Kaylin Russell is a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology working with Dr. Ty Vernon. She earned a B.A. in Psychology from Michigan State University in 2018. Her research interests include teleheath adaptions of parent-mediated interventions for children with ASD, along with parent perspectives on implementing Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs). She is also interested in peer relationships and the role of anxiety in group social skills interventions for children with ASD.
GGSE: What do you do in your free time?
Russell: Every evening I like to take my dog on a sunset walk. We like to walk on the beach and will occasionally catch a sunset at Lizard’s Mouth rock. In my free time on the weekends, I love to hike with my friends. My favorite hike in Santa Barbara has been Montecito Peak! I also love attending CorePower Yoga classes every morning.
GGSE: What drew you to studying interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Russell: I have always wanted to work with children with disabilities and got involved in the Michigan State University Autism Research Lab during my undergraduate studies. I really enjoyed working directly with the families and instantly fell in love with intervention research. I specifically am interested in parent-mediated interventions for young children with ASD and social skills groups for autistic teens.
GGSE: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Russell: In 10 years, I see myself working as a faculty member at a university, conducting autism intervention research with my own research lab full of graduate and undergraduate students.
GGSE: If you could live anywhere, where and why?
Russell: To be honest, Santa Barbara is the place I would choose to live! I was raised in Michigan and moved from the cold to Santa Barbara this fall to start graduate school. The beaches, hiking, and sunsets in Santa Barbara are unmatched!