Private Practice

Since 1994 I have been in private practice working with people on matters of executive functioning. While I am not a tutor, I do work primarily with people in school because it is often during the school years that the disorder is diagnosed. Executive Dysfunction disrupts success across the academic disciplines and other areas of life, so I work with people on the whole problem, wherever it shows up. I am not a psychologist, and I refer my clients for psychotherapy to a good psychologist or psychiatrist if that seems indicated. If you would like to contact me my email is kskkight@comcast.net Although I prefer to meet in person, technology makes it possible for me to work with people at a distance. If you would prefer to contact me by phone the number is 410-652-1475. I tend to work with people in their homes, schools, or place of work but I also have an office for times when using it would be more convenient for all.

What I do

I take the assessments that have been done by a psychologist and make them understandable to the client, the family, and the teachers. Often physicians, psychologists, neuropsychologists, and educators talk right past each other and the person they are trying to help. Part of my education has been to learn the languages of each of these professions and to bring them together.
I draw from those assessments and my own listening to the client talk about what problems s/he is having and make a list of accommodations that are appropriate and doable by schools, the client, and the family to make success more reachable. An example would be assistive technology in the form of computer and software configurations suited to the needs of the individual.
I design strategies and suggest tools as work-arounds for areas of relative performance weakness and help establish routines that produce good outcomes in place of the habits which have developed as unconscious coping skills over time.
I provide ongoing instruction and support in the use of these tools, strategies, and routines as they become part of the client's everyday life.
Ultimately, my goal is to phase out my involvement so that the client no longer requires my help.

Some comments from my clients and their parents:

Hi Kristin! Robert is liking his new school. We are cautiously optimistic at this point in terms of accommodation. I met a couple of times over the summer with the academic head and he has been most responsive, meeting with Robert weekly, coordinating services, etc. He has been very impressed with Robert's ability to articulate his challenges and explain very clearly what he needs. This is a new skill for Robert, and both his dad and I attribute it to your work with him over the past two years. He's still struggling, but he is more motivated to succeed than he's ever been (because he loves the music part of his day) so we're trying to keep his spirits up and advocate for him.

Hi K!, I just got back from 1st semester and wanted to tell you that I really am using the things you taught me, and they are working! I bet you thought I wouldn't but I'm using Inspiration and the highlighting code and even my planner! Thanks for being so patient with me!

Kristin - Thank you for your time in providing this in-depth update to Mr. P. I am very impressed with your ability to truly represent the challenges that our daughter faces in this and other areas of study. her mother and I as well as her teachers have a better understanding of the issues and of ways we can be supportive as she learns good coping strategies allowing her to really use that good mind of hers!

The guy you see in the photo below is Fenno. He is a therapy dog who works with me when his presence and attention can help the person I'm seeing feel more relaxed. Some of my students read to him, some pet him. He knows when a person is having a hard time and he is always empathetic. Fenny was a show dog before he came to me. His formal name is Champion Wildblue Storm Watch and if you click his name, you will go to the page about his family.