Childhood Trauma Expert Witnesses

San Diego, California

Mental Health, Child Abuse - Children's Mental Health, Bullying, Child Depression/ Anxiety, Foster Care, CPS Investigations, Child Protective Services, Childhood Trauma, Family Violence, Family Based Treatment, Behavioral Health, Social Work, Pediatric Mental Health, Reunification, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, Early Childhood Development

Ashley Tapia is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in California and Texas specializing in child and family mental health. Ms. Tapia earned her Master of Social Work in 2019 from California State University, Long Beach. She has four years of experience working as a Protective Services Worker with Child Welfare Services in both Orange County and San Diego County. In this role, she conducted child abuse and neglect investigations, assessed child safety and risk, and worked closely with families involved in the dependency court system. She also provided reunification services, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to support family stability and promote safe parent–child relationships. Since 2022, Ms. Tapia has provided psychotherapy services in children’s mental health in both inpatient and outpatient settings, serving as a clinician and program manager. In these roles, she has delivered intensive individual, group, and family psychotherapy to children and adolescents betw...

Puyallup, Washington

Developmental Disabilities, Pediatrics - Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, ADHD, Post-traumatic Stress, Developmental Delay, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Behavior Issues, Education Accomodations, PTSD, Childhood Trauma, Special Education, Down Syndrome, Neurodiversity, Intellectual Disability (IDD), School Troubles, Genetic Conditions, Neurodevelopmental Disorders

I am dual board-certified in Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics and General Pediatrics. For more than 20 years, I served as a military physician, practicing in Maryland, Texas, Oklahoma, and Washington State. After completing my military career, I founded a private medical practice, where I continue to work as a physician and business owner. I am licensed to practice medicine in Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Texas, and Indiana. My clinical work focuses on developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual and learning disabilities (ID, IDD, LD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD/ADD), speech and language delays, and motor delays. I have held leadership and academic appointments at the Uniformed Services University and the University of Washington. Throughout my career, I have trained numerous Fellows in Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, as well as pediatric residents, interns, and medical students. I helped develop and lead the first autism services c...