Dr. Deborah Pontillo

Dr. Pontillo is a Pediatric Clinical Psychologist and Child Development, Behavior, and Learning Specialist. She is the Owner/Founder and Director of San Diego Kids First (est. 2005), an interdisciplinary clinic providing psychological and educational services. She is also Co-Founder and Co-Director of San Diego Behavior Solutions (est. 2021), a clinic providing tailored in-home behavior intervention and parent coaching services to children and families. Dr. Pontillo has over 25 years of experience working with children and teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD, anxiety, and other developmental or behavioral challenges.

Dr. Pontillo earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at UCLA and completed pre- and post-doctoral training at UCSD and Rady Children’s Hospital, focusing on early childhood development (ages 0–5) and developmental and psychological assessment. Over the past 18 years, she has continued her involvement with UCSD as a Voluntary Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, where she provides clinical supervision to psychiatry fellows in their final year of training. She has also served as a Clinical Supervisor and Site Supervisor for the Alliant International University Doctoral Psychology Program in San Diego.

She is a sought-after speaker and media expert, having presented for the UCSD Department of Psychiatry, the San Diego Psychiatric Association, the San Diego Psychological Association, Rady Children’s Hospital Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, the International Association of Children’s Museums, and numerous schools, preschools, and community organizations. She has been featured in National Geographic, CBS-8, ABC-10, PBS SoCal, San Diego Magazine, Francis Parker Magazine, Fox News, and San Diego Voyager. She has provided extensive teacher and staff training for schools and organizations working with children, with a focus on enhancing engagement and classroom success for neurodivergent students.

Dr. Pontillo serves as a trusted guide and expert consultant for families of bright, neurodivergent children with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. She coordinates care with educators, therapists, and medical providers to ensure individualized, evidence-based interventions that support the whole child.

Dr. Pontillo provides concise, tailored diagnostic assessments; developmental screenings; consultative services; parent support; 504 and IEP review; executive functioning training; individualized treatment planning; and solution-focused therapies customized to each child or teen’s unique profile. Her approach emphasizes identifying and building on strengths, improving skills, and collaborating closely with families, schools, and other providers to help neurodivergent toddlers, children, and teens thrive at home, in the classroom, and in the community.