About Randi A. Phelps, PhD

Dr. Randi Phelps is a psychologist specializing in autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

From an early age, Dr. Phelps noticed that people with neurodevelopmental differences are not often listened to or well understood. She now advocates for and provides care to patients and families impacted by neurodevelopmental disorders with the goal of helping them achieve their best lives.

When deciding where to practice, Dr. Phelps chose Phoenix Children's because it remains at the forefront of child healthcare. She's inspired by the innovative nature of the interdisciplinary teams and their desire to work together to provide families with the best possible care.

After acquiring her bachelor's in psychology from Montana State University, Dr. Phelps went on to earn her master's and PhD from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She completed an internship and fellowship in pediatric psychology at Oregon Health and Science University.

Dr. Phelps has conducted research in various areas of mental health, including anxiety and autism spectrum disorder. She has published many of her findings, including an article about virtual diagnosis of ASD. She also presented at a 2021 ECHO Autism meeting on the topic of Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA).

Personal and professional experiences have shown Dr. Phelps that teamwork and collaboration between researchers, providers and families is essential to personal, professional and scientific growth. She strives to empower families to actively participate in their healthcare journey and to provide all patients with equitable and comprehensive care.

Outside of her practice, Dr. Phelps enjoys camping, hiking and spending time with her family. She also likes woodworking and home improvement projects.

Medical School / Education

Miami University, Oxford, OH

Residency

(Pediatric Psychology) Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR

Fellowship

(Pediatric Psychology) Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR

Phelps, R.A., Sample, E., Greene, R.K. et al. Identifying Patient Characteristics to Understand Which Children May Receive Diagnostic Clarity in a Virtual Autism Spectrum Disorder Evaluation. J Autism Dev Disord 52, 5126-5138 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05434-0

Locations

Phoenix Children's Hospital - Thomas Campus

1919 E. Thomas Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85016

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I was nervous going into this appointment, knowing it would be an intense day. Dr. Phelps immediately set me at ease with her calm and kind demeanor. She was very thorough and taught me a lot about Autism and how it applies to my child. I really appreciate her and her staff who made my child feel extremely comfortable as well. Very grateful to this team!

Dr. Phelps made the process as smooth as could be. She is very understanding and goes above and beyond to ensure proper care and comfort is achieved.

Dr. Phelps and her team are AMAZING. They were very through with the information given and answered all my questions. Never did I feel rushed or like I was wasting their time. I left feeling with such peace with all my questions answered and with an open mind that my daughter is going to be ok.

Yes, Dr. Randi Phelps was amazing. So was the assistant she had in there with her. I cannot say enough good things about her. I really felt that all the special attention and individual needs that my son needed, and that we needed, were met, that our questions were all answered. To say that the time spent was detailed and very, very, very, very personalized to us, is an understatement. And, you know, I can't say enough good things about Dr. Phelps, and I'm so honored that it was her that I was able to see.

Dr Phelps and the person with her during our evaluation were amazing!! She explained everything so well and her approach to everything was just more than I could ask for. An appointment like this is already a tad stressful to begin with but she made it all feel so easy.

Dr. Phelps was incredibly patient, sweet, kind, and understanding with my child. We left feeling more relieved than we have in the years of trying to find a plan for my son. He had such a good time. He asked when we would go back again. Would definitely recommend Dr. Phelps.

She was very kind and patient. Answered all of my questions and was great.

Dr. Phelps was very kind in her approach as to how she approached me and my family. She listened and asked lots of questions. Her and her team made sure to help our family feel welcome while going through the autism evaluation. Dr Phelps and Dr Hartman are both wonderful Doctors and I am so greatful to have stumbled into their care. They are the first doctors to help make me and my children feel truly seen and heard. Thank you!

Dr.Phelps was a great Dr. She knew what she talking about

I was amazed at the kind care we were given. It was so thorough and a huge time investment. I couldn't have been more pleased with the practitioners that served us. We were with them five hours and when finished, my son asked if he could come back and play again another day! This was another experience that causes us to love the work of PCH.

Dr. Phelps was AMAZING. She was so caring and knowledgeable and worked so well with my son. She was very professional but still very warm with our family. She treated us with respect and gave us her full attention and extra time to make sure all our questions were answered. We were so happy with our appointment with her. We were also helped twice by two other random staff members just walking around the hospital. Without having to ask, two different people approached us to see if we needed help finding our way.