Virpi Vellonen

Virpi Vellonen is a Lecturer at the University of Eastern Finland, affiliated with the Special Education department under the School of Educational Sciences and Psychology. Her work focuses on leveraging educational technology to support children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), emphasizing inclusive pedagogy and student well-being. She has led projects like Student Teacher Well-Being: Deepening Understanding and Building Support (STeWDUBS), which explored stress and resilience in teacher training.

• Research Interests: Designing technology-enhanced learning environments for ASD students, strength-based educational models, and DIY (do-it-yourself) educational tools.
• Key Contributions: Validating inclusion measures in Finnish higher education, analyzing narrative research in teacher well-being, and pioneering participatory design with ASD children and families.

Email: virpi.vellonen@uef.fi