UNL Learning Lab

The Learning Lab is SO proud of our graduating seniors! And lucky us, they are all staying at UNL next year to begin working towards their masters in speech language pathology. During their time in the lab, these three students helped test hundreds of participants, gave 13 different research presentations, and worked on four different funded research projects. Read below to learn about some of their favorite lab memories!

Abby Lutjeharms: My favorite memory in the lab over these past three years has been the opportunity to travel across the country to present my research and test participants for the reading comprehension study! Some of my favorite destinations included California, Florida, Ohio, and Texas. I’m also very grateful for the friendships I’ve formed with my fellow lab members, which have made the experience even more meaningful!

Grace Fowler: One of my favorite parts of being in the lab has been getting to learn alongside such incredible people. I’ve loved collaborating and hearing from researchers, practitioners, my professors, and my fellow lab mates. Being able to be surrounded by so many different perspectives and ideas has made this experience feel truly special. I’m so grateful to have worked in the lab and met all these wonderful people!

Emma Smith: Some of my favorite lab memories have been the connections with the other students in lab and with other researchers and students from different universities we collaborate with! I've loved getting to expand my knowledge in conducting research and getting to present my findings at different conferences!

This week, lab members Grace Faltin and Grace Fowler, presented at the CYFS Early Childhood Research Summit on parenting a child with a disability, delay, or difference. We are so proud of our students!

April is Autism Acceptance Month! We are proud to celebrate neurodiversity. Check out this article by the Arc to learn more: https://thearc.org/blog/autism-acceptance-month-celebrate-differences/

This morning, senior lab members Abby Lutjeharms, Grace Fowler, and Emma Smith presented at UNL's Student Research Days. Abby presented on scoring practices for norm-referenced reading assessments with students with Down syndrome. Grace presented on the relations between caregiver self-advocacy and early intervention, child factors, and parental stress. Emma presented on the relations between executive function, language, autism, and congenital heart defects in individuals with Down syndrome. We are so proud of our students!

Happy World Down Syndrome Day. Our lab is excited to celebrate the individuals who make our world brighter every day! 🧦💛

This week Dr. Susan Loveall and collogues will be presenting at the Down Syndrome Research Forum. Dr. Susan Loveall will be presenting on Book Clubs for Individuals with Down Syndrome. Swipe through to see the presentations and click on the link to learn more! https://www.down-syndrome.org/en-us/research/forum/

Swipe through to see the upcoming events the Learning Lab will be attending. The Lincoln Buddy Walk is on 3/14 at Gateway Mall at 9 am. We will be handing out flyers and goodies! On 3/21 our lab will be attending the World Down Syndrome Day Celebration at City Impact from 5-7 pm. On 4/19 our lab will be at Morrill Hall on Sunday with a Scientist! Come stop by to learn from our researchers! We hope to see you there!

The learning lab had a great end of the semester meeting. We enjoyed baking cookies for a cookie exchange and making holiday cards to give back to the community. We can't wait for another semester!