She puts the importance of motor skills in focus
Kine Johansen is a physiotherapist who conducts research and runs a limited company with the aim of giving more children the chance to overcome motor difficulties. She is passionate about children's motor development and sees entrepreneurship as a tool to increase knowledge among those who can make a difference, both care providers and parents.
Kine Johansen thinks we talk far too little about the importance of motor skills for children early in life.
“Every new motor skill a child learns gives them a tool for exploring the world. So, motor skills are much more than movement. They are a child’s tool for play, discovery and learning. And this continues throughout life. The early years in particular are incredibly important because children undergo enormous development during this period, and we can influence so much.”
Kine Johansen is a physiotherapist and researcher who currently teaches in the Physiotherapy Programme at Uppsala University. She also runs a company called Movement Inspires, which focuses on children’s motor development. The origins of the company go back 20 years, when she began working at Uppsala University Children’s Hospital and came into contact with physiotherapist and researcher Kristina Persson, who developed the SOMP-I method.
SOMP-I, which stands for Structured Observation of Motor Performance in Infants, is an evidence-based method for assessing the motor skills of infants. This assessment method is at the heart of Kine Johansen’s company, and before that of Barnens rörelsebyrå, a business she ran with Kristina Persson.
Driven by early detection and treatment
“Ever since getting to know Kristina, I have been passionate about early detection and treatment of motor difficulties in children. My research includes how to examine the motor skills of infants, how a lack of motor skills affects the individual, and how we can influence a child’s development through physiotherapy,” says Kine Johansen.
She sees her company as a tool for spreading knowledge and skills related to the importance of motor skills for young children. The primary target group so far has been other physiotherapists.
“We have courses in the SOMP-I assessment method to help detect motor difficulties in children at an early stage. We also have a treatment course because we know the importance of early intervention,” says Kine Johansen.
Another profession of interest is paediatric healthcare professionals. In her doctoral thesis work, Kine Johansen examined whether SOMP-I could also be used by nurses at children’s health centres.
“The assessment method was originally developed for physiotherapists, but it is not profession-specific. The staff of children’s health centres also want and need knowledge about how they can more easily identify children with motor difficulties and how they can provide support to parents,” says Kine Johansen.
Bringing research and benefits together
She believes that the publication of research results is not enough to spread new knowledge and bring about change. Other platforms are also needed. It is a matter of finding the ones that suit your intended purpose.
“Our method is not spread through healthcare on its own, and research results must be packaged to be usable. You either do it, or you do not do it and then have to keep your fingers crossed that things will work out anyway. I chose the former,” says Kine Johansen.
But that does not mean it is easy in practice. As someone who enjoys research, teaching and clinical work, Kine Johansen finds it difficult to opt out of anything. And designing and selling the services in the company takes time and requires profitability.
“Scalability is something I think a lot about now, as well as complementary target groups. It fits in well with my dream of being able to reach more people with my knowledge, and of being able to create and be creative in the process.”
Sara Gredemark