OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

Miriam Mahdi

Miriam is from Cork, Ireland. Her experience includes working in hospital settings in orthopedic rehabilitation and adult mental health before pursuing her passion of working in paediatrics. She has worked with children and families in the Middle East for the past 8 years, including Bahrain and Dubai. Miriam has worked with clients with a variety of diagnoses such as Autism, Dyspraxia/DCD, Dyslexia, Down Syndrome, Global Developmental Delay and ADHD.

Her primary focus is on helping children and their families to be as independent as possible. Her clinical interests include handwriting, sensory and emotional regulation, toilet training, gross and fine motor skills and self-care activities. Miriam is passionate about supporting and empowering parents and caregivers through training and education. She is an advocate for affirmative approaches to neurodiversity.

Niamh Crofton

With experience gained in Ireland, the UK and Dubai, Niamh has developed a broad range of skills across a variety of specialties. Niamh has worked with adults in areas such as physical rehabilitation, mental health, and older adults' services before pursuing her passion of working with the paediatric population. Niamh has worked with children with a range of developmental and neurological differences including Autism, Global Developmental Delay, ADHD, Down Syndrome, and sensory processing differences. 

Niamh has been living and working in Dubai for 4 years, which has provided her with a multicultural experience and allowed her to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds. She believes that this rich cultural exposure has helped her become a more compassionate and effective healthcare provider and is grateful for the opportunity to work in such a diverse and dynamic city.

Niamh’s primary goal is to provide comprehensive and holistic care, with a focus on advocacy, education, and empowerment. Niamh has developed a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by neurodivergent children and their families. She is dedicated to working closely with parents and school teams to develop customised treatment plans that address each child's individual needs. She is committed to empowering families to take an active role in their child's therapy journey, and works collaboratively with them to set goals and achieve meaningful outcomes.

Above all, Niamh is passionate about making a positive impact in the lives of children and their families. She strives to provide compassionate and evidence-based care. She is committed to ongoing professional development, staying up-to-date with the latest research and best practices in the field of occupational therapy.

Areas of special interests include: Autism, ADHD & executive functioning, Sensory Processing Disorder, gross and fine motor development, visual-perceptual and visual-motor integration, social and emotional regulation and assistive technology. Niamh is trained to administer the ADOS-2 assessment and she is also a Griffiths-3 registered user. 

Eamon Carr

Having gained professional experience in a range of clinical settings in the UK before moving to Dubai, Eamon has developed a professional interest in working with people with mental health difficulties and neuro-disabilities including traumatic brain injuries. 

He enjoys working with clients that benefit from rehab in such areas as:
Development of leisure and recreation activities
Enhancing skill sets for activities of daily living 
Executive function difficulties including strategies for managing memory difficulties
Psycho-education for mental health and physiological needs including anxiety, low energy, low frustration tolerance, and regulation. 

With extensive experience in working with people accessing in-patient mental health settings, Eamon is passionate about supporting the most vulnerable in our society. 

Natalie Reed

In addition to her management duties, Natalie enjoys working within a multi-disciplinary team to provide bespoke, holistic assessment and intervention for children and adolescents. She is passionate about parent and caregiver involvement, education and empowerment and this is a key focus in her therapeutic approach. Natalie holds the hearts of her clients and their families at the centre of her professional practice. She is an advocate for affirmative approaches to neurodiversity. 

Areas of special interest include developmental assessments, Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), executive function, emotional and sensory regulation, Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)/Dyspraxia and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). 

Natalie’s clinical training includes:

- Ayres’ Sensory Integration

- Circle of Security Parenting Program 

- Griffiths III Scales of Child Development 

- ADOS-2 

-The SCERTS Comprehensive Education Framework for Autism 

- Makaton 

- Social Thinking 

- The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) 

-Friends Resilience