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Staff members with discipline Education, Special

Academia develops at the interface of different fields. This is one reason why the University of Groningen is home to a wide range of fields, each with a great number of subject specialists. The overview below, which is based on a standard categorization of fields, will help you find the right expert for each field. If you cannot find the expert you are looking for in this list, try searching via a related field or faculty; you may find him or her there.

Overview of all disciplines

Profound intellectual and multiple disabilities and Motor activation, Dementia and Physical activity
drs. H.J.M. (Leentje) van Alphen
Contact
h.j.m.van.alphen rug.nl
+31 50 36 33146
Function
Child and family welfare services
Families experiencing multiple problems
dr. A.G. (Arjen) van Assen
Contact
a.g.van.assen rug.nl
+31 50 36 39323
Function
Assistant professor
Demedicalisation and normalisation of challenging child behaviors
Dealing with challinging child behaviors
prof. dr. L. (Laura) Batstra
Contact
l.batstra rug.nl
Function
Professor
Field / Discipline
- Giftedness
- Twice-exceptional
- Special educational needs
E.J. Beckmann, MSc
Contact
e.j.beckmann rug.nl
Function
Junior research assistant
The history of child protection and its institutions, history of the supervision order, history of out of home placement of minors.
Archives of professors, history of psychological and pedagogical testing and testmaterials.
dr. I. (Ingrid) van der Bij-de Puij
Contact
i.van.der.bij rug.nl
+31 6 4530 3043
Function
Researcher/ collection specialist / director Archieves of Dutch Behavioral Sciences
Field / Discipline
Inclusive and special needs education, social participation, well-being, special educational needs,  social- emotional and/or behaviour difficulties, creating an optimal educational environment
dr. A.A. (Anke) de Boer
Contact
anke.de.boer rug.nl
+31 50 36 39306
Function
Associate Professor
Field / Discipline
Educational Innovations
Active Learning and Active Learning Spaces / Classrooms
Soundscape Research
Special Needs Education
dr. K.A. (Kirsten) van den Bosch
Contact
k.a.van.den.bosch rug.nl
+31 50 36 37761
Function
Assistant Professor
R.E. (Rineke) Bossenbroek, MSc
Contact
r.e.bossenbroek rug.nl
Function
PhD student
dr. M.D.C. (Mijntje) ten Brummelaar
Contact
m.d.c.ten.brummelaar rug.nl
Function
Assistant Professor
Field / Discipline
Early Assessment and Intervention, Learning Disabilities, Motor Development, Pediatric Health Psychology, Dance Movement Therapy
M.H. (Marja) Cantell, Dr
Contact
m.h.cantell rug.nl
Function
Assistant Professor
Expertise over de ontwikkeling van het kind in dynamische interactie met met de omgeving. Thema's: leerkracht-leerlinginteracties, leren in de diverse klas, eerste en tweede taalverwerving, problemen in de vroegkinderlijke ontwikkeling, de ontwikkeling van het creatief denken, variabiliteit van gedrag, gedragsobservatie, procesonderzoek, complexe dynamische systemen.
prof. dr. M.W.G. (Marijn) van Dijk
Contact
m.w.g.van.dijk rug.nl
+31 50 36 36324
Function
Professor (adjunct)
Docent binnen de volgende vakken:
* Supervisie masterstage
* Casuïstiek
* Stageterugkomdagen
* Klinische orthopedagogische vaardigheden, oplossingsgericht werken
* Diagnostiek en behandeling
* Orthopedagogische reflecties een brug tussen theorie en Praktijk
A.A.M. (Anouk) van Es, MSc
Contact
a.a.m.van.es rug.nl
Function
Teacher
N. (Niek) Frans, PhD
Contact
n.frans rug.nl
+31 50 36 37631
Function
Assistant Professor
Field / Discipline
My expertise and interest are LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual/Aromantic and questioning) children and youth in the child protection system (CPS). I am currently working on the Audre project which focuses on the experiences of LGBTQIA+ youth from their own perspective and also from their carers and professionals` perspective. 

More specifically, my research focuses on the resilience, personal and community-based, of LGBTQIA+ youth in the CPS.

Other topics: Child and family welfare; inequalities in child protection;  family foster care; residential child and youth care; LGBTQIA+ youth in care; participation of children and families in the child protection system. 
V.R. (Rodrigo) Gonzalez Alvarez, Dr
Contact
v.r.gonzalez.alvarez rug.nl
+31 6 2839 5180
Function
PhD candidate
Child welfare, foster care, child maltreatment, violence, trauma, children's voices, qualitative research methods
prof. dr. H.W.E. (Hans) Grietens
Contact
h.grietens rug.nl
+31 50 36 36566
Function
Full Professor
Field / Discipline
Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia, SLI, ADHD, Eye Tracking, EEG, fMRI, SPSS, E-Prime, Matlab, MLA, PCA, CFA, Borland Delphi, C++, VBA, MPlus
dr. B.J.A. (Barry) de Groot
Contact
b.j.a.de.groot rug.nl
+31 50 36 36846
Function
Assistant Professor
Field / Discipline
Unaccompanied minor refugees, transition to adulthood
No picture available
Contact
lise.hacquebord rug.nl
+31 50 36 33840
Function
PhD candidate
Field / Discipline
Katrien Helmerhorst works as an assistant professor at the unit of Child and Family Welfare. Her research has a focus on three main topics: 1) parenting behavior of (professional) caregivers, 2) early childcare centers, and 3) effectiveness of parenting interventions. A common thread in her research is observing a wide range of parenting behaviors (e.g., sensitivity, challenging parenting behavior, mind-mindedness, language and developmental stimulation, parent-child attachment relationship).

In 2014, she completed her PhD at the department of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam (UvA). During her PhD, she developed and evaluated an intervention program (video-feedback training) for professional caregivers in center based child care. During her first postdoc at the UvA, she obtained a subsidy granted by the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment to develop and test effectiveness of an intervention program for caregiver training in vocational education. In 2017, Helmerhorst started a second postdoc at the Department of Sociology (Family sociology) Erasmus University Rotterdam within an interdisciplinary research team in which the family is investigated within its wider context, such as the influence of socio-economic status (diversity, intergenerational transmission of inequality, policy (parental leave), and gender ideologies of men and women in modern society. She was the lead investigator of the 3HOEK study (VIDI & ERC Starting Grant by Prof. dr. Renske Keizer), which follows 104 families (fathers, mothers, and 3-year-olds) from Rotterdam. In this project, she studies parenting behavior of both fathers and mothers, parent-child interactions, family functioning, and child development in families from both relatively high as well as relatively low socioeconomic backgrounds.
dr. K.O.W. (Katrien) Helmerhorst
Contact
k.o.w.helmerhorst rug.nl
Function
Assistant Professor
Reading development, tutoring, classroom behavior, equal opportunities, students with special educational needs, inclusive education
dr. M. (Mariëtte) Hingstman
Contact
m.hingstman rug.nl
+31 6 3198 4918
Function
Assistant professor
drs. M. (Maartje) Hofman
Contact
m.hofman05 umcg.nl
+31 50 36 38009
Function
Field / Discipline
Education Policy; Emotions and Motivation in SLA; Language Learning Problem
S. (Shaomin) Hou, MSc
Contact
s.hou rug.nl
+31 50 36 36596
Function
Collaboration in special education and youth care; schooldropout; practice oriented research
dr. A.M.N. (Anne-Marie) Huyghen
Contact
a.m.n.huyghen rug.nl
+31 50 36 36788
Function
universitair docent
Deafblindness, Multi-sensory disabilities, Communication and Language, Special Education and Rehabilitation, Developmental Psychology
prof. dr. H.J.M. (Marleen H.J.M.) Janssen
Contact
h.j.m.janssen rug.nl
+31 50 36 36575
Function
Full Professor Special Needs Education
Field / Discipline
Early childhood; development; referal to special education; out-of-school care; transition
dr. E. (Erica) Kamphorst
Contact
e.kamphorst rug.nl
+31 50 36 33205
Function
Assistant professor
Field / Discipline
Interventions for families with multiple and complex problems and so-called at-risk families; Collaboration of professionals with these families and professionals among each other; Practice-oriented research
dr. J. (Jana) Knot-Dickscheit
Contact
j.knot-dickscheit rug.nl
+31 50 36 36576
Function
Associate Professor
Field / Discipline
Leesontwikkeling, redzaamheidslezen, leesproblemen/dyslexie, gedragsproblemen
drs. L.J. Koning
Contact
l.j.koning rug.nl
Function
PhD student
Teacher-student interactions, complex dynamical systems, motivation/ engagement and well-being, creativity, (special) educational needs
dr. W.E. (Elisa) Kupers
Contact
w.e.kupers rug.nl
Function
Associate professor
Lydia Laninga-Wijnen did her PhD at the department of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. She has worked on the project "Social Network Analysis of Risk behavior in Early Adolescence" and examined the role of popular peers in the co-evolution of friendships and these behaviors. She currently works as postdoc at the University of Groningen, Department of Sociology, where she evaluates the SterkWerk program, which aims at reducing bullying in elementary schools.
A.M. (Lydia) Laninga-Wijnen, M
Contact
a.m.laninga-wijnen rug.nl
Function
Postdoctoral fellow
Interdisciplinary approach (complexity, developmental and clinical science); time serial methods to understand (individual) processes of (clinical) change and psychopathology. 
A. (Anna) Lichtwarck-Aschoff, Prof
Contact
a.lichtwarck-aschoff rug.nl
+31 50 36 32895
Function
Chair
Child and family welfare;  decision-making; inequalities in  child protection family foster care; residential child and youth care; transition to adulthood from public care; LGBTQIA+ youth in care; participation of children and families in the child protection system
M. (Mónica) Lopez Lopez, Dr
Contact
m.lopez.lopez rug.nl
Function
Associate Professor, Rosalind Franklin Fellow
dr. J. (Jorien) Luijkx
Contact
j.luijkx rug.nl
Function
Assistent professor
Field / Discipline
dr. C.B. (Carolien) Lunenborg
Contact
c.b.lunenborg rug.nl
Function
Onderwijscoordinator Orthopedagogiek, projectcoordinator Expertisecentrum GMCP
Field / Discipline
A.H. (Agnes) Maat-Westerink, MSc
Contact
a.h.maat-westerink rug.nl
Function
Lecturer
Field / Discipline
dr. A. (Astrid) Menninga
Contact
a.menninga rug.nl
Function
prof. dr. A.E.M.G. (Alexander) Minnaert
Contact
a.e.m.g.minnaert rug.nl
+31 50 36 36495
Function
Professor Inclusion and Special Needs Education & Clinical Educational Sciences / Research project leader Learning and educational problems
Learning, learning problems, language learning, reading
dr. E.M.B. (Evelien) Mulder
Contact
e.m.b.mulder rug.nl
Function
Assistant Professor
Field / Discipline
Project manager
University of Groningen Press (ugp.rug.nl)
drs. M. (Margreet) Nieborg
Contact
m.nieborg rug.nl
Function
Projectmanager/Publishing Consultant UGP
I.H. (Irene) Niessen
Contact
i.h.niessen rug.nl
+31 50 36 36362
Function
Academic advisor Pedagogical and Educational Sciences
Qualitative research, life narratives, health behaviour, medical sociology and anthropology, gender and sexuality, religion and complementary medicine, global health.
No picture available
Contact
w.a.j.norder rug.nl
Function
PhD student
dr. B.G. (Bé) Poolman
Contact
b.g.poolman rug.nl
Function
Universitair Docent
Field / Discipline
Developmental Psychopathology; Depression; Anxiety; Adolescents; Applied video games; Serious video games; Predicting psychopathology onset
dr. M. (Marlou) Poppelaars
Contact
m.poppelaars rug.nl
+31 6 2553 2354
Function
Assistant professor, Developmental Psychology
Autism | Family and Child Studies | Education | Mental Health | Resilience
N. (Novika) Purnama Sari, PhD
Contact
n.purnama.sari rug.nl
Function
Assistant Professor
Field / Discipline
Support of peaple with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities. Especially movement oriented support. 
prof. dr. A.A.J. (Annette) van der Putten
Contact
a.a.j.van.der.putten rug.nl
Function
Associate Professor
Field / Discipline
Inclusive education, social participation, cooperative learning, intervention development, social validity
F.C. (Florianne) Rademaker, MSc
Contact
f.c.rademaker rug.nl
Function
Assistant Professor Pedagogical and Educational Sciences
Field / Discipline
Y.G. (Ymke) Riemersma, MSc
Contact
y.g.riemersma rug.nl
+31 50 36 36191
Function
PhD Candidate
Unaccompanied minor asylum seekers
Asylum and migration
Evaluation research
Trafficking in human beings
No picture available
Contact
monika.smit rug.nl
Function
Professor endowed chair Psychosocial care for unaccompamied minor asylum seekers
Field / Discipline
animal-assisted therapy and interventions, micro-developmental research, observational research, child-adult interactions, child-animal interactions, time-serial coding and analysis, dynamic systems theory, cross-recurrence quantification analysis, autism spectrum disorders, down syndrome, developmental disabilities.Currently working on Veni 2018 grant project: (How) Does animal assisted therapy work?  Animal-assisted therapy is gaining popularity, but there is no conclusive evidence for its effect. This study investigates the effect of dog-assisted therapy for children with Down Syndrome and Autism, and looks for a possible mechanism to explain this effect: Increased synchronization between the movements of child and therapy dog.
dr. S. (Steffie) van der Steen, PhD
Contact
s.van.der.steen rug.nl
+31 50 36 36303
Function
associate professor
- Families with multiple and complex problems (FMCP)
- Intensive family interventions
- Effective elements of care for FMCP
- Effectiveness studies
- Taxonomy of interventions for families with multiple and complex problems (TIFMP)
dr. L. (Loraine) Visscher
Contact
l.visscher rug.nl
+31 6 3198 4966
Function
Assistant Professor
No picture available
Contact
s.akyurek-westerbeek rug.nl
Function
Deafblindness, sensory impairments
M. (Mijkje) Worm, MA MSc
Contact
m.s.worm rug.nl
Function
PhDstudent
Field / Discipline
My expertise lies in the application of children's rights (art. 3 best interests of the child, art. 6 right to development, art. 12 participation, art. 2 non-discrimination) in decision-making and safe upgrowing of children. What should be taken into account in decision-making that causes a change in children's living environment?
Specific expertise on the following areas:
- Migration (asylum, refugees, unaccompanied minors)
- Youth protection and out-of-home placement
- Disasters (earthquakes Groningen The Netherlands)
dr. A.E. (Elianne) Zijlstra
Contact
a.e.zijlstra rug.nl
+31 50 36 36541
Function
Associate Professor
H.J. (Lydie) Zwartenkot-Norder, MSc
Contact
h.j.zwartenkot-norder rug.nl
Function
Field / Discipline
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