Mrs Shireen Damonse
My research interests are within Child Learning, Development and Play (CLDP) in occupational therapy and the training and support of Community Rehabilitation Workers (CRWs) in Disability studies. More specifically, I am interested in collaborative approaches and building partnerships across disciplines. One aspect of interest is in how RCWs can collaborate with Health and Rehabilitation students to extend the reach of therapy services and obtain recognition for their skills and learning. Another lies within Intellectual and Development Disabilities (IDD) and inclusion towards functional independence.
My Master’s investigated educators’ experiences of implementing fine motor programmes in the classroom. The experience of ‘them and us” emerged as a dominant experience/perception of divide and/or disconnect between educators and therapists, despite the pivotal role each plays with school-based interventions, supporting the need for interprofessional communication, alignment and collaboration. More recently, my interests have extended to Islamic educators who teach the Qur’an, and the need for pedagogy to promote the inclusion of neurodiverse children.
Qualifications:
BSc (OT) UWC,
MSc (OT) UCT