Beginning Kindergarten is an exciting (and sometimes anxiety-provoking!) time for both you and your child. Getting your child started on the right foot is important. A positive experience in Kindergarten can help your child foster healthy self-confidence/self-esteem, develop social, study, and organizational skills, and cultivate a love for learning that will last a lifetime! Many [...]
Preschool is often a child’s first experience in a semi-structured social environment. Whether a child enters preschool at 2, 3, or 4 years of age, the first school experience is designed to foster the development of cognitive skills, language and communication skills, fine and gross motor skills, and social skills. In addition, children are learning [...]
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is a common condition which manifests prior to the age of 7. It is neurologically-based in that studies suggest ADHD involves a deficiency in the part of the brain that helps us to sustain focus, concentrate, filter-out extraneous information, organize, plan, understand others’ actions, and inhibit impulses. Although there [...]
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder which is characterized by impairments in social functioning, communication and by restricted and/or repetitive behaviors. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) which was published in 2013 outlined three subcategories of ASD, ranging from Severity level 1 (requiring support), level 2 (requiring substantial support), and level [...]
As students navigate adolescence, school pressures can take a toll on their well-being. At San Diego Kids First, Dr. Anna Basanty provides specialized support to help teens manage stress, build resilience, and develop coping skills. Through compassionate, evidence-based counseling, she empowers teens to thrive academically and emotionally. Is Your Teen Feeling Overwhelmed by Schoolwork? The [...]
Due to the high demand for our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) services and our commitment to making them widely accessible, we’re excited to expand our availability by offering additional low-fee, in-office SEL sessions. We are pleased to expand our low-fee Social Emotional Learning (SEL) sessions with Jenaya Vasquez, B.A., under the supervision of our Director [...]
We are excited to welcome Dr. Anna Basanty to our San Diego Kids First team! With extensive training and experience in psychological assessments and therapeutic interventions, Dr. Basanty is passionate about helping children and adolescents (ages 10 - 18) reach their full potential. She specializes in working with youth facing social and emotional challenges, including [...]
Dear SDKF families, colleagues, and friends, Here at SDKF, my colleagues and I are often asked for tools and strategies on how to help our children (or teens) regulate their emotions. Our wonderful occupational therapist, Dr, Heidi Joachims “Dr. Jo” has written an exceptional article on co-regulation, or the ability for a parent, guardian, teacher [...]
If you’re parenting a toddler, you know firsthand that transitions can be some of the hardest parts of your day and often lead to tantrums. Take a look below to see what techniques our early childhood mental health specialists recommend trying at home! Here are five favorite preventative, aka “let’s try to get ahead [...]
We are excited to share the highlights from our recent talk at Beth Alm, where our very own occupational therapist, Heidi Joachims, OTD, delivered an insightful presentation on sensory regulation! Heidi provided training to various teachers, staff, and administration about how sensory experiences impact student’s behavior, learning, and overall well-being. Heidi covered: Understanding Sensory [...]
