معرفی
Prof. Saskia Damen is an Endowed Professor at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, specializing in the development and learning of individuals with multiple disabilities and complex communication needs, particularly those with congenital or early-acquired deafblindness. She holds a joint appointment as a Senior Researcher at Royal Kentalis and serves on multiple national and international committees, including the Deafblind International Research Network and the Editorial Board of the Journal of Deafblind Studies on Communication. Her research focuses on communication interventions, caregiver support, and policy development for sensory disabilities.
Key affiliations include:
- Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Disorders in Education and Care
- Deafblind International Research Network (Vice Chair)
- NVO Accreditation Committee (Chair)
Research interests span cognitive development in deafblindness, consensus-building in disability definitions, and the efficacy of video-feedback coaching. Her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to quality education and reduced inequalities.
Awards include recognition for her projects on deafblindness documentation and intervention strategies (2013). Damen collaborates internationally, as seen in her 2022 webinar on pandemic impacts and her 2017 establishment of a national expertise center.
Her research outputs emphasize evidence-based practices, with recent studies on Piagetian cognitive frameworks, Delphi consensus methods, and intervention fidelity in multiparty communication. Damen actively disseminates findings through conferences and media engagements, such as interviews on RUG-Kentalis collaborations (2019) and inclusive dance festivals (2022).
