Kyleigh Hricak

ABOUT THE RESEARCHER:

1.     Who are you doing research with this summer and what kind of research project are you doing?

This summer, I am doing my research with Dr. Ashley de Marchena.  Our research project is a qualitative interview conducted with parents or caregivers of adults on the autism spectrum. Our goal is to understand the experiences of these parents and families during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home period. The parents are asked a series of questions that share with us what their experience has been like since March, and how these sudden changes have impacted their lives.

2.     What do you find fascinating in the research you’re doing?

I have found it intriguing to speak to the parents and learn more about their unique experiences with the pandemic. While this time has been incredibly challenging for all of us, it is eye-opening to hear about family’s with children with a disability and how they have been navigating these difficult times, as well as how they have been coping with the changes to their daily routines and access to important resources. Our research gives parents a platform to educate others about the experiences of an adult with a disability and provide an alternative perspective about the challenges we are facing in our world today, and I think it is incredibly important and meangingful for information like this to be accessible for everybody to understand the experiences of these families as well. 

3.     What skills are you learning through the USURF experience?

My USURF experience has allowed me to navigate a new area of research that I have never been exposed to. Conducting interviews with parents is a different side of the typical quantitative research that we do in the InterAction lab with children, so these interviews have taught me valuable communication and listening skills. Given the nature of the topic, I have also learned a lot more about empathy and how you can communicate that with others, which is an incredibly helpful human skill! I have learned a lot about the mechanics of starting a research project, beginning with submitting a proposal and waiting for approval. I feel as though I have a better understanding of what researchers in the autism community do and I am constantly learning about the unique experiences that families have caring for their loved ones on the spectrum.  

4.     What are the challenges you’re encountering in your research?

One of the challenges that comes with human subject research is — finding human subjects! While we can have a lot of initial interest, scheduling parents to complete a 30-60 minute phone interview can be incredibly demanding on their already hectic schedules. This is one of the hardest things about human subject research that I don’t think people understand!

5.     How is your USURF experience impacting the way you view your field?

The USURF experience has allowed me to connect with new members of the autism community and learn more about their unique lives and experiences. Learning about these families and their children with autism helps me to gain perspective about autism in the “real world” and how different each experience truly is for everybody. It has been eye-opening to gain perspective into the lives of these families during the pandemic specifically and to learn about the resources that they wish were available to them. Overall, it gives me a better understanding of how I should approach being a passionate individual in this field and how important the perspectives of the families and individuals with autism are in how we approach doing work for the autism community.

6.     Tell us something interesting about yourself.

I have a (20 years old) twin brother on the autism spectrum, which makes this research very important to me personally! I have really enjoyed hearing the perspective of others and it has been eye opening to see first-hand how unique every individual with autism is.

7. How has the COVID pandemic impacting you and how are you coping with it ?

The pandemic has been undeniably difficult for everybody as we begin navigating our new normal. I have been trying my best to maintain a routine in my life and to still find time for the things in life that are important to me. While I wish that the plans I had originally laid out for this summer were not disrupted, I am incredibly grateful that these changes have allowed me to work on such an important and meaningful research project.

I have been coping by buying cats!