Dominika Baumann

Dr. Dominika Baumann is a Researcher at the Chair of Special Education IV (Pedagogy for People with Intellectual Disabilities) within the Faculty of Human Sciences at the University of Würzburg. She has been working at this position since 2017 and completed her PhD in 2024 with a dissertation on multi-perspective diagnostics of communicative competencies of students with complex communication needs and intellectual disabilities.

Her educational background includes:

• 2024: PhD (Dr. phil.) from University of Würzburg
• 2022: Certified Specialist in Supported Communication (UK-Fachkraft)
• 2017: First State Examination for Special Education Teaching
• 2017: Bachelor of Arts in Education and Upbringing with Special Educational Needs
• 2012-2017: Teacher training for special education with focus on elementary school didactics (Math, German, Art)

Dr. Baumann's research focuses on communication competencies of students with intellectual disabilities, multi-perspective diagnostics, and institutional transitions in supported communication. Her work emphasizes understanding communication from multiple perspectives to better support students with complex communication needs. She investigates how educational environments function as cultural spaces for students with intellectual disabilities, examining both communication competencies and gross motor skills development within these contexts.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on supported communication for individuals with intellectual disabilities, with particular attention to multi-perspective approaches in diagnostics and assessment. Her research spans theoretical frameworks of communication biographies while also providing practical insights into educational settings. The SFGE II study represents a major collaborative effort examining students with intellectual disabilities across multiple institutions.

Dr. Baumann is actively involved in two major research projects:

• SFGE II (Schülerschaft mit dem Förderschwerpunkt geistige Entwicklung II) - a collaborative project with universities in Regensburg and Koblenz-Landau
• Institutionelle Übergänge in der Unterstützten Kommunikation (Institutional Transitions in Supported Communication)

She regularly presents her research at national conferences including those organized by the Gesellschaft für Unterstützte Kommunikation (Society for Supported Communication) and participates in academic symposia focused on special education for individuals with intellectual disabilities.