DFF Research Network: Transition and Sustainability of Communicative Competencies in Interactions Involving Young People with Communication Disabilities

The TransComm network brings together international experts in Linguistics, Psychology, Sociology, Education Science, and Speech and Language Science, to capture and explore scattered knowledge on the practices that sustain, develop or hamper communicative competence in interactions involving young people living with communicative disabilities. This work has a particular focus on the ways in which practices of communicative competence change as young people move between different institutional and everyday contexts, especially in interactions that involve the use of communication technologies (e.g. speech generating devices).

The TransComm network is funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark (DFF). We began its work in January 2019, and will continue until December 2021. During this period, we will organise four workshops to which we will invite scientific experts from different fields. The workshops will take place at the Universities of the organising group (Aalborg University in Denmark, Bielefeld University in Germany, Uppsala University in Sweden, and University College London in the United Kingdom).
The workshop series is built around the following topics:
1. Construction of Competence in Joint Activities
2. Tensions, Breakdowns, and Displays of Affect
3. Construction of Competences across Activities and Contexts
4. Facilitating intervention

Finally, we bring together and discuss existing knowledge on intervention processes based on the empirical study of communication practices within institutional settings for people with communication disabilities. We will further explore the potential of interventions based on an interactional approach to communication competence.

The TransComm network not only aims at scientific knowledge transfer but also at enhancing collaborations with practitioners from various fields (e.g. kindergardens, schools and other institutions).