Public defense: Line Britt Ulriksen

Line Britt Ulriksen will defend her PhD degree in pedagogical resources and learning processes in kindergarten and school. The doctoral thesis explores reading instruction for students with intellectual disabilities and/or autism who use augmentative and alternative communication.

03 Mar

Practical information

  • Date: 3 March 2026
  • Time: 10.00 - 15.30
  • Location: Vestfold, Campus Vestfold, Auditorium A1-30 Larvik and Zoom
  • Download calendar file

    • Link to digital participation (Zoom)

    Programme

    10:00 Trial lecture: Cognitive versus Behavioural Approaches to Arranging Learning Environments

    12:00 Public defense: Early Reading Development in Students with Intellectual Disabilities using Augmentative and Alternative Communication.

    Assessment committee

    • First opponent: Associate Professor Alicia A. Mrachko, Bowling Green State University.
    • Second opponent: Professor Mickey Keenan, Ulster University.
    • Administrator: Professor Magnus Hontvedt, University of SouthEastern Norway. 

    Supervisors

    • Main supervisor: Professor Kenneth Larsen, University of SouthEastern Norway. 
    • Co-supervisor: Professor Anders Nordahl-Hansen, University of SouthEastern Norway. .
    • Co-supervisor: Professor Hugo Cogo-Moreira, Østfold University College.

    Host of the public defense: Jørn Varhaug, University of SouthEastern Norway.

Any questions?

Line Britt Ulriksen is defending her thesis for the degree philosophiae doctor (PhD) at the University of South-Eastern Norway.  portrettfoto av dame med blondt hår

The doctoral work has been carried out at the Faculty of Humanities, Sports and Educational Science.

You are invited to follow the trial lecture and the public defence.

Summary

This dissertation investigates how children with intellectual disabilities who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) can develop early reading skills. Acquiring functional reading skills is critical because it enhances communication and fosters greater independence, for example through text-based communication aids. Research suggests that reading interventions can support both literacy development and communicative competence.

The thesis includes four studies. The first study tested a reading intervention with 40 students aged 6-14 with intellectual disabilities and/or autism who use AAC. None of the students could decode words before the intervention. Nearly half of students developed phonological awareness, and 16 students demonstrated early reading skills on adapted and standardized assessments. Students who began the intervention with strong letter-sound knowledge made the most progress.

The second study examined how vocabulary relates to early reading in 39 students with intellectual disabilities and/or autism who use AAC. Both receptive and expressive vocabulary were positively associated with early reading skills, whereas vocabulary expressed through AAC systems was not.

The third study is a systematic review of reading interventions for students with intellectual disabilities and/or autism who use AAC. Findings revealed there were very few studies published on the topic, few participants, and a minimal coverage of reading components. 

The fourth study investigated teachers’ reading practices in both general and special schools, emphasizing the instructional methods, strategies, and materials used with students with autism who use AAC. It also examined teacher expectations regarding students' potential to acquire reading skills. Results show there is a lack of competence, low expectations, and insufficient evidence-based reading materials and assessments designed for students who use AAC.

Together, the findings underscore a clear need for improved reading instruction for students who use AAC: stronger teacher training, evidence‑based materials, standardized assessments, and more rigorous research. 

Ultimately, the goal is to establish clear standards and guidelines for how students with intellectual disabilities who use AAC can achieve functional reading skills