Pia Käcker

Associate Professor

My research interest is development of methods for user participation, technology support for people with cognitive and communicative disabilities to facilitate coping with everyday life. Can they express their views and increase their influence?

Keys to communication

The thesis is titled ”Nycklar till kommunikation – kommunikation mellan personer med grav förvärvad hjärnskada och personernas närstående, anhöriga och personal” (“Keys to communication – communication between individuals with severe acquired brain injury and their dependants, family and staff”).

It elucidates the factors that open up and promote communication with an individual who lacks the means for verbal communication, and those factors that close off and hinder such communication.

Projects

• Development of a means of cognitive support in order to increase participation by individuals with intellectual, cognitive and communicative disabilities, when reviewing and following up LSS and SoL measures. Commissioned by the National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialförvaltningen, Avdelning för stadsövergripande sociala frågor, Strategiska enheten.)

• Development of a web-based, user-oriented evaluation instrument, Pict-O-Stat. Funded by the Swedish Institute of Assistive Technology*, Hjälpmedelsinstitutet (HI) and Norrköping municipality.

• Research project funded by the Swedish Institute of Assistive Technology, “Brukarperspektiv på kognitivt stöd” (“Users’ perspectives on cognitive support”).

Teaching in Occupational therapy

I am course coordinator and examining teacher for course 8 (semester 5) on the Occupational Therapy programme.

I teach together with people with psychiatric disabilities and users about the basics of professional communication, course 2 (semester 1).

Publications

2024

Ann-Marie Ohrvall, Birgitta Wennberg, Pia Käcker, Helene Lidström (2024) Experiences of participation in people with intellectual disability, in relation to service support received, and views from professionals in the field of disability Journal of Intellectual Disabilities (Article in journal)

Continue to DOI

2023

Erika Högstedt, Kajsa Igelström, Laura Korhonen, Pia Käcker, Ina Marteinsdottir, Mathilda Björk (2023) 'It's like it is designed to keep me stressed' - Working sustainably with ADHD or autism Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol. 8, p. 1280-1291 (Article in journal)

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2022

Pia Käcker (2022) Nycklar till kommunikaton Förhållningssätt och möten: arbetsmetoder i social omsorg, p. 273-298 (Chapter in book)

2011

Pia Käcker (2011) Nycklar till kommunikation Förhållningssätt och möten: Arbetsmetoder i social omsorg, p. 257-275 (Chapter in book)

Pia Käcker (2011) Brukarmedverkan som ger förutsättning för inflytande Brukarens roll i välfärdsforskning och utvecklingsarbete, p. 75-77 (Chapter in book)

Appointments

Regional head of development in the area of Individuals with functional disabilities. The appointment is funded by the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SKL).

The appointment involves participation in a national network of regional heads of development, SKL representatives and the National Board of Health and Welfare. It also involves providing support to operational staff in their work to increase user influence and reinforce user involvement, participation and influence for individuals with functional disabilities. These efforts are directed towards all municipalities as well as the county council in Östergötland.

The aim is to strengthen the participation and influence of children, young people and adults with functional disabilities. A further aim is to develop methods for systematic quality management and to support those SoL and LSS operations in the county that wish to develop evidence-based practice in their support to individuals with functional disabilities. This development support is given to managers and staff within all operations in Östergötland county, and comprises training in communication, AKK (ACC, Alternative and Complementary Communication), participation, influence and empowerment.

Training of guidance officers for those operations that wish to work with the Participation Model:

• Supervision in communication, AKK (ACC, Alternative and Complementary Communication), participation, influence and empowerment.

• Methodology support for the introduction of user surveys.

• Methodology support to develop the use of the survey tool Pict-O-Stat, and to offer further individuals/groups the use of the tool.

Thesis

Nycklar till kommunikation

The study focuses on communication between adult individuals with a severe acquired brain injury and their family and dependants.

The aim is to set out from the accounts of family and dependants in order to describe how communication manifests itself, as well as to provide a theoretical description of what factors encourage and discourage communication, respectively. Eleven individuals with severe brain injuries are included in the study. The cause of their brain injuries are stroke, traumatic brain injury or cerebral hypoxia. The individuals’ ages at the time of the injury vary from 16 to 64. All of them have severe language disorders and cognitive disabilities as a result of the brain injury. The data is based on interviews and video recordings. The theoretical foundation is symbolic interactionism, and the method used is grounded in theory.

Nycklar till kommunikation: Kommunikation mellan vuxna personer med grav förvärvad hjärnskada och personernas närstående, anhöriga och personal (DIVA)

Collaboration with society at large and academic qualifications

Collaboration with society at large

• Research supervisor at the R&D unit PUFF, Norrköping municipality. I supervise professional practitioners on various development projects. I am also a supervisor for a regional “evaluation workshop”.

• Contributor to several national projects (the Swedish Institute of Assistive Technology) in which the aim has been to increase user participation in research as well as in a field of activity funded by county councils and municipalities.

Academic qualifications

• Registered occupational therapist 1972

• PhD 2007

Selected publications

Pia Käcker (2011)

Nycklar till kommunikation

Förhållningssätt och möten: Arbetsmetoder i social omsorg , s.257-275

Pia Käcker (2011)

Brukarmedverkan som ger förutsättning för inflytande

Brukarens roll i välfärdsforskning och utvecklingsarbete , s.75-77

Pia Käcker (2007)

Keys to Communication: Communication between persons with severe acquired brain damage and their caregivers, relatives and personnel

A close up on a hand that holds a piece of a puzzle. Under the hand there is a lot of other pieces of a puzzle.

Occupational therapy research

Occupational therapy research aims to reduce obstacles to functioning in society and increase individuals’ opportunities for participating actively in their everyday situations irrespective of their disabilities.

Disability Research Division (FUSA)

We do research on various disabilities, where we measure and compare the impact and degree of disability. The focus is on cognition and communication.

Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning (IBL)

Human behaviour and learning is the focus for education and research at the department. We educate students and scientists that are well equipped to meet future challenges in society and working life.