Academic Interests
I have a broad interest in most areas of developmental psychology, both normal and deviant, typical and atypical. My research covers different areas of development, with particular emphasis on the development of communication and language. It includes children with normal development, as well as children with learning disability, deafness, blindness, Rett syndrome, Tourette syndrome, autism and Asperger syndrome. I am also interested in the evidence bases of habilitation and counseling for children with developmental disabilities. I have worked especially with children who are unable to acquire spoken language in the ordinary way and therefore need a non-vocal form of communication that could augment or replace speech.
Higher education and employment history
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Professor of developmental psychology and educational-psychological counseling
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Graduate of the University of Oslo
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Specialist in clinical psychology.
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Visiting the University of California, Berkeley, USA; Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand, Pretoria University, South Africa, University of Louisianna, USA.
Cooperation
I collaborate with researchers in many countries, and I am currently leading a multidisciplinary international project involving 16 countries, "Becoming an aided communicator: Aided language skills in children aged 5-15 years - a multi-site and cross-cultural investigation", on language development in children who use communication aids. The results from this project will contribute much new knowledge about communication and language in general, and provide a foundation for raising new questions and issues related to normal and atypical language development.
I am head of an multidisciplinary project, "Effect of intensive habilitation based on the Doman programs (The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential and Family Hope Center)" at Department of Child Neurology at the Oslo University Hospital.