Education
- Doctor of Philosophy, York University (in progress)
- Master of Arts, York University
- Honours Bachelor of Science, University of Toronto
Research Interests
I am interested in understanding the factors that promote positive well-being outcomes for people with developmental disabilities. My Master’s thesis employed a positive psychology lens to investigate the links between COVID-19-related stressors, community assets, thriving, and mental health problems among youth and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. For my dissertation, I plan to provide an overview of the available literature on aspects of flourishing among autistic youth and highlight gaps within it, as well as adapt and validate a measure of flourishing based on input from autistic youth.
Sellitto, T., Fraser-Thomas, J., Bassett-Gunter, R.L., Lee, V., Lunsky, Y., Balogh, R., & Weiss, J.A. (2024) The Role of Thriving in Mental Health Among People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Canada. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 37(1), e13177. http://doi.org/10.1111/jar.13177
Black, K.R., Lai, M., Desrocher, M.E., Lee, V., Sellitto, T., Vashi, N., Weiss, J.A. (2023). A Coping Measure for Autistic Children: Exploratory Item Factor Analysis of the Emotion Regulation and Social Skills Questionnaire. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2023.102167
Albaum, C. S., Sellitto, T., Vashi, N., Bohr, Y., & Weiss J. A. (2023). Treatment engagement as a predictor of therapy outcome following cognitive behaviour therapy for autistic children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-023-06083-7
Albaum, C., Chan, V., Sellitto, T., Vashi, N., Hastings, R. P., & Weiss, J. A. (2021). Redressing the balance: A systematic review of positive psychology in the intellectual disability literature. International Review of Research in Developmental Disabilities. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.irrdd.2021.08.003
Sellitto T., Fraser-Thomas, J., Bassett-Gunter, R., Lee, V., Lunsky, Y., Balogh, R., Weiss, J. A. (2024, August). Predictors of thriving among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic part of symposium titled Individual, family, provider, and service system contributors to well-being for individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions [Oral Presentation]. World Congress of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IASSIDD), Chicago, United States
Roudbarani, F., Sellitto, T., Fraser-Thomas, J., Bassett-Gunter, R., Lee, V., Lunsky, Y., Balogh, R., Weiss, J. A. (2024, August). Exploring the Properties of a Positive Youth Development Scale for Young Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities [Poster Presentation]. World Congress of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IASSIDD), Chicago, United States
Sellitto, T., Fraser-Thomas, J., Bassett-Gunter, R., Lee, V., Lunsky, Y., Balogh, R., Weiss, J. A. (2023, September). Involvement in Adapted Recreational Sport During the Pandemic is Related to Athlete Well-Being [Oral Presentation]. European Association for Mental Health in Intellectual Disability 2023 Congress, Helsinki, Finland.
Sellitto, T., Fraser-Thomas, J., Bassett-Gunter, R., Lee, V., Lunsky, Y., Baogh, R., & Weiss, J.A. (2023, May). Well-being among autistic and non-autistic people with intellectual disability during the COVID-19 pandemic [Poster Presentation]. International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) 2023 Annual Meeting, Stockholm, Sweden.
Ibrahim, A., Lee.V., Vashi, N., Sellitto, T., Roudbarani, F., Tablon Modica, P., Pouyandeh, A., Ameis, S., Elkader, A., Gray, K., Kerns, C. M., Lake, J., Legree, M., Thomson, K., & Weiss, J. A. (2023, April). Parent Outcomes Following Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Autistic Children in a Community Setting. [Poster Presentation]. International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) 2023 Annual Meeting, Stockholm, Sweden.
Lee.V., Vashi, N., Sellitto, T., Roudbarani, F., Tablon Modica, P., Pouyandeh, A., Ibrahim, A., Ameis, S.H., Elkader, A., Gray, K.M., Kerns, C.M., Lai, M-C., Lake, J., Legree, M., Thomson, K., & Weiss, J. A. (2022, August). Benefits of an Online Small Group Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Program for Autistic Children During the Pandemic: Evidence from A Community-Based Implementation Study [Poster Presentation]. International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) 2023 Annual Meeting, Stockholm, Sweden.
Sellitto, T., Fraser-Thomas, J., Bassett-Gunter, R., Lee, V., Lunsky, Y., Baogh, R., & Weiss, J.A. (2023, April). The role of thriving in well-being among youth and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic [Poster Presentation]. The 2023 Gatlinburg Conference on Research and Theory in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Kansas, Missouri, United States.
Mills, A., Sellitto, T., Bishop, L., Gorter, J.W., & Weiss, J. A. (2023, April). Thriving with intellectual disability: A photo elicitation study [Oral Presentation]. The 2023 Gatlinburg Conference on Research and Theory in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Kansas, Missouri, United States.
Lee, V., Vashi, N., Sellitto, T., Roudbarani, F. H., Pouyandeh, A., Ameis, S., Elkader, A., Gray, K., Kerns, C., Lake, J., Legree, M., Thomson, K., & Weiss, J. A. (2022, August). Evaluation of the Community-Based Implementation of the Secret Agent Society: Small Group Program for Autistic Children [Oral Presentation]. Invited Talk at the Kids Brain Health Network Annual Leadership Meeting 2022, Vancouver, Canada.
Lee, V., Vashi, N., Sellitto, T., Roudbarani, F. H., Pouyandeh, A., Ameis, S., Elkader, A., Gray, K., Kerns, C., Lake, J., Legree, M., Thomson, K., & Weiss, J. A. (2022, August). Evaluation of the Community-Based Implementation of the Secret Agent Society: Small Group Program for Autistic Children During the Pandemic [Poster Presentation]. International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease and Kids Brain Health Network World Congress 2022, Vancouver, Canada.
Vashi, N.,Lee, V., Sellitto, T., Roudbarani, F. H., Pouyandeh, A., Ameis, S., Elkader, A., Gray, K., Kerns, C., Lake, J., Legree, M., Thomson, K., & Weiss, J. A. (2022, August). Associations between parent and child characteristics and acceptability of a community-based cognitive behaviour therapy program for autistic children [Poster presentation]. Developmental Origins of Health and Disease World Congress 2022, Vancouver, Canada.
Sellitto, T., Lee, V., Vashi, N., Roudbarani, F., Pouyandeh, A., & Weiss, J. A. (2022, May). Thriving in autistic children seeking socioemotional supports in a virtual group-based cognitive behavioural therapy program [Poster Presentation]. International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Hybrid Conference, Austin, Texas, United States.
Vashi, N.,Lee, V., Sellitto, T., Roudbarani, F., Pouyandeh, A., Ameis, S., Elkader, A., Gray, K., Kerns, C., Lake, J., Legree, M., Thomson, K., & Weiss, J.A. (2022, May). Exploring the acceptability of a community-based cognitive behaviour therapy program for autistic children: A mixed-methods approach [Poster Presentation]. International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Annual Meeting, Austin, Texas, United States.
Lee, V., Vashi, N., Sellitto, T., Roudbarani, F., Pouyandeh, A., Weiss, J. A. (2021, May). Evaluation of the Secret Agent Society Small Group Program for Autistic Children [Oral Presentation]. Child Health Symposium, Western University, London, Canada.
Sellitto, T., Weiss, J. A., & Bassett-Gunter, R. L. (2021, July). What aspects of sport participation are related to thriving in youth with intellectual disability? [Poster Presentation]. The 6th International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities (IASSIDD) Europe Hybrid Congress 2021, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Sellitto, T., & Weiss, J. A. (2021, May). A positive youth development framework to understand positive mental health in autistic youth [Poster Presentation]. The 2021 International Society for Autism Research Hybrid Conference, Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
Vashi, N., Lee, V., Sellitto, T., Roudbarani, F., Pouyandeh, A., & Weiss, J.A. (2021, April). Therapist attitudes towards the implementation of a manualized socioemotional intervention for autistic children in community-based agencies [Poster Presentation]. The 2021 Gatlinburg Virtual Conference on Research and Theory in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Philipp, D., Sellitto, T., Hayos, C., Zarb, T., Yabsley, S., & Cohen., N. (2020, June) Reflective Family Play 2.0: Adaptations for Separated Coparents, Single Parenting and Preliminary Within Case Outcomes. Part of paper symposium entitled Reflective Family Play: Experiences in Working with Whole Families Across a Variety of Contexts submitted for presentation at the World Association for Infant Mental Health, Brisbane, Australia. (Conference cancelled).
Sellitto, T., Jambon, M., & Malti, T. (2019, August). The Roles of Power Assertion and Emotional Control in Children’s Sympathy Development. Poster presented at the University of Toronto Mississauga Summer Research Celebration, Mississauga, Canada.
Sellitto, T., & Farb, N. (2019, May). The Effects of Sleep Quality, Mindfulness, and Self-Care Preference on Undergraduate Well-Being. Poster presented at the Ontario Psychology Undergraduate Thesis Conference, Waterloo, Canada.
Funding
- 2022-2026 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Doctoral Fellowship
- 2022-2023 LaMarsh Graduate Student Leadership Award
- 2022-2023 Ontario Graduate Scholarship (Declined)
- 2021-2022 LaMarsh Graduate Student Research Award
- 2020-2021 LaMarsh Graduate Student Research Award
- 2020-2021 Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canadian Graduate Scholarship – Master’s Award, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
- 2020-2021 Ontario Graduate Scholarship (Declined)
Contact
Email: tsellitt@yorku.ca
Twitter: @TeresaSellitto_