Dr. Diana Tajik-Parvinchi

Sessional Assistant Professor of Psychology


Phone: (905) 648-2139   Ext:

Email: dtajik-parvinchi@redeemer.ca

Office: 128F

Programs: Psychology

Education

Ph.D. (2012), Brain, Behaviour, and the Cognitive Sciences, York University

M.A. (2000), Psychology, York University

B.A., Hons. (1996), Psychology, York University

Courses

  • Abnormal Psychology (PSY-321)
  • The Psychology of Health and Well-Being (PSY-327)
  • Social Psychology (PSY-255)
  • Developmental Psychology: Infant and Child (PSY-223)
  • Cognitive Psychology (PSY-332)

About

Diana Parvinchi joined Redeemer as a Sessional Assistant Professor of Psychology in 2023. She completed her PhD at York University examining eye movement patterns in children with Tourette Syndrome and its comorbid conditions of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. 

Following her graduate work, she joined a group of researchers and clinician at SickKids Hospital. She took lead on a private/public-initiated project between a commercial partner, the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI), and SickKids Hospital. The major aim of her research at SickKids was to apply cognitive training methods to develop a software-based intervention program for children with ADHD. Following this work at SickKids, she was awarded the Lawson fellowship at McMaster University, where she began work in functional imaging and focused on research concerning the relationship between brain structures, function, and cognition in children with disabilities such as those with autism and cerebral palsy. From 2017-2019, she worked at York University and her primary endeavor focused on the delivery and supervision of a large CIHR funded randomized clinical trial on a Cognitive Behaviour Therapy based emotion regulation intervention. Following the successful completion of this project, she continued her research at McMaster University at CanChild examining the validity of a tool aimed at classifying social communication in children and youth with autism (the Autism Classification System of Functioning: Social Communication; ACSF:SC). Her most recent work has been on resiliency in children and youth with disabilities at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.

Research Interests

Her research interests are focused on understanding the cognitive, neural, and emotional mechanism of behavior and applying this knowledge to inform practice and intervention research.

Recent Publications

Tajik-Parvinchi, D., Kingsnorth, S., King, G (2023). Benefits of Residential Immersive Life Skills Programs: A prospective study of autonomy and self-efficacy gains and sex differences in youth with disability. Disability and Rehabilitation.

King, G., Kingsnorth, S., McPherson, A. C., Tajik-Parvinchi, D., (2023). Autonomy, Self-realization, and Psychological Empowerment: A Prospective Mixed Methods Study of the Effects of Residential Immersive Life Skills Programs for Youth with Physical Disabilities. Disability and Rehabilitation.

Di Rezze, B., Gentles, S. J., Hidecker, M. J., Zwaigenbaum, L., Rosenbaum, P., Duku, E., Georgiades, S., Roncadin, C., Fang, H., Tajik-Parvinchi, D., & Viveiros, H. (2022). Adaptation and reliability of the Autism Classification System of Functioning for social communication: from toddlerhood to adolescent-aged children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05608-w

Tajik-Parvinchi, D., Rosenbaum, P., Hidecker, M., Duku, E., Zwaigenbaum, L., Roncadin, C., Georgiades, S.,  Gentles, S., Fang, H., Di Rezze, B. (2021). Construct Validity of the Autism Classification System of Functioning: Social Communication (ACSF:SC) Across Childhood and Adolescence. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05608-w

Tajik‐Parvinchi, D., Farmus, L., Tablon Modica, P., Cribbie, R. A., & Weiss, J. A. (2021). The Role of Cognitive Control and Emotion Regulation in Predicting Mental Health Problems in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Child: Care, Health and Development.

Tajik-Parvinchi, D., Hidecker, M.J.C., Selvakumaran, S., Lloyd, F., Batth, S., Fang, H., Ross, B, Curtis, A., Stone, A. C.,Reed, R., Kunitz, C., Ostlund, A., Snyder, H., McMillan, L., Adams, H., Verosky, V., Di Rezze, B. (2021). Operationalizing Social Communication in Autism Research: A scoping review over 20 years. Current Developmental Disorders Reports

Tajik-Parvinchi, DJ., Davis, AD, Roth, S., Hall, GB., Rosenbaum, P., Hopmans, SN., & Gorter, JW. (2020). Functional Connectivity and Quality of Life in Young Adults with Cerebral Palsy: A Feasibility Study. BMC Neurology, 20:388

 Tajik-Parvinchi, DJ., Farmus, L., Cribbie, R.,  Albaum, C., Weiss, J. A. (2020). Clinical and Parental Predictors of Emotion Regulation Following Cognitive Behaviour Therapy in Children with Autism. Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, 24(4): 851-866.

Tajik-Parvinchi, DJ., Davis, AD, Roth, S., Hall, GB., Rosenbaum, P., Hopmans, SN., & Gorter, JW. (2020). Functional Connectivity and Quality of Life in Young Adults with Cerebral Palsy: A Feasibility Study. BMC Neurology, 20:388 

Farmus, L., Weiss, J., Tajik-Parvinchi, D., & Cribbie, R. A. (2020). Contextualizing Statistical Suppression Within Pretest-Posttest Designs. The Quantitative Methods for Psychology, 16 (1): 21-32.

Weiss, J. A., Tajik-Parvinchi, D., Maughan, A. L., & Lake, J. (2018). Family Wellness in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: a Balanced Approach. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 1-8.

Weiss, J. A., Tajik-Parvinchi, D., Maughan, A. L., & Lake, J. (2018). Family Wellness in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: a Balanced Approach. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 1-8. 

Tajik-Parvinchi, D., Wright, L. & Schachar R.J. (2014). Cognitive Rehabilitation for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Promises and problems. Journal of Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescence Psychiatry, 23:3. 

Tajik-Parvinchi, D. & Sandor, P. (2013). Manipulations of fixation off-set and its effect on saccadic ability of healthy children and children with Tourette Syndrome. Frontiers in Neuroscience. 7:768. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00768. 

Tajik-Parvinchi, D.J. & Sandor, P. (2012). Unique Saccadic Abilities Associated with Tourette Syndrome. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders. 1(4): 283-293 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2012.07.004. 

Tajik-Parvinchi, DJ. & Sandor, P. (2011). Smooth Pursuit and Fixation Ability in Children with Tourette syndrome. Cognitive Behavioral Neurology, 24(4):174-86. 

Irving, EL., Tajik-Parvinchi, DJ., Lillakas, L., Gonzalez, EG. & Steinbach, M.J. (2009). Mixed Pro and Antisaccade. Performance in Children and Adults. Brain Research, 1255: 67-74. 

Tajik-Parvinchi, D. J., Lillakas, L., Irving, E. & Steinbach, M. J. (2002) Children’s Pursuit Eye Movements: A. developmental study. Vision Research, 43(1): 77 – 84. 

Goel, V., Grafman, J., Tajik, D., Gana, S. & Danto, D. (1997). A Study of the Performance of Patients with Frontal. Lobe Lesions in a Financial Planning Task. Brain, 120:1805-1822. 

Awards and Certifications

  • Clinical Level Training for Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd Edition, ASERT, 2017
  • The Lawson Fellowship research fund ($85,000), 2014
  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Visiting Fellowship ($47,000), 2011
  • CIHR Doctoral Grant ($40,000), 2001
  • Completion for Cognitive Behavior Therapy level 1
  • Completion of Clinical-Level training course for Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd Edition (ADOS-2) Toddler Module