Escondido, California
Dr. Joanna Kennedy, PsyD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Kennedy specializes in comprehensive developmental and psychological assessment, with particular emphasis on telling autism, ADHD, and anxiety apart. She treats neurodivergent children and teens facing anxiety, social challenges, and executive functioning difficulties, and she is a specialist in selective mutism.
Psychological Testing in Escondido
Assessment
Some children are easy to diagnose. Many are not. A child might be autistic, or anxious, or both. Attention problems can look like ADHD, a learning disorder, or worry that never turns off. Dr. Kennedy specializes in exactly these overlapping presentations, and her evaluations are designed to tell the difference.
A child might be anxious. They might not want to look at me, might not have much to say. What I am really watching is the back and forth: how they respond when I drop a pen, the quality of the interaction itself. Dr. Joanna Kennedy, PsyD
Attention tells a different story than nerves do, and the difference shows up in small moments rather than on a checklist.
With ADHD, I am paying attention to whether they often seem to miss what I say, or comment on things unrelated to what we are talking about. That points to an attentional difficulty rather than a child who is just nervous in the room. Dr. Joanna Kennedy, PsyD
Before joining Pinnacle, she conducted evaluations at Rady Children's Hospital's Autism Discovery Institute in San Diego, where she assessed complex presentations of autism as part of a multidisciplinary team. She administers the ADOS-2, a gold-standard diagnostic measure for autism.
There is a lot of overlap between autism, ADHD, and anxiety in how the behavior looks. But the underlying factors are different. Three children can struggle socially for three completely different reasons, and testing is how we tease that apart. Dr. Joanna Kennedy, PsyD
That work is methodical rather than intuitive. She takes the diagnostic criteria and weighs every behavior she has observed, alongside what parents and teachers report, looking for what is genuinely unique to each diagnosis rather than what merely looks familiar.
- Autism and other developmental evaluations (ADOS-2)
- ADHD and executive functioning assessment
- Academic and psychoeducational testing for learning disorders and giftedness
- Differential diagnosis for complex or contested presentations
- Adapted autism assessment for children with selective mutism
Every family leaves with a written report signed by a licensed psychologist, specific recommendations, and a feedback session where results are explained in plain language.
A Question Parents Ask
Why Not Just Ask the Pediatrician?
Pediatricians and teachers see your child in one setting, briefly, and they are often the first to raise a concern. That matters, and it is frequently how families end up here. But spotting that something is off is a different task from working out which of several overlapping conditions is driving it.
Testing helps us tease that apart, especially when presentations are subtle. A teacher or a pediatrician who is less familiar with the diagnostic criteria, and the intricacies of each diagnosis, would not necessarily be able to pull it apart like that. Dr. Joanna Kennedy, PsyD
Some markers point clearly one direction. Restricted and repetitive behaviors, repetitive hand motions, and sensory processing differences are more distinctive to autism, though they can appear in other forms too. Sorting the distinctive from the merely similar is the work a full evaluation is built to do.
When the First Answer Was Not the Whole Answer
Second Opinions
Many families arrive at Pinnacle already holding a diagnosis. Sometimes it fits. Sometimes it was the most visible thing in the room, and something underneath it went unnamed for years.
Often a child gets the diagnosis that appears most obvious, but that does not necessarily get at what is underlying, or what else might be there, because these diagnoses often co-occur. Most often I see ADHD diagnosed first, masking autism. Dr. Joanna Kennedy, PsyD
These conditions also co-occur, which means the question is rarely which one. It is often how many, and in what combination.
There are also times when a child is autistic, and as they get older they are still autistic, but the ADHD becomes more apparent. Then they end up with both. Dr. Joanna Kennedy, PsyD
If your child has already been evaluated and the picture still does not feel complete, that instinct is worth taking seriously.
Counseling
Treatment
Dr. Kennedy treats selective mutism, anxiety, OCD, and the social and executive functioning challenges that often accompany autism and ADHD. Her selective mutism work is a particular passion, and she is a treating clinician in Pinnacle's Outside Voice camps.
Once a child can use their brave voice with me in the office, we take it into the world: ordering food at a restaurant, asking someone for help. Dr. Joanna Kennedy, PsyD
That work continues into the classroom. She supports her clients in using their skills at school with teachers, peers, and other staff, so progress does not stop at the office door.
Families are the ones who carry treatment into the home and the community. I work closely with parents so they have the skills they need to support their child. Dr. Joanna Kennedy, PsyD
Parents are partners in this work, not observers. Dr. Kennedy trains caregivers in the same techniques she uses in session, so families feel confident helping their child practice in daily life.
Where Two Specialties Meet
Autism and Selective Mutism Together
Few clinicians have deep experience in both autism assessment and selective mutism treatment. Dr. Kennedy has built her practice at exactly that intersection, and it matters more than it might sound.
For a neurodivergent child who also has selective mutism, the mutism becomes one more barrier to getting a thorough assessment, getting a diagnosis, and getting connected to support. Dr. Joanna Kennedy, PsyD
A child who cannot speak in clinical settings is easily misread, misdiagnosed, or turned away entirely. Her dual training means these families do not have to choose between getting an accurate evaluation and getting treatment that accounts for how their child actually communicates.
I use my experience with both to make sure the most effective evidence-based treatment gets used, in the treatment room and out in the community. Dr. Joanna Kennedy, PsyD
The goal of testing is to understand your child. Yes, we are looking at whether a diagnosis fits. But a diagnosis exists to help us understand them, so they can work on some things, and more importantly, so everyone around them understands them better. Dr. Joanna Kennedy, PsyD · What she wants worried parents to know
For Families
School Support
Dr. Kennedy brings a working understanding of the service landscape for developmental disabilities, including the school district Individualized Education Program (IEP) and 504 Plan process. She helps families request school evaluations, interpret results, and advocate effectively in meetings with Escondido Union, San Marcos Unified, and other North County districts.
She also supports families in accessing community and school based supports directly. Her reports are written in formats school districts accept.
Credentials
Training & Background
Dr. Kennedy completed her PsyD in Clinical Psychology, with an emphasis in child and family psychology, at the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) at Alliant International University, San Diego. Her doctoral dissertation focused on the experience of mothers of children with autism in a mindful parenting course.
Prior to her graduate work, she conducted research on naturalistic behavioral intervention and provided naturalistic developmental-behavioral therapy to toddlers with an increased likelihood for an autism spectrum disorder.
While conducting assessments, she works to understand the whole individual, including strengths as well as challenges, and to provide individualized recommendations. She also provides psychological testing and counseling for adults, including ADHD and autism evaluations for adults who suspect a condition that was never identified in childhood.
Our Escondido Office
Where You Will Meet Her
Dr. Kennedy sees patients at 900 Canterbury Place in Escondido, with easy access from Interstate 15 and Highway 78. The space is set up for children and teens, quiet enough for testing and comfortable enough that kids settle in quickly.
900 Canterbury Place, Ste. 310-7, Escondido, CA 92025
One office, serving families throughout: