Dr. Begay, PhD, NCSP
Licensed Psychologist
Kristin Kawena Begay, PhD, is a licensed psychologist who works with children, adolescents, parents, and families. Dr. Begay specializes in psychological assessment of developmental, behavioral, and emotional challenges including autism spectrum disorders, learning disabilities, anxiety, and attentional disorders. Additionally, she conducts cognitive (“IQ”) assessments for the purposes of school placement. Dr. Begay has extensive experience with school-aged children, adolescents, and adults in and out of school settings. Dr. Begay is neurodiversity and LGBTQIA2S affirming and is committed to antiracist practices in evaluation.
Prior to receiving her doctorate, Dr. Begay taught grades Pre-K through 12 in several different states, including New Mexico on the Navajo reservation and in rural Hawai’i at a Hawaiian language immersion school. A nationally certified school psychologist, Dr. Begay served grades Pre-K through 12 as a school counselor and school psychologist in both Washington and Hawai’i. She worked to improve identification services in the school setting through the use of culturally appropriate assessment procedures and through providing additional training and consultation for district staff members. This teaching experience has been a tremendous asset when making recommendations for classroom accommodations and interventions.
Dr. Begay earned her Ph.D. in school psychology (APA-accredited) at the University of Washington. She completed her pre-doctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington Autism Center, where she specialized in assessment and treatment of children with autism spectrum disorder and comorbid disorders. She went on to work at the UW Autism Center as a clinical psychologist for several years, where she provided diagnostic assessment and therapy for children and adolescents, parent coaching services, and school consultations. She also developed and conducted training for parents and educators working with children with ASD. Dr. Begay also completed a practicum placement at Seattle Children’s Autism Center and held a research appointment at the Center for Oral and Written Language at the University of Washington where she worked with individual children and conducted trainings for school staff in the assessment and treatment of specific learning disabilities.
In addition to part-time private practice, Dr. Begay also holds a full-time faculty (Assistant Professor) position at the University of Washington Tacoma in the School of Education where she teaches graduate students and conducts research. She is core faculty in the School Psychology EdS program, specializing in teaching culturally responsive assessment courses. Dr. Begay previously held a part-time adjunct faculty position in the University of Washington Seattle College of Education where she taught assessment and social psychology courses in the School Psychology graduate program.