My name is Lauren Lynch, and I am a senior honors student in the College of Education and Health Professions.  I am graduating in the spring of 2021 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a minor in Human Development.  The title of my project was Understanding Current Counseling Practices in Auditory Skill Development for Caregivers of Children with Down Syndrome.

My research focused on caregivers who have children that are diagnosed with Down syndrome.  The purpose of this study was to understand what counseling caregivers of children with Down syndrome are receiving about auditory skill development and from whom such counseling is coming. This information is important given the prevalence of hearing loss in individuals with Down syndrome and the importance of auditory development in communication and language development.  Learning, specifically language, happens largely through our sense of hearing. It is the foundation of spoken language, so parents should be involved in understanding and learning about their child’s auditory skill development.

I carried out my research with help from my faculty mentor, Dr. Glade, and committee member, Dr. Holyfield.  The process of choosing my faculty mentor and research topic was a lot simpler than I expected.  Going into Honors, I had no idea how to create a research project, and the thought of having to write a thesis was intimidating.  Fortunately, I had an Intro to Research course my second semester of sophomore year.  This was a steppingstone into learning what was expected of me.  In one of the classes, the CDIS faculty mentors came and spoke about their research topics.  Dr. Glade’s topics were most interesting, so I chose to reach out to her.  I pursued my specific topic to research because I have a family member who has Down syndrome.  My relationship with her gave me a connection to what I was going to research for the next two years.

My research partner, Emily Brewer, was another huge help in making my research project successful.  With help from our mentor, we created a survey that was distributed out to caregivers nationwide.  Because Emily and I’s research projects were similar, we were able to collaborate and help each other throughout the entire process.  It was nice being able to walk through something so new together.  She was a great accountability partner.

This process brought to my attention the importance of caregiver knowledge on auditory skill development.  Little research was found on the topic which showed me how necessary it was for this information to be brought to the attention of caregivers and clinicians.

My research project helped me recognize my strong time management skills.  I have never been one to procrastinate, so this benefited me.  On the other hand, I have always been someone who likes tasks done quickly with no drawn-out processes.  I had to adjust and learn to work on my project in little sections throughout the two-year process.

I am proudly able to say that I have successfully completed and defended my honors thesis research project.  My proposals were accepted to present at the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention and the Arkansas Speech and Hearing Association (ArkSHA).  Unfortunately, the ASHA Convention was cancelled.  The ArkSHA Convention was moved to virtual, so I was able to present my research project.  Overall, I am very happy with my project and hope the findings will impact curriculum development intervention plans and policy makers with respect to working with children with Down syndrome and their families.  I will take my knew knowledge gained from my research experience with me to graduate school.