy of the program on 30 families and found very promising outcomes. The findings are currently under analysis to be presented in a research paper. This experience has reaffirmed his passion to translate research insights into new forms of practice that will benefit to families whose needs are often ignored.

2.	Concurrently, he has a deep interest in how parents in different cultures cope with children who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. Because of the importance of the parental role in different aspects of support and service provision for people with special needs, his PhD thesis developed  a program to educate them about ASDs and to let them have their voices heard;  to exchange their experiences and extend their social network. He interviewed 43 parents to understand their needs and knowledge on ASDs and then 37 of them participated in the educational sessions. Afterwards parent reported less stress, improved family functioning and better emotional well-being. A one year follow-up showed that parents who continue their contacts with each other still retained the positive impacts they received from the educational sessions. Two papers have been accepted for publication in international peer reviewed journals and a further two articles are in preparation.

3.	He is also interested in vocational training for students with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities having managed and develop innovative work programs for a leading NGO in Tehran. His research spanned people with different level of abilities and he has published 5 studies in  both international and domestic peer reviewed journal on the importance of vocational evaluation and training  and also of considering parental perspective in developing effective vocational training courses. Currently, he is an active member of two committees in Iranian Special Education Organisation which is a national, governmental body with oversight on all issues relating to pupils with special educational needs. The first one is concerned with developing a modular curriculum for the students with special needs at the secondary level of vocational education. The second is preparing a guide book on the use of visual support strategies for teachers of students with ASDs. He is also involved in lecturing and supervising postgraduate students Ongoing Plans He is refining his focus and better understand the options that are available for him with respect to international collaborations. This includes expanding his knowledge of research methodologies by getting more experience in qualitative and single subject design. He is also excited about the cross-cultural studies on early signs of developmental delay and parental sensitivity to ASDs in particular and its manifestation in its very early stages. The specific areas of research which he is working on are: 1.	Developing special scales to evaluate parental stress and general well beings related to core and co-morbid signs  of autism in their children 2.	Short educational courses for professional/ care providers/parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 3.	Paternal engagement in early intervention program for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.