San Diego Kids First

San Diego Kids First San Diego Kids First, is dedicated to providing thorough, but concise, expert advice on a number of topics to assist parents and their children.

Receive expert advice from Dr. Deborah Pontillo,a pediatric psychologist and expert in child development, behavior, and learning. She has received her Ph.D in clinical psychology from in clinical psychology and very highly specialized post-doctoral training in developmental child psychology at UCSD/Rady Children's Hospital. She has an extremely busy private practice in San Diego, CA, is a Voluntary Assistant Clinical Professor in the School of Medicine at UCSD, research collaborator, media consultant, invited speaker, published author, and mother of two wonderful children (ages 8 and 4)! At How2HelpMyChild.com you will find research-based, practical advice, guidance, and insights on a variety of topics pertaining to your child's development. Based on questions she has received over the years from thousands of families in my practice, she can provide sound solutions to common - and those not so common! - concerns!

✨ Exciting News! ✨San Diego Kids First is thrilled to announce that our Director of the Educational Psychology Departmen...
02/11/2026

✨ Exciting News! ✨
San Diego Kids First is thrilled to announce that our Director of the Educational Psychology Department, Kaydon Schanberger, M.Ed., is opening a NEW office on Coronado Island!
This new location will serve as a Learning & Development Center, focused on social-emotional learning, behavioral support, executive functioning and educational skill-building for children and families.
To celebrate, all new intakes at this location will receive 30% OFF from now through April 1st.
📞 Call today to learn more and schedule your intake!
🌐 www.sdkidsfirst.com (http://www.sdkidsfirst.com/)
📱 (858) 692-4187
📧 contact@sdkidsfirst.com

Parenting doesn’t come with a manual but support makes all the difference 💛Join our 4-Week Parenting Program led by Hila...
01/29/2026

Parenting doesn’t come with a manual but support makes all the difference 💛
Join our 4-Week Parenting Program led by Hilary Pincolini, BCBA at San Diego Kids First.
Learn practical, evidence-based strategies you can use right away.
📞 Call today to register: (858) 692-4187
📧 contact@sdkidsfirst.com
🔗 www.sdkidsfirst.com
Spots are limited, let’s get started! ✨

Open House + Networking Night ✨San Diego Kids First📅 Thurs 1/15 | ⏰ 6:30 PM📍 12625 High Bluff Dr, Suite 204Meet our team...
01/07/2026

Open House + Networking Night ✨
San Diego Kids First

📅 Thurs 1/15 | ⏰ 6:30 PM
📍 12625 High Bluff Dr, Suite 204

Meet our team, tour our space, and connect with the community.
RSVP via DM or email contact@sdkidsfirst.com

✨ Happy New Year to our amazing families! ✨Thank you for being part of our community we’re so grateful for you. We’re ex...
12/31/2025

✨ Happy New Year to our amazing families! ✨
Thank you for being part of our community we’re so grateful for you. We’re excited for all that the new year has in store and look forward to continuing to support your family in 2026💛

✨ Day 12 of Our 12 Days of Interventions ✨For our final day, we’re excited to share a special gift with our families: Br...
12/26/2025

✨ Day 12 of Our 12 Days of Interventions ✨

For our final day, we’re excited to share a special gift with our families: Bright Stars, a free video series created for parents raising bright children with mild autism spectrum profiles.

This short, practical series helps families understand why capable kids may still struggle with motivation, flexibility, social understanding, or behavior and what actually helps.

🎥 The series includes four short modules:
⭐ Understanding bright kids with mild ASD
⭐ Motivation beyond reward systems
⭐ Social skills & perspective-taking
⭐ Reducing rigidity and power struggles

Families tell us these videos help them feel less reactive, more grounded, and more aligned in their parenting.

Thank you for being part of our community this season. Wishing you a joyful holiday and a bright start to the new year 💛

Watch Bright Stars: https://sdkidsfirst.com/bright-stars/

—
Deborah Pontillo, PhD
Director, San Diego Kids First

Day 11: Co-Regulation at Home 🤍🎄Children learn to manage big feelings through calm, connected adults. Until around age 7...
12/24/2025

Day 11: Co-Regulation at Home 🤍🎄
Children learn to manage big feelings through calm, connected adults. Until around age 7, co-regulation is the most effective way for children to build self-regulation skills.

Parents can support this by:

Providing structure: predictable routines and clear expectations

Offering emotional support: staying calm, naming emotions, guiding gently

Matching & modeling regulation: showing calm behavior and adjusting support in the moment

Your presence matters more than perfection through connection, children learn how to regulate, focus, and succeed.

🎄 Stay tuned for Day 12 tomorrow our Christmas special!

✨ 12 Days of Interventions – Day 10 ✨Ever notice how often we say “Don’t!” to our kids? Instead of telling children what...
12/23/2025

✨ 12 Days of Interventions – Day 10 ✨

Ever notice how often we say “Don’t!” to our kids?
Instead of telling children what not to do, try telling them what to do instead!

💬 Tip shared by our BCBA, Hilary Pincolini, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

✨ 12 Days of Interventions – Day 10 ✨Ever notice how often we say “Don’t!” to our kids? Instead of telling children what...
12/23/2025

✨ 12 Days of Interventions – Day 10 ✨

Ever notice how often we say “Don’t!” to our kids?
Instead of telling children what not to do, try telling them what to do instead!

It takes practice to flip the script, but small changes in language can make outings and daily routines much smoother.

💬 Tip shared by our BCBA, Hilary Pincolini, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

📚✨ Day 9 of our 12 Days of Interventions! ✨📚Nothing pairs better with the holiday season than a cozy read and helpful re...
12/22/2025

📚✨ Day 9 of our 12 Days of Interventions! ✨📚
Nothing pairs better with the holiday season than a cozy read and helpful resources for families 💛

Today, we’re sharing our favorite book recommendations gathered from our amazing team covering topics like ASD, ADHD, sensory processing, parenting strategies, and sleep routines.

👉 swipe to read more and see our full list of recommended books below!

Have questions or want more personalized recommendations? Reach out and we’re happy to help!

🎄 Stay tuned for Day 10 coming soon!

🎄 Day 8 of our 12 Days of Interventions! 🎄Today we’re sharing the T.H.I.N.K. Check-In with Marrissa Juarez, M.S., AMFT. ...
12/16/2025

🎄 Day 8 of our 12 Days of Interventions! 🎄

Today we’re sharing the T.H.I.N.K. Check-In with Marrissa Juarez, M.S., AMFT. 🧠✨

Teach kids to pause, reflect, and make thoughtful choices before acting or speaking. Using the T.H.I.N.K. acronym can reduce impulsive comments and help children strengthen self-control and executive-function skills.

💡 Quick Tip: Post a colorful T.H.I.N.K. sign at home as a visual cue! #̭parentingtips

🎄 Day 7 of 12 Days of Interventions🧠 Behavioral Momentum: Small Wins = Big Success!Struggling with task avoidance? Try B...
12/15/2025

🎄 Day 7 of 12 Days of Interventions
🧠 Behavioral Momentum: Small Wins = Big Success!

Struggling with task avoidance? Try Behavioral Momentum!

✨ Start with 2–4 easy, “sure-thing” actions
✨ Build confidence and engagement
✨ Follow with the harder task

When kids experience quick wins first, big jobs feel less overwhelming.

💬 Try saying:
“Let’s warm up your brain!”
“Nice we’re on a roll!”

Works for everyday tasks like 👟 shoes, 📚 homework, and 🧹 cleaning.

Small wins lead to big momentum!

By Alexandra Padilla, BCBA
Lead Behavior Interventionist

Address

12625 High Bluff Drive , Suite 111
San Diego, CA
92130

Telephone

(858) 692-4187

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