An Interdisciplinary Team Approach to the Assessment and Treatment of PANS/PANDAS

Carr et al. (2026) shadowed one hospital clinic that treats kids with sudden OCD, tics, or rage after a strep or viral infection. These symptoms are called PANS/PANDAS.

The team wrote down how doctors, nurses, and one BCBA planned care together. They did not test a new drug or therapy. They simply mapped who does what, when, and why.

The BCBA sat at the same table with infectious-disease doctors and neurologists. She helped spot behavior triggers, wrote brief behavior plans, and coached parents during the same visit.

No numbers were tracked. The paper only describes the flow: medical exam, brief functional assessment, parent coaching, follow-up call.

Tantam et al. (1993) first told BCBAs to stop waiting in separate offices and join pediatric rounds. Carr’s case shows that advice finally happening, 30 years later.

Birkett et al. (2022) used a similar hospital case-study lens. They focused on calming kids with autism during shots. Carr adds a new population—PANS/PANDAS—and shows the BCBA can also guide medical staff, not just the child.

Copeland et al. (2020) gave BCBAs a red-flag checklist to decide when to call a doctor. Carr flips the script: the doctor calls the BCBA first, because behavior data guides steroid or IVIG timing.

You do not need a special PANS/PANDAS clinic to copy this. Ask the child’s rheumatologist or neurologist for a 10-minute huddle. Share your ABC data. Offer one-page parent coaching tips. The medical team gets clearer triggers, you get quicker medical updates, and the family leaves with one plan instead of two. Start with a single patient next week.