Fun Facts

If you were anything other than a professor, what would you be and why?

I would be a wedding planner and a doula (birthing coach). I love weddings and babies! I could plan your wedding and then help you bring precious babies into the world. These are two of the most life-changing moments someone can have, and I would love to be apart of these special moments. Just thinking about the "I do's" and the placing of a newborn baby in mommy's arms for the first time puts a smile on my face!

What is your go-to book?

Okay ... I know I have a Ph.D. and should be listing something highly academic, but here's my answer – Harry Potter!  I am an avid fan! I was at the midnight book releases, and I have read the series more times than I can count. I am desperate for my kids to be old enough to read them.

Why did you enter the teaching profession?

I chose this profession because I truly enjoy interacting with students. I want to help inside and outside the classroom. I love watching students mature throughout their time at Ouachita, discover their passion and find success after graduation. I am energized in a classroom environment. My favorite classes are the ones with minimal lecture and maximum discussion. I learn so much from my students, and I am continually challenged to grow in my field. I find my job most rewarding, and I feel tremendously blessed to teach Ouachita students.

Areas of Expertise

Research Interests

Intellectual and developmental disabilities such as autism spectrum disorders and Down syndrome; parent-child interactions; cognitive development including theory of mind, emotion recognition and fantasy orientation.

Featured Courses Taught:

• Statistics
• Abnormal Psychology
• Cognition
• Human Development
• Intellectual Disability
• Parenting
• Forensic Psychology
• Health Psychology

Featured Publications

• Phillips, B.A., Butler, S.L., & Swafford, L. (2019). College Students’ Social Perceptions Toward Individuals with Intellectual Disability. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 30, 3-10.
  
  
• Phillips, B.A., Conners, F.A., & Curtner-Smith, M.E. (2017). Parenting Children with Down Syndrome: An Analysis of Parenting Styles, Parenting Dimensions, and Parental Stress.  Research in Developmental Disabilities, 68, 9-19.
  
  
• Loveall, S.J., Moore Channell, M., Phillips, B.A., Abbeduto, L., & Conners, F.A. (2016). Receptive Vocabulary Analysis in Down Syndrome. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 55, 161-172.
  
  
• Moore Channell, M., Phillips, B.A., Loveall, S.J., Conners, F.A., Klinger, L.G., & Bussanich, P. (2015). Patterns of Autism Symptomatology in Individuals with Down Syndrome without Comorbid Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 7(5).
  
  
• Phillips, B.A., Conners, F.A., Merrill, E., Klinger, M.R. (2014). Rule-based Category Learning in Down Syndrome. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 119(3), 220 – 234.
  
  
• Phillips, B.A., Loveall, S.J., Moore Channell, M., & Conners, F.A. (2014). Matching Variables for Research Involving Youth with Down Syndrome: Leiter-R versus PPVT-4. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 35(2), 429-438.

Featured Presentations

• Swafford, L., & Phillips, B.A. (2019, October). Emotion Facial Recognition Training in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.  Cognitive Developmental Society Conference, Louisville, KY.
  
  
• Beall, K., & Phillips, B.A. (2018, May). Predictors of Independence for Adults with Intellectual Disability. Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention, San Francisco, California.
  
  
• Phillips, B.A., Conners, F.A., & Curtner-Smith, M.E. (2016, March). Measuring the Expectations and Fears Parents Have for Their Children with Down Syndrome.  Gatlinburg Conference on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, San Diego, California.
  
  
• Brown, M.M., & Phillips, B.A. (2015, October). The Role of Parenting Styles and Dimensions in Children’s Fantasy Orientation.  Cognitive Developmental Science Conference, Columbus, Ohio.

Involvement

• Chair of the Psychology Department
• Director of Ouachita's Autism Support Initiative