Issa Alkinj is currently an Assistant Professor in Diversity and Special Education at the Department of Educational Studies at the Arab Open University. He was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Center for Research and Innovation in Education at the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, where he remains a Collaborative Researcher. He holds a Ph.D. in Diversity and Special Education from the University of Aveiro, a Master’s degree in Special Education from the University of Newcastle, Australia (2010), and a B.A. in Counseling and Mental Hygiene from the University of Jordan (2008). From 2012 to 2018, he served as a Lecturer in the Department of Special Education at Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia. During his tenure there, he trained and supervised undergraduate students working with students with special needs in inclusive settings. He has published papers on teachers' knowledge and attitudes toward the inclusion of ASD, early intervention for children with ASD, development of educational programs to promote social skills in students with ASD, and parent-mediated interventions in autism. His research primarily focuses on the education and inclusion of students with autism, as well as enhancing the skills of teachers and parents to better meet the needs of children with ASD.
I teach special education courses, particularly on learning disabilities and developmental disabilities. Also, Training/supervising Undergraduate Students in the field of Learning disabilities and Elementary Education:
[ED313]: Classroom Management and Learning Environment / College of Education (3H).
[SP241]: Curricula and Methods in Special Education/ College of Education (3H).
[SP337]: Learning disabilities and academic educational programs/ College of Education (3H).
[SP336]: Developmental Learning Disabilities/ College of Education (3H).
[SP405]: Contemporary Issues in Special Education/ College of Education (3H).
[ED441]: Teaching Practice (1)/ College of Education (6H).
[SP499]: Practicum (2) in Learning Disabilities/ College of Education (6H).
- Faculty member at Arab Open University (AOU) since 2024. I am an assistant professor. I teach Special Education courses, particularly Learning disabilities and developmental disabilities.
- Collaborative researcher at the Center for Research and Innovation in Education/ Polytechnic Institute of Porto.
- Post-doctorate researcher at the Center for Research and Innovation in Education/ Polytechnic Institute of Porto since 2022-2023.
- I was a lecturer at the Department of Special Education at Prince Sattam Bin-Abul-Aziz University, Saudi Arabia, for six years between 2011-2012 and 2013- 2018 (Teaching courses in Special Education & Training/supervising Undergraduate Students at Inclusive Schools).
- Alkinj, I., Pereira, A., & Santos, P. (2022). The effects of an educational program based on modeling and social stories on improvements in the social skills of students with autism. Heliyon, 8(5), Article e09289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09289
- Alkinj, I., Pereira, A., & Santos Paula. (2022). Educators’ Attitudes towards the inclusion of students with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Jordanian Public schools. Revista Brasileira de Educação Especial, 28, 453–472. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-54702022v28e0157
- Alkinj, I., & Lugaro, M. (2020). Websites blogs: an analysis of parenting a child with special needs challenges. International Journal of Education, Learning, and Development, 8(4), 19–33. https://www.eajournals.org/wp-content/uploads/Websites-blogs.pdf
- Alkinj, I., Sanches-Ferreira, M., & Alves, S. (2025). Effects of parent-mediated intervention in teaching social communication skills to children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD): A systematic review. Revista Brasileira de Educação Especial, 31, Article e0191. https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-54702025v31e0191
- Alkinj, I., Alkinj, O., & Al-Laimoun, M. (2025). The efficacy of the reading racetrack intervention in enhancing sight-word fluency among elementary students with reading difficulties. International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies, 8(3), 1554–1562. https://doi.org/10.53894/ijirss.v8i3.6836
- Al-Laimoun, M., & Alkinj, I. (2025). Perspective of teachers and parents on Darsak platform in achieving the educational outcomes for kindergarteners. Journal of Education and Learning, 14(6), 145. https://doi.org/10.5539/jel.v14n6p145
- Alkinj, I; Ferreira, M; Nunes, C. Effectiveness of an Online-Delivered Parent-Mediated Intervention for The Improvement of Social Skills of Children with Autism. Submitted to the Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs.
- Ferreira, M; Alves, S; Alkinj, I. Examining teachers’ opinions towards inclusion over 10 years in Portugal. Submitted.
- Alkinj, I. (2021). The effects of an educational program based on modeling and social stories to improve the social skills of students with autism [University of Aveiro]. In the University of Aveiro. https://ria.ua.pt/handle/10773/32551 (THESIS).
- Alkinj, I; Pereira, Anabela Maria Sousa; Santos, Paula. "The effects of early intervention programs on the social communication skills of young children with Autism: A Systematic Review". Paper presented at 13º Congresso Nacional de Psicologia da Saúde, Covilhã, 2020. Portugal. (conference).
Ferreira, M; Alkinj, I.; Neto, C; Magalhães, A.; Alves, S. Peer-tutoring intervention delivered by a student with intellectual disability in teaching personal hygiene skills to a student with multiple disabilities. Submitted to the International Journal of Disability, Development, and Education.
