Dr. Allison Phillips received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from USC, her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Tufts University, and her Doctor of Occupational Therapy from USC. Within the Chan division, she works primarily in the Innovations in Neurodevelopmental Sensory Processing Research (insp!re) laboratory. As the lab’s Clinical Assessment Training Coordinator, she trains doctoral and master’s level students and administers early autism screening tools and assessments. Her research interests include early risk signs for autism and early autism screening with high-risk infants and understudied populations abroad. In addition to her role in the insp!re lab, she assists the academic fieldwork team with out of area and out of state level II fieldwork outreach.
Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
2019 | University of Southern California
Master of Science (MS)
in Occupational Therapy
2018 | Tufts University
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
in Psychology
2014 | University of Southern California
Phillips, A. Q., Campi, E., Talbott, M. R., & Baranek, G. T. (2023). Assessment fidelity of parents implementing a standardized telehealth infant autism screener. OTJR: Occupational Therapy Journal of Research, 43(3), 360-367. https://doi.org/10.1177/15394492231164943 Show abstract
Telehealth is effective for service delivery in pediatric occupational therapy across ages and diagnoses. Remote parent coaching provides unique benefits for both parents and infants. As a result of COVID-19, practitioners and researchers pivoted to remote assessment and intervention without much preparation or training. It is critical that we evaluate the quality of these telehealth services. One important component of remote evaluations is assessment fidelity. To examine assessment fidelity of a telehealth-delivered observational autism screening tool for infants. An assessment fidelity checklist was applied as the primary outcome measure. Parents conducted assessments with 82% adherence to the fidelity checklist. Implications: A parent coaching telehealth approach may be valid for assessment in pediatric telehealth. Continually monitoring the assessment fidelity of a tool is critical for the valid administration of remote services.
Campi, E., Sideris, J., Wiles, A., Phillips, A., Carrasquero, V. V., Ausderau, K., & Baranek, G. (2023). Associations among clinical factors and occupational therapy service utilization in children with autism spectrum disorder. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 77(2), 7702205070. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2023.050129 Show abstract
Importance. Limited research has elucidated factors predicting occupational therapy–specific service utilization by children with autism. Such research is needed to inform reasons for receipt of services.
Objective. To examine factors associated with occupational therapy service utilization by children with autism. We hypothesized that elevated sensory hyperresponsiveness; greater sensory interests, repetitions, and seeking; and lower adaptive behavior would predict more service utilization.
Design. Analysis of extant data from a prospective, longitudinal survey study about autism symptom severity, adaptive behavior, sensory features, and demographic and service utilization information of children with autism ages 3 to 13 yr.
Setting. Online parent survey regarding child behaviors during daily activities and contexts.
Participants. 892 parents of children with autism from 50 U.S. states.
Outcomes and Measures. We used scores on the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale–Second Edition, the Social Responsiveness Scale, and the Sensory Experiences Questionnaire Version 3.0 and responses to a demographic questionnaire. We formulated hypotheses after data collection but before analysis.
Results. Predictors of higher occupational therapy service utilization were lower enhanced perception; lower adaptive behavior; elevated sensory interests, repetitions, and seeking behaviors; younger child age; and higher household income.
Conclusion and Relevance. Results partially support our hypotheses. Sensory interests, repetitions, and seeking behavior predicted occupational therapy service utilization, whereas other sensory response patterns did not, suggesting a possible referral bias for certain sensory response patterns. Occupational therapy practitioners can educate parents and teachers about the scope of practice, which includes addressing sensory features beyond sensory interests, repetitions, and seeking behaviors.
Keywords. autistic disorder, child, adaptive behavior
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