Vision students focus on science

A special award in psychology was presented to two Paonia-area high school students, Katelan Sinski and Savannah Russell, at the 57th Colorado Science and Engineering Fair April 5-7.

The students from the North Fork Vision Home and Community Program studied the relationship between equestrian therapy and speech volume improvement for a child with Downs syndrome and displayed a project titled, "A Study of the Speech and Riding Connection." Results indicated a very clear upward trend in speech volume over four weeks of data collection. The students found that very little research has been done to document and measure the benefits of horseback riding, especially for people with impaired speech. The students hope to continue their project over the next school year, broadening their data set and using more controls in their study. Their hope is to raise awareness about the benefits of horseback riding for the benefit of other disabled students.

Details of their project were reported in a story in the Delta County Independent in February.

"A Study of the Speech and Riding Connection" also caught the attention of KJCT8 and was featured on the nightly news in March.

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