Kine Johansen

Short presentation

As a physiotherapist and researcher, I advocate for early detection and intervention for motor difficulties. My research focuses on motor development, motor difficulties, and participation, from infancy to adulthood. I aim to contribute to evidence-based interventions and sustainable healthcare systems. Child health services and schools are central arenas in my research. I am also a member of U-CARE, whose aim is to promote wellbeing among patients and close ones affected by somatic disease.

Keywords

• motorisk utveckling
• utvecklingsneurologi
• tidig identifikation
• evidensbaserad praktik
• förbättringskunskap
• barnhälsovård
• motorisk bedömning
• dcd

Biography

My research focuses on motor development, motor difficulties, and participation in children, with a perspective spanning from infancy to adulthood. By combining clinical physiotherapy, research, and quality improvement, I work toward early identification, evidence-based interventions, and sustainable healthcare and support systems for individuals with motor difficulties. A central focus is how child health services and schools can enable early detection and equitable access to interventions for all children in need of support.

I am one of the initiators and a co-applicant of CoMOVE, an interdisciplinary European expert network within the ENLIGHT Thematic Network focusing on the importance of early motor development (0–4 years) for the early identification of neurodevelopmental conditions. I also serve as Co-chair of the Research Committee within the International Organisation of Physiotherapists in Paediatrics (IOPTP), a subgroup of World Physiotherapy, and lead the Swedish DCD Network. In addition, I teach in the field of child motor development and supervise undergraduate and master’s degree projects.

Research

I currently lead three research projects:

DCD in adults

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) affects approximately 5–6% of all children and often co-occur with conditions such as ADHD and autism. Despite this, knowledge about how DCD manifests and affects function and participation in adulthood is limited. The project DCD in adults aims to increase understanding of the long-term consequences of DCD by studying motor function, health, and everyday life in adults with the diagnosis.

Bridging the Gap – development of a school-based physiotherapy model for children with DCD

Children with DCD participate in fewer and less varied activities than children with adequate motor ability, which affects both health and participation. At the same time, only a small proportion of children with DCD in Sweden have access to treatment. In the Bridging the Gap project, a school-based physiotherapy model is being developed with the aim of creating a more equitable, sustainable, and cost-effective way to reach children with DCD in their everyday environment. The project is in the development phase according to the MRC framework and includes several sub-studies, including the Swedish study of the international initiative "Impact for DCD".

Early motor markers for cerebral palsy

Early identification of cerebral palsy (CP) is crucial for enabling early interventions that can alter and improve a child's development and participation. Although CP can be accurately diagnosed before six months of age, many children miss the opportunity for early support due to delayed detection. In the project Early motor markers for CP, we explore motor performance in infants during the first six months of life, focusing on both the level of motor development and the quality of motor performance. We aim to identify early motor markers that can support earlier detection and more targeted interventions.