Applied research
Applied research
Applied research
AAC methods are already being used in many institutions in Germany. However, this use is often tied to specific individuals. Research in the field of AAC in German-speaking countries is gradually increasing. In order to ensure and advance the use of AAC in the long term, a theory-led debate is still necessary and important in many fields of AAC. You can find an overview of current research and doctoral candidate projects here.
Integration into the guidelines of the University of Oldenburg and the Institute of Special Needs Education and Rehabilitation of School I:
The AAC institution of the Outpatient Center for ReHabilitation (now KoggE) would like to support the counselling orientation, taking into account the guidelines of the University of Oldenburg, in order to provide students with practice-oriented teaching and to interlink the areas of practice and research. Through the practical application of research methods, students can learn central, relevant professional skills during their studies. Qualifications for an academic career are taught and the practice-oriented, intensive examination of professional requirements in diagnostics, counselling and support contributes to students' personal development.
The concept of the AAC programme is also compatible with the research focus of the Institute of Special Needs Education and Rehabilitation, which has set itself the following research focus, among others:
Social re-habilitation and health promotion (including care, provision) to support individuation and participation for people with impairments, in particular for people with impairments in communication or in the area of hearing.
In this area, the research focus of the Augmentative and Alternative Communication Institution can be excellently integrated.
UK-Med - Augmentative and Alternative Communication in Healthcare
Technical background
Healthcare refers to all institutions or persons in the service of maintaining, promoting or restoring health. In the planned project, the survey will be carried out in international cooperation with a view to the central facilities - hospitals, doctors' surgeries and hospices. Barrier-free communication in these facilities is essential for good care. This is jeopardised for people with complex communication needs (CCN). In the medical context, this includes not only people with congenital impairments or neurological diseases, but also - currently increasingly due to demographic and migration-related changes - people with dementia and people with little knowledge of the local language, for example. Due to the current shortage of staff in Germany, communication barriers are not only experienced by patients, but also by migrant healthcare professionals. For people with degenerative impairments, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is also of great importance for support during the dying process. In order to take the needs of these target persons sufficiently into account, the survey is conducted in the spirit of participatory research not only with healthcare professionals, but also with people with CCN and parents of affected children. Outside of the healthcare system, people with communicative impairments are ideally provided with AAC tools in accordance with UN CRPD Art. 24 (3) and ICF d310-369 (implemented in Germany in SGB V), but these tools are hardly known in medical care. (Blackstone/Pressman 2016, Grans/Beer 2018 according to Erdélyi/Hennig 2020) This results in the corresponding research gap to which the project is dedicated.
Building blocks of the project
The project began in 2013 with the research-based development of communication aids based on the principle of design thinking. Since then, the following research focuses have emerged:
1. development of image-based communication folders and apps for the following contexts
- Pharmacy (UK Apo)
- Nursing (UK Nursing)
- Emergency (UK Emergency)
- Oncology (UK Oncology)
- Paediatric pulmonology and allergology (UK Pulmonology)
- Paediatric Neurology (UK Neurology)
- Neonatology (UK Neonatology)
- Hospice (UK Hospice)
2. survey of barriers and support factors for the implementation of barrier-free communication in medical care
- Survey of hospital staff
- Survey of people with CCN
3. survey of barriers and support factors for barrier-free orientation in the clinic
- Survey of clinic staff
- Survey of parents
AAC-Med - Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) in Healthcare
Background and Context
The healthcare sector encompasses all institutions and professionals dedicated to maintaining, promoting, or restoring health. This international research project focuses on the key settings of healthcare delivery - hospitals, medical practices, and hospices - and investigates communication accessibility within these environments. Effective communication is essential for high-quality care, yet it is often compromised for individuals with Complex Communication Needs (CCN). This group includes not only people with congenital disabilities or neurological conditions but increasingly also individuals with dementia and those with limited language proficiency due to demographic and migratory shifts. In Germany, current staffing shortages further exacerbate communication barriers, not only for patients but also among migrant healthcare professionals. For people with degenerative conditions, AAC also plays a vital role in end-of-life care.
To accurately assess the needs of all stakeholders, the project applies a participatory research approach that includes healthcare professionals, individuals with CCN, and parents of children affected. While AAC is recognised as essential outside of healthcare (as per UN CRPD Article 24(3) and ICF d310-369, implemented in Germany through SGB V), it remains largely unfamiliar in medical settings. This gap forms the foundation of the project's research focus.
Project Components
The project began in 2013 with the research-based development of AAC tools using Design Thinking methods. Since then, key research areas have emerged:
1. development of visual AAC tools (communication books and apps) for specific healthcare contexts:
- Pharmacy (UK Apo)
- Nursing care (UK Pflege)
- Emergency care (UK Emergency)
- Oncology (UK Oncology)
- Pediatric pulmonology and allergology (UK Pulmonology)
- Pediatric neurology (UK neurology)
- Neonatology (UK Neonatology)
- Hospice care (UK Hospice)
2. analysis of barriers and facilitators for implementing AAC in healthcare:
- Surveys with hospital staff
- Surveys with individuals with CCN
3. analysis of barriers and facilitators for barrierfree wayfinding and orientation in clinical settings:
- Surveys with hospital staff
- Surveys with parents