In English

VIKOM - The Danish Resource Centre on Communication and Multiple Disabilities concerning Children and Young People without Spoken Language

VIKOM is part of The National Board of Social Services which is an independent subdivision of the Ministry of Social Affairs.

VIKOM collects knowledge on the special conditions that children and adolescents with multiple disabilities and their families live under. The centre collects, develops and disseminates resources within the areas of social services and special education that can facilitate equal participation in the society of the children or adolescents and their families.

Children and adolescents with multiple disabilities without spoken language live with considerable congenital neurological and cortical damage. The children have between 2 and 10 diagnoses from the WHO ICD-10 list. The most frequent diagnoses are cerebral palsy, epilepsy, congenital malformations, visual disorders and mental retardation.

Throughout their lives the children and adolescents require medical assistance and assistance with personal care and daily activities. Many have dysphagia and poor growth in spite of tube feeding. They have cramps that respond poorly to treatment, muscular tensions or severe flaccidity, and the pain experienced in conjunction with these conditions reduce attention, energy, and vitality. The children are often ill and hospitalised, and parents and close professionals live with the fear of losing the children.

According to VIKOM's national survey (2007) there are 1172 children with multiple disabilities without spoken language who receive school or day care services. These children receive services in 151 different institutions.

As part of The National Board of Social Services, VIKOM has to ensure collection and development of resources and knowledge in the area of children and adolescents with multiple disabilities, with the purpose of supporting specialist consultancy and specialist assessments as well as supporting local authorities in providing social and special educational services.

You can read mere about VIKOM in this information flyer (pdf).

Choose 'downloads' to find online articles in English and hand-outs from international conferences.