We are San Diego’s ONLY comprehensive developmental & behavioral clinic for infants, toddlers and preschoolers! 

Welcome to San Diego Kids First’s Early Childhood Center! We serve children ages 0-5 years.

We are proud to offer these services through our early childhood specialists, Dr. Jacque Gamboa, Psy.D, Dr. Jesse Olague, Psy. D, Dr. Jordan Ko, Ph.D and Kaydon Schanberger, B.A. 

Our services include: Developmental Screenings, Developmental evaluations, Behavior Interventions, Preschool observations, Kindergarten Readiness, Inclusion Support,  Social Emotional Learning and Parenting Support. 

Please view the descriptions below for a detailed outline of each service!  

Services Offered

– Developmental Screenings

A 50 minute screening allows us to briefly screen your child for developmental, social, emotional, or behavioral concerns. By the end of the hour, your clinician will provide specific recommendations for your child based on their observations and your child’s history. As each screening is specifically tailored to your child, you will receive more information than a pediatrician or doctor can provide to a parent within a single visit.

– Developmental Evaluations

Some or all of the following areas will be assessed:

  • Social and interpersonal functioning
  • Communication skills
  • Adaptive functioning
  • Behavior
  • Play-skills
  • Attention/impulsivity
  • Mood/anxiety

 

– Behavior Interventions

If you have a child that has difficulty regulating emotions, has frequent tantrums, trouble with authority, in school, at home, with siblings, and you need help learning new parenting strategies to change these behaviors, please call us for an assessment. These sessions are scheduled with one of our experts to develop specific tools and strategies designed for the individual child and family. 

 

– Preschool Observations

We conduct classroom observations to develop an in-depth targeted behavior intervention plan for your little one! This will include organizational skills, classroom behavior, IEP recommendations and educational tips/tools. We can also work directly with school directors and administrators on how to work with children who have tricky behavior. 

 

– Kindergarten Readiness

  • This service includes social skills training, executive functioning skills and academic planning for children with developmental disorders such as ASD and ADHD. Our clinicians will identify your child’s strengths and weaknesses and utilize them to create a school readiness routine!

–Inclusion Support

  • The goal of this service is to provide what is best for an individual student. But what is “best” is not always obvious and not always agreed upon by all of the parties involved in crafting the plan. As far as possible, we take a collaborative approach with teachers, schools and districts, but our ultimate allegiance is to the child and to the key needs that parents may observe for their children, even when other stakeholders do not.

-Social Emotional Learning 

Social Emotional Learning is the process of developing the self-awareness, self-control, and interpersonal skills that are vital for school, work, and life success. People with strong social-emotional skills are better able to cope with everyday challenges and benefit academically, professionally, and socially.There are 5 areas we can address in SEL; self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. In our sessions we take an individualized, developmental approach, working on the specific areas and skills your child needs for their social-emotional growth and development. 

Parent Support 

Based on expressed community needs, we have designed and implemented parent workshops and individual parent coaching sessions for your specific concerns. These sessions are scheduled with one of our experts to develop specific tools and strategies designed for the parent and family.

We are thrilled to be able to provide these services for you! If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment please email or call our Office Manager, Jenaya at contact@sdkidsfirst.com (858) 692-4187 and she will be happy to help you! 

As our team of professionals continues to grow, I am so grateful to be a part of such a cohesive and collaborative group. I am very proud of the work the clinicians at San Diego Kids First provide to our families and will continue to  personally consult with all of my staff clinicians on a regular basis. Other services we provide are as follows: 

  • Evaluations
  • Consultations
  • Screenings
  • Behavior Management/Parenting Sessions
  • Study/Organizational Skills Training
  • Therapy
  • Educational Therapy
  • Groups/Workshops
  • Video Parenting Course
  • IEP/504 Services