Professionals

AMIIRA

Amiira graduated from City University of London in 2023. She has experience working with primary school aged children in both mainstream and specialist classes, administering both assessments and interventions.  

Amiira enjoys working with children in both one-to-one or group settings to work towards meaningful and functional goals.  She has experience working in a hospital as part of the National Health Service in the UK, supporting children with a wide range of speech and language difficulties including different aspects of language disorders, social communication and interaction differences, as well as speech sound difficulties.   

Amiira highly values the role of parents, teachers and primary caregivers and thus has engaged in different training sessions for the important people around the child so that they feel empowered with the right knowledge and strategies.   

Amiira is fluent in both English and Somali, and has completed assessment and intervention in both languages. Likewise, she has also conducted many bilingual assessments with interpreters, having worked in one of the most multicultural cities in the world: London, UK.  Amiira sees childhood bilingualism as an asset and not a hindrance and has advocated this to parents and educators alike.  

ANDRIA

Andria has been working within Dubai since 2012. She is a South African trained speech-language therapist and audiologist who rejoined the kidsFIRST team. Her experience includes working with children in clinics, schools and hospitals. Andria's training includes TalkTools® Level 1, Interactive Metronome®, Orton-Gillingham, play-based therapy and the British Makaton system. 

Andria works with children with a wide range of speech-language, hearing and feeding difficulties; including language delays and disorders, speech sound production, dysfluency and auditory processing difficulties, as well as phonological awareness, literacy difficulties and eating/feeding concerns. Andria uses an interactive play-based approach focusing on developing social functional communication skills. She focuses not only on assisting children with their development, but also teaching parents and families how to effectively develop the child's skills.

With a passion for inclusive education, Andria has a masters in audiology with a specific interest in inclusion. She is also the founder of a fully inclusive class within a Dubai-based school.

CARINE

Carine is a dedicated speech and language therapist who graduated in 2016 from the Lebanese University in Beirut, Lebanon. She holds a bachelor's degree in Speech and Language Therapy and a master's degree in Neuropsychology of Oral and Written Language.   

Carine specializes in learning disabilities, oral language disorders, articulation and speech disorders, and social and cognitive communication disorders.   

Fluent in English, Arabic and French, Carine provides comprehensive therapy services to cater to diverse linguistic needs. She gained valuable experience working in different pediatric settings including clinics and inclusive schools.   

Carine enjoys attending workshops and conferences to further enhance her professional knowledge and skills. 

 

CLAIRE

In Dubai since 2008, Claire is a South African Speech and Language Therapist who joined the kidsFIRST team in 2011. She has experience working with children in a variety of pediatric settings including clinics, schools and hospitals. Claire's training includes Therapeutic Listening administrator, Sensory Integration Theory, the Lidcombe Program, Talk Tools Level 1 and the British Makaton system. Her ongoing professional development includes Orton-Gillingham and Floortime training.

Claire works with children with a wide range of speech and language difficulties, including language delays and disorders, speech sound production, dysfluency and auditory processing difficulties, as well as phonological awareness, and literacy difficulties. She favors a play-based approach to therapy and has a passion for working with young children and their parents (and teachers) to maximize their communicative abilities.

As Clinical Manager, Claire supervises the speech and language therapists and is involved in staff development, ensuring that kidsFIRST continues to provide the highest quality of service to families.

HIBA

Hiba is a Speech and Language Therapist from Lebanon. She graduated from the Lebanese University in 2013 and she is a member of the Lebanese Board of Speech Therapists.

During Hiba’s under- and post-graduate studies, she had multiple opportunities to work with patients from different age groups with different disorders; oral language delays, speech delays, hearing impairment, Down Syndrome. Cerebral Palsy, neurological disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorder, developmental delays, swallowing disorders, voice disorders and learning difficulties.

Hiba also has extensive experience conducting individual and group therapy sessions, working and communicating regularly with parents, teachers, doctors, and service providers, and developing Individualized Educational Plans and leading workshops designed to educate participants (parents, caregivers, teachers) about the impact of different speech and language problems on the child’s development and growth.

KARLA

Karla is a speech language pathologist who holds a DOH license in Abu Dhabi and PRC license in the Philippines. She graduated BS Speech Language Pathology from the De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute in the Philippines.  

Karla is passionately committed to advocating for children who have communication difficulties, providing support to children’s communication needs and helping them achieve their maximum potential.  

She engages with children through play and child-led activities, in which she can target various functional communication goals.  

She is also invested in empowering children’s families in building an environment that is safe, accepting, and encouraging for their children. 

Karla believes that being a speech language pathologist is more than just a job; it’s a vocation. Every single touchpoint that she has with a client is a fulfilling opportunity to make a difference in their lives. 

MAYSSOUN

With kidsFIRST since September 2014, Mayssoun graduated in 2000 as a Speech and Language Therapist (SLT), working in Lebanon for almost six years before moving to Abu Dhabi. Providing therapy in French, English and Arabic, Mayssoun has experience with early intervention, cerebral palsy, polyhandicap, Autism, Down syndrome, language disorders, dyslexia and feeding problems.

Mayssoun is ADOS trained and HANEN Certified Trainer “Learning Language and Loving It” for early childhood educators. She is trained in British Makaton sign language. She is the first SLT in Abu Dhabi who is a certified provider for the Listening Program and inTime authorized provider.

She is the co-founder of the Emirates Speech Language Pathology Society and its Cultural Committee Chairperson since it was founded in 2017.

NICKY

Nicky graduated in 1996 with an Honors Degree in a Bachelor of Arts for Speech and Hearing Therapy from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, where she was born and raised.  

Nicky is fluent in both English and Afrikaans and has 28 years of experience in private practice, working with children who have barriers to learning in mainstream environments. She has vast experience in heading up multidisciplinary teams and mentoring young therapists and is passionate about supporting parents and teachers on their therapy journey.  

Nicky is enthusiastic about empowering patients and caregivers and is a seasoned presenter of various topics to both staff at schools and parents. Her areas of expertise within the pediatric population include articulation, auditory processing, second language acquisition, dyspraxia, preliteracy skills, phonology and fluency.

RASIKA

Rasika completed her Masters degree in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology in 2013 at Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University. With experience in both public and private health care, Rasika assesses and provides speech-language therapy to children with a diverse range of challenges, including language delays, auditory processing disorders, apraxia of speech, articulation and phonological disorders, stuttering or cluttering, dysarthria, and hypernasality. 

A certified practicing member of the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), Rasika has specialized training and experience in treating children with cleft lip and palate, helping children with customized therapeutic approaches that effectively address the areas of articulation, resonance, language, and social interactions. She is certified in Fundamentals of Music Therapy by the Chennai School of Music Therapy, and trained in Oral Placement Therapy Levels 1 & 2 by TalkTools. 

Rasika has a deep understanding of voice-related problems from her training and experience working with children/adolescents with vocal nodules, muscle tension dysphonia, puberphonia, and adults with vocal cord paralysis, spasmodic dysphonia, sulcus vocalis, vocal nodules, and other dysphonias. From this, she coaches aspiring and professional voice users (e.g. singers, actors, voice-over artists, teachers, etc.), guiding them to achieve and maintain optimum voice health. Her therapy approaches are specialized, practical, and relatable to individuals with voice problems to meet their distinctive requirements. 

In addition to Rasika’s clinical work, she has published research in peer-reviewed international journals (Karulkar & Gunjawate, 2021; Karulkar et al., 2020, 2022, 2023; Waknis et al., 2017). She firmly believes in collaborative efforts, working closely with parents, family members, and other multidisciplinary team members to address children's holistic needs and empower them to reach their full potential.  

REAM

Ream joined kidsFIRST Medical Center in 2015 after relocating to Dubai from the United Kingdom. She completed her Masters degree in Speech and Language Therapy at City University London, and has worked within a range of pediatric settings since graduating in 2011. She has clinical experience of working with children from diverse cultural backgrounds, including those that have English as their additional language. 

Ream has supported children with a range of diagnoses including early language delay, speech delays and disorders, apraxia, specific language impairment, expressive and receptive language disorders, Down syndrome, autistic spectrum disorders, stammering and those with learning difficulties. 

She is passionate about ensuring that every child meets their communicative potential and believes this is best achieved through evidence based practice and working closely with parents and members of the multidisciplinary team. 

Trained in

• British Makaton


• The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)


• ‘Attention Autism’ by Gina Davies


• Palin Parent Child Interaction Therapy (Palin PCI) 


• Lidcombe


• Hanen Program 'More than words' 


• PROMPT

SHAHEENA

Shaheena Cassim graduated in Speech-language therapy and Audiology at University of Pretoria (South Africa). Shaheena has worked with children with complex communication and language needs for many years, inclusive of ASD. She has also worked with children with ADHD/ADD, Early Intervention and play-based language therapy. Shaheena completed a Masters in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (M AAC) at University of Pretoria and a PhD (Inclusive Ed) from University of South Africa.

Shaheena is trained in:

- PECS (Basic, Advanced)
- Augmentative & Alternative Communication Strategies
- Makaton (Basic, Advanced)
- TalkTools
- AAC Assessments
- ADOS, and ADOS Toddler
- Social Stories
- Contingency Plans

Shaheena has a special interest in ASD and has presented at conferences and parent/ caregiver/ teacher training and guidance sessions. Shaheena was also involved in clinical training of speech therapy students in ASD from the University of Pretoria.

SHWETHA

Shwetha completed her Bachelor in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology at Madras ENT Research Foundation, India. She has worked as a Speech Language Pathologist for over 5 years, while being licensed under the Rehabilitation Council of India.

Shwetha is keen and passionate about helping children communicate and learn. Her experiences include efficiently managing a team of speech language pathologists, special educators and occupational therapists and ensuring that the multidisciplinary team meets collective goals. She has conducted awareness training programs for parents about speech and language disorders, as well as rendered speech therapy, Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment (FIE) and Early intervention for children.

Shwetha has predominantly worked with children diagnosed with Autism, ADHD, speech sound disorder, social communication disorder, language disorder, and children with feeding difficulties. She has completed Oral Placement Therapy Level 1 and FIE, a program which helps to improve child’s thinking skills and other cognitive processes.

As a speech and language therapist, Shwetha strongly believes in evidence-based approaches and following the child’s lead approach.

STEPHANIE

Stephanie holds a Speech and Language Therapy Master’s degree from Saint Joseph University in Lebanon. With an extensive journey since 2014 across different centers and nurseries in Lebanon, as well as in her private clinic, Stephanie has developed expertise in Early Childhood Intervention. She also specializes in working with children who have communication and oral language delays, behavioral difficulties, hyperactivity and/or attention deficits and learning difficulties (dysphasia, dyslexia...).

Stephanie completed the French Makaton program. She also follows regular training on children’s development and behavior.

During her pediatric path, Stephanie provided parental guidance and worked within multidisciplinary teams. She believes that in order to achieve better therapy goals, collaboration with parents, caregivers, and teachers is the key.

Being trilingual, Stephanie can conduct sessions in Arabic, French, and English.

VRIDHI

Vridhi joined kidsFIRST Medical Center after moving from the United States in 2008. She has practiced speech and language therapy and remediation for children with learning disabilities in public schools and private schools and in the private setting.

Vridhi specializes in working with children with a range of speech and language difficulties such as language delays and disorders, articulation, stuttering and auditory processing difficulties. She also provides remediation to children with Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia. She is trained in the Orton-Gillingham Approach to teach children with Dyslexia, the "Language!" literacy program, the Makaton Language Program, Talk Tools Level 1, Sensory Integration and Theory Level 1, the Lidcombe Program, PROMPT and the Hanen More Than Words Program.

As Clinical Director, Vridhi oversees the clinical aspects of running both the Abu Dhabi and Dubai clinics. She works closely with the clinical managers, head of schools and heads of department to ensure that kidsFIRST continues to provide the highest quality of service to families.