Shiraz Alhaj
I am a PhD student in Occupational Science at the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, with a background in occupational therapy, education, and research. As a research assistant in the DREAmS Lab, I contribute to research examining social determinants of health and health disparities among autistic people.
My research interests center on autism and neurodiversity, particularly the meaning and complexity of autistic experiences and occupations. I am fascinated by how relationships, families, and broader social contexts shape what is experienced as meaningful, supportive, or challenging, and how different perspectives intersect. Ultimately, I hope to contribute to more nuanced, contextually grounded, and neurodiversity-affirming understandings of autistic lives and occupations.
Education
Master of Arts (MA)
in Education; Department of Learning Disabilities
2013 | University of Haifa
Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (BOT)
2008 | The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Selected Publications
Khateb, A., Asadi, I. A., Habashi, S., & Korinth, S. P. (2022). Role of morphology in visual word recognition: A parafoveal preview study in Arabic using eye-tracking. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 12(6), 1030–1038. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1206.02 Show abstract
Words in Semitic languages such as Arabic and Hebrew are composed of two interwoven morphemes: roots and word patterns (verbal and nominal). Studies exploring the organizing principles of the mental lexicon in Hebrew reported robust priming effects by roots and verbal patterns, but not by nominal patterns. In Arabic, prior studies have produced some inconsistent results. Using the eye-tracking methodology, this study investigated whether the Arabic morphological classes (i.e., root, verbal pattern, nominal pattern) presented parafoveally would facilitate naming of foveally presented words among young native Arabic skilled readers. Results indicate that roots and both word patterns accelerated word naming latencies, suggesting that morphological knowledge contributed to word recognition processes in Arabic. The inclusion of the three morpheme classes into one study represents so far the most comprehensive study of morphological priming effects in Arabic.
Keywords. Arabic morphology, parafoveal priming, morpheme, mental lexicon, eye-tracking
Awards
Dean of Graduate Studies’ List | 2013
University of Haifa
Edmond J. Safra Fellowship for Academic Excellence | 2011
University of Haifa
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