Child Development, Behavior, and Learning Specialist
Owner/Director, San Diego Kids First (est. 2005)
Co-Owner/ Co-Director, San Diego Behavior Solutions (est. 2021)
Voluntary Assistant Clinical Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, UCSD
Psy.D. Clinical Supervisor, Alliant International University
A message from Dr. Pontillo:
“ I am so deeply amazed, and proud of what San Diego Kids First (SDKF) has become. From my humble beginnings in my solo private practice in 2005 (right here in the Hacienda building!) -to where we are now (over 12 interdisciplinary specialists and growing!), I can truly say my mission to create a comprehensive, interdisciplinary clinic for children and families has been realized. I have so much admiration and respect for my fellow clinicians here at SDKF. They possess such outstanding talent, skills, and expertise, each bringing their own personalized training, background, professionalism, and expertise to the clients and families we see. Their combined knowledge, commitment, and dedication is what enables us to create a comprehensive, individualized, and impactful care plan for each child, teen, or family in a way that no single provider can. It is why I am so confident that each child, teen and family that walks through our door is welcomed into our family, and can get most, if not all, their needs met in one warm and caring place. It is also why I am committed to continuing this wrap-around approach, so that kids can truly maximize their potential focusing on the development and happiness of the whole child, and family.”
Dr. Pontillo is Owner/Founder and Director of San Diego Kids First (est. 2005) and Co-Founder/Co-Director of San Diego Behavior Solutions (est. 2021). She has over 25 years of education, training and experience in pediatric psychology and is regarded as an expert in the field of child and adolescent development, behavior, and learning.
Dr. Pontillo received her B.A. at the University of British Columbia (UBC), her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and completed a pre-doctoral internship at UCSD. She completed an Early Childhood (0-5y) post-doctoral internship at the Developmental Evaluation Clinic at Rady Children’s Hospital, where she continued to work 2 years following her licensure. Subsequently, Dr. Pontillo opened San Diego Kids First in 2005, with the passion of identifying children’s strengths as well as their challenges, enabling them to maximize their developmental potential.
Dr. Pontillo has enjoyed sharing her knowledge and expertise as Voluntary Assistant Clinical Professor in the Dept. of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, UCSD and as Clinical Supervisor at Alliant International University. She continues that practice as a conference speaker, presenter, and public figure. She has been interviewed by San DIego Magazine, National Geographic, CBS-8, ABC-10, PBS SoCal, Francis Parker Magazine , and Fox News, and was featured in The San Diego Voyager. Click here for Dr. Pontillo’s media page. She has been a guest expert in several episodes of the Parent Savers Podcast, and has presented to numerous audiences comprised of educators, parents, and clinicians at organizations such as The San Diego Psychological Association, Rady Children’s Hospital Dept of Developmental Pediatrics, UCSD, San Diego Mom’s Blog Cares, The San Diego Diocese, Scripps Pediatrics, Father Joe’s Villages, San Diego Episcopal Community Services, Deep Blue Educators, Beth Am Preschool, the Jewish Community Center Nierman Preschool, A Home Within, various Head Start Preschool organizations and dozens of independent schools in the San Diego area. One of Dr. Pontillo’s most recent panel presentations was for community mental health clinicians sponsored by the San Diego Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Children Youth and Families (CYF) Council Training Academy Committee (co-panelists: Dr. Josh Feder, Dr. Bruce Liese, and Chelsea Johnson, MS, CCC-SLP). “ From Loneliness to Connecting and Belonging: I’ll be There” (2024).
Dr. Pontillo also has developed two downloadable video courses. The first is a video parent training course (entitled “Bright Stars”) for parents of highly intelligent children with mild Autism Spectrum Disorder, which condenses the content of 4 – 6 of her individualized one-hour parenting sessions into an affordable downloadable program. The second is the ABCs of ASD, a video course designed for regular education teachers, providing tools and strategies to help their students with Autism Spectrum Disorder be successful in the regular education classroom. This program has been made available to several independent schools and preschools in the San Diego area.
Dr. Pontillo also volunteers her time at A Home Within, an organization committed to providing free therapy services to children and adolescents in the Foster Care System. Dr. Pontillo’s involvement includes providing educational training to volunteer therapists across the United States on evidence-based practices for youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders and ADHD, and the interplay between trauma and neurodivergence.
Dr. Pontillo’s specialties include Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD/executive functioning, behavioral challenges, oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD)/ (PDA “pathological demand avoidance”), learning disabilities/differences, anxiety, emotional regulation skills training, social skills training, stress management, giftedness, and other child developmental delays or concerns. She specializes in working with Early Childhood (0-5y), School-Aged Children, and Teens and utilizes CBT (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy) and other short-term solution-focused, evidence-based interventions that produce measurable progress. She is an expert in diagnostic assessment, conducts both focused as well as comprehensive batteries, and develops concrete and individualized action plans for each child and family she works with. She provides consultations with schools, teachers, and other professionals and is often relied on as treatment team leader due to her experience in leading multidisciplinary teams. Dr. Pontillo additionally consults regularly with all staff clinicians at SDKF to ensure that SDKF families receive the highest quality of care.
Dr. Pontillo lives with her husband, daughter, son, and two pets: our SDKF facility dog, Maple, who sometimes joins Dr. Pontillo in her clinic appointments, and Maple’s younger brother, Moose. Dr. Pontillo speaks Spanish and English and loves sushi and Indian food. When she is not working, she can be found on a 5K run (even though she admits she is as slow as a turtle!), taking long walks with her dogs, or visiting with her family and friends.
**Dr. Pontillo maintains a small caseload, working closely with a very limited number of concierge clients. If you are interested in more information on becoming a concierge client of Dr. Pontillo, please click here.
What Others Say About Us
We have trusted San Diego Kids First with our family for the last five years. I have two neurodivergent children that both received diagnoses and therapy with Dr. Pontillo and Dr. Gamboa. My daughter has an amazing connection with Dr. Pontillo. Through her sessions we were able to help sleep patterns, adjust behaviors, and practice self-love. I appreciate that we can receive holistic care with educational and coaches on the team. We have had Dr. Rivet help us create a household that works well for us, and the Educational Specialist, Ms. Sheri Friedman was able to help my daughter move from well under grade-level to thriving above grade-level in one summer. Sheri was also an incredible advocate for us through the IEP process. This entire team is incredibly knowledgeable, patient and understanding. We are forever grateful that they are in our lives. ADHD and ASD can feel so overwhelming and I couldn’t have done it without Dr. Pontillo and her team.
Dr. Deborah Pontillo and her team are a rare gem in the field of child and adolescent psychology. As the founder of Kids First, she has created a concierge-style, full-service practice that offers truly comprehensive care. From psychological testing and diagnostic evaluations to individual therapy, parent coaching, and school consultations, her team addresses the full range of developmental, emotional, and behavioral needs with an exceptional level of professionalism and warmth.
Dr. Pontillo stands out not only for her clinical expertise, but also for the care and attention she brings to every family she supports. The practice is highly personalized — families are never treated as just a number. She works closely with parents, schools, and other professionals to coordinate care, ensuring that each child receives thoughtful, tailored interventions that evolve with their needs. Kids First is the only practice I recommend in the San Diego area. Dr. Pontillo and her team are trusted, skilled, and truly invested in helping children and families thrive.
Dr. Gamboa is absolutely phenomenal. She’s warm, patient, and so accommodating. She really makes the experience feel so comfortable. My daughter wasn’t intimidated in the slightest. Her expertise is top notch and I wouldn’t trust anyone else – truly! Thank you Dr. Gamboa!
Dr. Pontillo is an exceptional, and one-of-a-kind child psychologist. I have referred many children of my patients to Dr. Pontillo and she has always given them the best care and attention. Referring a patient to another professional is a big responsibility. I always look for a colleague who is efficient, professional, experienced and one who is able to come up with a clear diagnosis. I keep referring to Dr. Pontillo because of her expertise, efficiency and especially her warm and caring personality that is extremely necessary when dealing with children. I very highly recommend Deborah Pontillo, Ph.D as a child diagnostician, developmental and behavioral specialist, and therapist.
Dr Deborah Pontillo provided us with amazing service for our daughter when a teacher suggested she get evaluated for learning differences. Dr Pontillo’s treated us (my husband and myself as well as our daughter) with empathy, respect and professionalism. She is relatable and down to earth as well as brilliant. We were not prepared for the diagnosis our daughter received yet Dr. Pontillo helped us understand what it meant for us as well as what treatment/therapies were most appropriate. We took her recommendations and trust her so much that, 4 years later, we continue to trust Dr Pontillo with her thoughts and suggestions. We highly recommend Dr Pontillo, would never go anywhere else for pediatric psych evaluations and her services were worth every cent.
I am so grateful for Dr Pontillo. She is very bright, compassionate and thorough. She helped evaluate my daughters and guide us in the direction to support them the way they needed. I can’t say enough how wonderful she is.
I would highly recommend San Diego Kids First. They are caring and knowledgeable and have helped the many clients I have referred to thrive academically and socially.
I am a general pediatrician with a special interest in ADHD, spending about 20% of my clinical time caring for ADHD patients. I have known Dr Pontillo since 2005 and have an enormous respect for her clinical skills and insights. She is my “go to” psychologist for more complicated developmental issues and for diagnosis of subtle high functioning disabilities. Dr. Pontillo’s interest in her patients and her ability to clearly delineate developmental problems allows parents to move forward with establishing a treatment plan. She is an invaluable resource to the San Diego Pediatric community.
I highly recommend San Diego Kids First as a resource for your child’s mental health! Their intake process is easy and seamless and they have numerous skilled therapists to choose from to meet your child’s needs. This is my primary place to refer children and families and I have only heard great feedback about this group. I have also seen the positive change that has taken place in my client’s children as a result of getting services from them!
They are truly experts and so kind! My son was struggling in middle school, and they supported us through that experience. I love that they offer a full continuum of care for families from parenting, child and teen therapy, as well as support with educational struggles and will work with the schools to help advocate for your child. I highly recommend them!!!
I’ve known Dr. Deborah Pontillo for many years and have always been impressed by her deep expertise, professionalism, and dedication to the families she serves. She has over 20 years of experience in the field and also serves on the voluntary faculty at UCSD’s Department of Psychiatry, where she helps train and mentor future clinicians.
Her practice, San Diego Kids First, is an invaluable resource for our community – an interdisciplinary team of professionals focused on the developmental and behavioral health of children and teens. What really stands out is their collaborative approach — the team works closely together to understand each child and family from multiple perspectives, ensuring care that’s thoughtful, coordinated, and comprehensive.
As a colleague, I trust Dr. Pontillo and San Diego Kids First completely and have referred many children, teens, and families to her over the years. I know they will receive outstanding, compassionate, and well-integrated care.
Immersed in a community of families that put their children above all else, I have been lucky to meet and learn from Dr. Pontillo and am proud to call San Diego Kids First the only place I refer. Dr. Pontillo expresses an impassioned energy for being a well-respected leader in child psychology and it’s that energy that I want in a psychologist for my family and friends. Parenting decisions, I have found, require an artful and nimble approach and having the ability to use San Diego Kids First makes me feel at ease among the many uneasy parenting decisions we all must make.
As a clinical psychologist and owner of a company that provides similar services, I truly admire the work that SDKF does in the community. I refer clients to them frequently and with confidence. Dr. Pontillo has built a strong, compassionate, and multidisciplinary team that offers a wide range of services, including psychological testing, social skills groups, in-home therapy, and academic support. SDKF is a true gem in the San Diego community, and their dedication to helping children and families shines through in the quality of the work they do.
I’ve been referring my patients to Dr. Pontillo for the past several years with the utmost confidence that she will care and understand their developmental needs. Dr. Pontillo always provided them with a balanced and age appropriate intervention to help not only the child but the family as a whole.