Dr Shama Ali

Academic & Professional Tutor, UCL & Senior Educational Psychologist, Merton BSc, PGCE, MSc, DEd Psy, AFBPsS, C Psychol, HCPC Registered Psychologist (Reg. No.PYL016) Room: 212 Email: shama.ali@ucl.ac.uk

Having completed her first degree in psychology in 1993 and following a PGCE, Shama taught across the primary phase in the London Borough of Wandsworth. She completed her professional training in Educational Psychology at UCL in 1999 and returned in 2001 to undertake her Doctorate in Educational Psychology, which she gained in 2006.

Shama works as a Senior Educational Psychologist in the London Borough of Merton, where she delivers National Autistic Society programmes to children, schools and families and works in close partnership with the ASD Clinic, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

Shama supervises the placements of trainees in Years 1, 2 and 3 of their professional educational psychology training at Merton. She is also the Year 2 Co-ordinator of the UCL Doctorate in Child and Educational Psychology.

Shama is a qualified Video Interaction Guidance (VIG) practitioner and is working towards her supervisory VIG status.

Research interests and publications include: Investigating the evidence-base of Social Stories; Parenting styles and practices of different ethnic groups; Pupil, teacher and parent roles in improving the transition to secondary schools of children and young people with special educational needs.