Speech pathology professor receives grant to fund research on improving abilities of young adults with Down syndrome
Victoria Valet
Issue date: 11/10/09 Section: News
The purpose of Congress' National Science Foundation is "to promote the progress of science, to advance national health, prosperity and welfare, to secure the national defense…," Kumin said. To achieve this goal, approximately 10,000 endowments are given annually; fortunately, Dr. Kumin was one of the chosen, as she admits that "[the] research would not be possible without the grant, to provide funding for the extensive time commitment of the researchers and the participants."
The project, which began on Sept. 15, 2009, is scheduled to run until August 31, 2011, and once again will involve not only Kumin's expertise, but the insights of Lazar and Feng as well, as they collaboratively research and develop surveys in the hopes of "… [learning] more about computer usage in young people with Down syndrome from ages 5 to 21...."
The research project has already been efficiently organized and mapped out with each year of the study having its very own agenda. "In year one, [they] will be studying young adults with Down syndrome who are expert computer users…, [exploring] many different areas of computer usage. In year two, the researching will focus… [on] applications that are typically implemented in the workplace and in daily life."
In the past, researchers have failed to specifically study people with Down syndrome in relation to how they interact with computers. According to Kumin, this is a travesty, as she believes that "[people] with Down syndrome have unique strengths and challenges…," with her additionally stating that "[this] work… could create gateways to employment for people with Down syndrome…."
"Since [people with Down syndrome] are strong visual learners, computer skills could be an asset for jobs, social networking, and activities of daily living." Therefore, Kumin, whose research has the potential to make a great impact on the Down syndrome community, could "… improve the quality of life for children and adults with Down syndrome."
The project, which began on Sept. 15, 2009, is scheduled to run until August 31, 2011, and once again will involve not only Kumin's expertise, but the insights of Lazar and Feng as well, as they collaboratively research and develop surveys in the hopes of "… [learning] more about computer usage in young people with Down syndrome from ages 5 to 21...."
The research project has already been efficiently organized and mapped out with each year of the study having its very own agenda. "In year one, [they] will be studying young adults with Down syndrome who are expert computer users…, [exploring] many different areas of computer usage. In year two, the researching will focus… [on] applications that are typically implemented in the workplace and in daily life."
In the past, researchers have failed to specifically study people with Down syndrome in relation to how they interact with computers. According to Kumin, this is a travesty, as she believes that "[people] with Down syndrome have unique strengths and challenges…," with her additionally stating that "[this] work… could create gateways to employment for people with Down syndrome…."
"Since [people with Down syndrome] are strong visual learners, computer skills could be an asset for jobs, social networking, and activities of daily living." Therefore, Kumin, whose research has the potential to make a great impact on the Down syndrome community, could "… improve the quality of life for children and adults with Down syndrome."
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