My consulting work has led me on a quest to learn more so that I could better help more families. I am currently completing a PhD program in developmental psychology at Simon Fraser University under co-supervisors Dr. Jeremy Carpendale and Dr. Grace Iarocci.
My research interests include:
- Understanding how autism research can be leveraged and communicated to improve autism policy
- Parenting, including exploring the potential benefits of raising an autistic child
- Critiques of autism research through the lens of feminist and critical disability studies theories
- Early social development of infants and young children (both autistic and typically developing)
- Philosophy of science, conceptualizations of the mind and its development, and conceptual analysis of developmental theory and research
Selected Publications and Presentations
Parnell, V. L. & Fabian, S. C. (in press). Preparing graduate student researchers: Navigating ethical research principles in the face of bureaucratic barriers and oversight. In J. M. Kilty, M. Felices-Luna, & S. C. Fabian (Eds.) Methodological Hindsight: Looking Back to Move Forward in Qualitative Research. University of British Columbia Press.
Carpendale, J. I. M., Parnell, V. L., & Wallbridge, B. (2021). Conceptualizations of knowledge in structuring approaches to moral development: A process-relational approach. Frontiers in Psychology, 12:756654. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.756654
Angeles, J., Parnell, V. L., Kil., H., & Iarocci, G. (2025, August). Attunement in parents of autistic children and youth: A systematic review. Poster presentation at the annual conference of the American Psychological Association (APA), Denver, 2025.
Bharadwaj, I., Parnell, V. L., Robinson, G., & Iarocci, G. (2025, April). “I See My Child in a New Light”: Mindful self-compassion for caregivers of autistic children. Poster presentation at the Annual Meeting of the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Seattle, 2025.
Parnell, V. L., Wallbridge, B. & Carpendale, J. I. M. (2024, June). “Watch me, Mom!” The development of infants’ skills in eliciting others’ attention. Symposium presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Jean Piaget Society, Toronto, 2024.
Parnell, V. L., Kettner, V. & Carpendale, J. I. M., (2021, June). How does parental scaffolding influence the development of pointing? Case studies of three dyads. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of The Jean Piaget Society, Virtual Conference, 2021.