Associate Professor Dr Amanallah Soltani

Associate Professor Dr Amanallah Soltani

  • School of Education
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SDGs Focus
Good Health and Well Being
Quality Education
Reduced Inequalities

Biography

Dr. Amanallah Soltani is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at Sunway University, Malaysia. His expertise lies in special education, educational psychology, and developmental disabilities, with research focusing on executive functioning, Down syndrome, learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and inclusive education. With over 25 years of academic, research, and clinical experience, he has published extensively in leading international journals and collaborated with renowned researchers on projects that advance evidence-based practices to improve educational and developmental outcomes for individuals with special educational needs.

Academic & Professional Qualifications

  • PhD in Educational Psychology,University Putra Malaysia(2011)
  • Master’s in Special Education,Allameh Tabatabai University, Iran(1996)
  • Bachelor in Speech Therapy,Iran Medical Science University(1993)

Research Interests

  • Special/Inclusive Education
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Educational psychology

Teaching Areas

  • Special/inclusive Education
  • educational psychology
  • Learning Disabilities
  • Research Methods

Courses Taught

  • Introduction to children with Special Educational Needs
  • Supporting Children with Specific Learning Disabilities
  • Policy and Legislative Practice in special education
  • Introduction to special/inclusive education
  • Learning and Teaching Theories
  • Educational Psychology
  • Research Methods

Notable Publications

Soltani, A., Wiley, S., Williams‐Arya, P., Hoffman, E. K., & Esbensen, A. J. (2025). Examining the Relation Between Sleep Problems and Behavioral Challenges in Youth with Down Syndrome. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jir.13213    Q1

Soltani, A., Fidler, D. J., Patel, L., Voth, K., & Esbensen, A. J. (2025). Longitudinally Predicting Behavioral Challenges from Executive Functioning in Youth with Down Syndrome. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 130(2), 146-162.
https://doi.org/10.1352/1944-7558-130.2.146    Q1

Soltani, A., & Esbensen, A. J. (2024). Role of child demographic, executive functions, and
behavioral challenges on feelings about parenting among parents of youth with Down
syndrome. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 148, 104717.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0891422224000490     Q1

Soltani, A., Schworer, E.K, Altaye, M., Fidler, D.J, Beebe, D.W, Wiley, S., Hoffman, E.K,
Voth, K., & Esbensen, A.J. (2023). Psychometric properties of inhibitory control measures
among youth with Down syndrome. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jir.13043    Q1

Soltani A, Schworer, E. K, Amin, R, Hoffman, E.K. Esbensen, A. J, Cognitive, language and
behavioral abilities related to obstructive sleep apnea in Down syndrome (2023) Journal of
Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics
https://journals.lww.com/jrnldbp/Abstract/9900/Executive_Functioning,_Language,_and_Behavioral.102.aspx    Q1

Soltani, A, Schworer, E. K, Jacobson, L.A, Channel, M.M, Lee, N.R, Faught, G.G,
Grzadzinski, R, Fidler, D, Esbensen, A.J. (2023). Confirmatory factor analysis of the BRIEF2
in a sample of youth with Down syndrome. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.13000.    Q1

Schworer, E. K., Soltani, A., Altaye, M., Fidler, D. J., & Esbensen, A. J. (2023). Cognitive
flexibility assessment in youth with Down syndrome: Reliability, practice effects, and
validity. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 133, 104416.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104416   Q1

Soltani, A, Schworer, E.K, Esbensen, A.J. (2023). The mediatory role of executive functioning on the association between sleep with everyday memory and ADHD symptoms in children and youth with Down syndrome. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental
Disabilities,128(1), 82-95.
https://doi.org/10.1352/1944-7558-128.1.82   Q1

Soltani, A., Schworer, E. K., & Esbensen, A. J. (2022). Executive functioning and verbal
fluency performance in youth with Down syndrome. Research in Developmental Disabilities,
131, 104358.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0891422222001883  Q1

Soltani, A., & Mirhosseini, S. (2020). The contribution of general cognitive abilities and
specific number skills toward arithmetic performance in students with mild intellectual
disability, International Journal of Disability, Development, and Education, 67 (5), 547-562.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1034912X.2019.1619673     Q2