Misty Parsley
Grad Ed - Special Education
Director, Master of Education/Special Education
Biography
Dr. Parsley has a bachelor and a master degrees in Speech Language Pathology and a doctorate degree in Special Education Administration. She has dedicated her career to students with disabilities, previously serving as an autism consultant and special education coordinator in public schools. She also worked for 4 years in the Vanderbilt TRIAD program providing state-wide consultation to schools and providing support to families and students with autism through social skills programs and home consultations. She has presented both locally and nationally on autism and postsecondary topics. Misty is an associate professor and the Director of Special Education Programs at Lipscomb University where she teaches in the graduate and undergraduate special education programs. Misty’s passion is including people with disabilities in all aspects of the community and ensuring that they have the same opportunities to participate as do all other individuals. She started the IDEAL program, Igniting the Dream of Education and Access at Lipscomb, in January 2014 for students with disabilities who would not otherwise be able to attend college. The students are able to participate in the social and academic aspects of college while learning employment and daily living skills necessary to function independently. She was the Principal Investigator of the TPSID grant through the US Department of Education from 2015-2020. Misty has served on numerous nonprofit boards including Autism TN, Disability Rights TN, Genesis School, and the Southeastern Postsecondary Education Alliance.
Academic Department
College of Education
IDEAL Staff
- Special Education Law
- Methods of Complex Disabilities
- Inclusive Postsecondary Education
- Social skills
- Autism
- Communication
Carter, E. W., Gustafson, J. R., Mackay, M. M., Martin, K., Parlsey, M., Graves, J., Day, T., McCabe, L., Lazarz, H., McMillan, E., Beeson, T., Schiro-Geist, C., Williams, M., & Cayton, J. (2019). Motivations and expectations of peer mentors within inclusive higher education programs for students with intellectual disability. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals.
Alumnus of the Year, 2018, Ezell-Harding Christian School
- Kelley, K., Mattis, J., & Parsley, M. (2019). How inclusive college programs do admissions. Boston, MA: University of Massachusetts Boston, Institute for Community Inclusion. Webinar.
- Parsley, M. & Hargis, K. (2019). Assessing risk and developing strategies for inclusive PSE programs. Boston, MA: University of Massachusetts Boston, Institute for Community Inclusion. Webinar.
- Building Advocacy and State Partnerships, Southeastern Postsecondary Education Alliance, Charleston, SC, May 2019
- Invited Presenter, Assistive Technology, Autism 101Tennessee Administrative Law Judges Annual Training, December 2019 and 2018 Nashville, TN
- Invited Presenter, Legal Issues related to Assistive Technology17th Annual National Academy for IDEA Administrative Law Judges and Impartial Mediators Seattle, WA, July 2018
- Invited Presenter, Using the COMPASS Model for Development of a Collaborative Plan for Treatment of Autism MSHA/MASP Joint Fall Conference, Helena, Montana, October 2016
- Invited Presenter Wisconsin Transition Academy, The Dells, Wisconsin, October 2015
- Preparing Students (and Parents) for College! Tennessee Partners in Education Conference Nashville, TN, January 2015
- Creating Engaging and Effective Lessons to Build Employment-related Skills State of the Art Conference on Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities Fairfax, VA, November 2014
- Self-Regulation Skills in Autism Tennessee Council of Exceptional Children Conference Nashville, TN, October 2013
