Co-Owners

Josette Sammut

Josette is a qualified Occupational Therapist, graduated in 2007. As a student and as a newly graduate Josette had the opportunity to work at Inspire (Eden Foundation). Josette worked full-time at CDAU and part-time offering private service to children mainly with sensory processing difficulties for 7 years.  Since March 2014, she started running her own private clinic on a full-time basis.  Josette has completed her Masters in Education – Autism (Children) at the University of Birmingham in 2012. During the same year, she also took further assessment training to become ADOS qualified.  Then, she has extended her knowledge in Sensory Integration at the University of Ulster and is now a postgraduate SI practitioner (Clinical Reasoning and Practice in SI intervention).  She is also trained in Sequential-Oral-Sensory (SOS) which is an approach used in feeding therapy.  Her passion is to help children with challenges in sensory processing.  Currently, she is the OT Manager at POTS.

Ian Sammut

Ian comes from a technical background where his qualifications include a Diploma in Industrial Electronics (2007) and a Higher National Certificate in Business (Management). From 2007 onwards he worked as a technician and worked his way up to a Quality Assurance Coordinator in a medical disposable manufacturing company. He is also a qualified Personal Trainer and has managed and operated his own personal training service between 2011 and 2016. Following this in 2016 he teamed up with his wife Josette to expand the business at POTS. He coordinated and finalized the new premises project.  At present, he is studying Business Management at the University of Malta.  He is currently the Administration Manager at POTS. 

Danica Abela

Danica is a qualified Occupational Therapist who graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree from the University of Malta in 2015. Danica has had the opportunity to work in various clinical settings in Malta including a neurological setting at Mater Dei Hospital since November 2017 and paediatric wards since January 2019. Danica has now been employed as a Paediatric Occupational Therapist at POTS since May 2016 where she is also part of the Assessment Team. Danica is reading for a Masters of Education specifically Inclusion and Special Educational Needs at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Her interests also include challenging behaviour and sensory processing. 

Kirsten Abela

Kirsten graduated as an Occupational Therapist in 2013 and for the first two years of employment, he worked on a rotation basis in various clinical settings in Malta through which he gained professional experience; including the Young People Unit, MDH and geriatric settings, and for the last three years he was working in a neurological setting at MDH. His undergraduate study focused on the outcome of social skills training with ADHD children. Throughout his years as a student, he had the opportunity to experience different pediatric settings including Inspire, CDAU, and school-based intervention. Kirsten’s goal is to work with children who have difficulties with the practical and social skills necessary for their everyday life, to enable the child to be as physically, psychologically, and socially independent as possible.

Laura Rodriguez

Laura is a qualified occupational therapist who graduated from La Salle University in Madrid in 2022. As a student, Laura had the opportunity to experience different settings, including a brain damage center, a geriatric day center, an intellectual disability center, and a pediatric hospital in Spain. She has done a professional development course in hand therapy and is trained in Sequential-Oral-Sensory (SOS), which is an approach used in feeding therapy. Laura is reading for a Masters in Autism at the University Francisco de Vitoria in Spain. Her interests include challenges in sensory processing and helping the children and their families to reach their goals.

Nicole Pavia Aloisio

Nicole graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Communication Therapy in 2020. Throughout her clinical placement, Nicole had the opportunity of working with both children and adults in varying clinical settings, which led her to find her passion within the paediatric setting. With a love for research and discovering new creative ways to reach communication goals, her philosophy is that children will demonstrate the most progress when they are enjoying themselves. Therefore, Nicole strives to make her sessions as fun and interesting as possible, ensuring that both the children and parents will enjoy their sessions as much as she does. This entices the parents to carry over the sessions’ activities at home, enhancing the likelihood of their children’s success. 

Lorthea Pulis

Lorthea graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Communication Therapy with the University of Malta in 2021, and graduated with an MSc (Hons) in Speech, Language, and Communication Needs (SLCN) in Childhood with the University of Galway, Ireland in 2023.  Lorthea discovered her interest in paediatric speech therapy earlier on during her studies in Malta. Thus, her research focused on vocabulary development by investigating longitudinal vocabulary growth in local parent-child dyads. She further pursued research in narrative abilities in children within the Autism Spectrum during her Master’s Degree.  Lorthea strives to educate individuals about the profession, empower communication in children, and provide a safe, encouraging, and enriching therapeutic experience for both parents and children alike.

Graziella Scicluna

Graziella is a certified Early Childhood Educator with a specialized focus on literacy development. Her dedication to literacy extends far beyond her formal academic training in education; she has been actively engaged as a Reading Animator for over a decade. Recognizing the importance of fostering a love for reading at a young age, Graziella considers it her professional mission to cultivate an environment that inspires children to read and supports them through the various stages of becoming independent readers. Her commitment to this mission led her to become a certified Reading Recovery Teacher, where she employs specialized techniques to assist students facing challenges with reading. At POTS, Graziella is devoted to advancing the reading and writing skills of students within the community, ensuring that each child progresses at their own pace in a nurturing and supportive atmosphere.

Deborah Gauci

Deborah graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Early Childhood Education and Care from the University of Malta in 2019. Then, she furthered her studies with the Institute for Education (IfE) where she obtained her Master in Primary Education. Deborah is a qualified primary school teacher who worked with kindergarten and primary students. Moreover, throughout her experience with the Foundation for Educational Services (FES), she had the opportunity to work with students with different abilities and needs. Deborah strives to plan and adapt work according to the students' needs to help them enhance their reading and writing skills.

Julie Ann Plaehn

Julie is an International Behaviour Analyst and Board Certified Behaviour Analyst. Julie graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nursing with a special interest in mental health before obtaining her Master of Science in Behaviour Analysis (University of Bangor in Wales). Julie started her career in the field as a behaviour technician undergoing supervision in Malta where she worked with children diagnosed with Autism and other related disorders. After obtaining her BCBA credential, Julie moved to London where she received further extensive training and obtaining credentials in Positive Behaviour Support (Level 2), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, PEAK Relation Training, Early Start Denver Model, Relationship Development Intervention and PECS. During her time in London, Julie offered school-based support training across schools in London, parents and educator PBS training and delivered in-house intervention. Presently, Julie is providing in-clinic service and also provides tele-health services in the USA. Julie works to enable learners advance and reach their personal best achievement using neuro-affirming practice. 

      POTS Therapists aim to promote development...