CHILD’s primary objective is to develop and apply new scientific knowledge of life situations for children who need extra support.

Objectives

Steering Committee for CHILD at Jönköping University:

Lilly Augustine, Associate Professor, School of Education and Communication

Maria Björk, Associate Professor, School of Health and Welfare
Mats Granlund, Professor, School of  Health and Welfare
Karina Huus, Professor, School of Health and Welfare

CHILD stands for Children, Health, Intervention, Learning and Development -- five key areas of focus. CHILD aims to develop and apply new scientific knowledge of life situations and measures for children who need extra support. Through the application of this knowledge, CHILD intends to ultimately provide these children with the necessary support to live meaningful lives within society, spanning both everyday environments (such as the family, pre-school, and school) and interactions with providers of support (such as those within healthcare and habilitation services). In addition, CHILD aspires for its research to continue the organization’s established role as an international innovator, particularly regarding the ICF’s health classification system and, by extension, facilitating children’s participation in everyday life.

Research

ICF, the WHO’s health classification systems, are central to a number of projects. At present, CHILD’s researchers are running about 30 research projects. These projects are often interdisciplinary, involving collaboration between the fields of education, psychology, health care sciences, special education, and disability research. As a result, many complex issues are examined through a multi-dimensional perspective; CHILD’s interdisciplinary approach allows different viewpoints to intersect, contrast, complement, and, ultimately, become enriched by each other. CHILD’s present research profile connects approximately 30 professors, senior researchers, and doctoral students. These members of the CHILD group publish frequently in international peer-reviewed journals (around 60 articles were published in 2022) as well as contribute chapters to internationally edited books.

International and national collaborations

CHILD maintains extensive international collaborations, coordinating and participating in a number of international and EU-based projects on a perennial basis. CHILD’s active international network includes research in Europe, North America, South Africa, Australia, and Asia. A good example is within the research programme CHILD PMH External link, opens in new window..

The international collaboration also involves masters education, including Interventions in Childhood—a program at Jönköping University.