Lien Claes

In 2007 I graduated as an orthopedagoge with a special interest for trajectories of children, adolescents and adults with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems. After an interim at a psychiatric observation and treatment department for men with intellectual disabilities, I returned to Ghent University for a short research project on Experience Experts in Poverty (co-production of the Department of Social Work and Orthopedagogy). Afterwards, I could work for six years (2008-2014) as an assistant at the department of Special Needs Education. I was involved in the internships and the course 'Interpretative Research Methods and Techniques'. My doctoral research studied stuck situations of people with intellectual disabilities, from the theoretical perspectives 'Disability Studies' and 'Social Geography'. Specifically, I worked with three adults with intellectual disabilities around their life trajectories, meanings of spaces and places, and influences on their relationships. Concepts of boundary, belonging, mobility and desire were analyzed in relation to the life stories. Afterwards, I returned to the concrete support practice and worked successively as a team leader in a home for 9 men with intellectual disabilities and as a mobile caregiver in Supported Living, both within vzw Den Dries. Since June 2017 I work in a mobile mental health team for children and adolescents with an intellectual disability (Ampel WINGG). Since March 2018 I combine this job with a 10% function as a practice assistant at the Department of Special Needs Education.

A complete list of publications and contact information can be found here.