By Terri McCormick

Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses can affect multiple systems in the body, making diagnosis and treatment complicated. It often takes more than one area of medical expertise to understand the whole picture.

For parents trying to connect those pieces, the Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs (MAPS) Fall Conference offers an opportunity to learn directly from doctors with expertise in different areas of complex illness. MAPS provides education for healthcare professionals who care for children with complex medical and developmental conditions.

This fall, MAPS is holding its clinician conference alongside a separate Parent Conference in Philadelphia, giving parents an opportunity to learn from many of the same experts. Parents can hear presentations and, for those attending in person, sit down with clinicians during small-group roundtable discussions.

According to the website: “The MAPS Parent Conference was created in response to a growing need within our community for accessible, medically grounded education for parents navigating chronic complex conditions in their children. While MAPS is not a parent support group, we recognize that informed families are empowered families, and we are committed to providing education that helps parents better understand the medical, neurological, immunological, and developmental challenges their children may face.”

Roundtables give parents access to experts

John Gaitanis, MD, leads a roundtable discussion for parents at the Spring 2026 MAPS Conference.

On Saturday, parents can choose four roundtable topics and spend 30 minutes at each table with MAPS clinicians.

Several of the discussions may be especially relevant for families dealing with tick-borne diseases.

Lindsey Wells, ND, will lead the Lyme disease roundtable.

Scott Antoine, DO, will lead the Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and PANDAS roundtable.

Nancy O’Hara, MD, will lead a discussion on mold.

Lindsey Wells, ND, leads a roundtable discussion for parents at the 2026 MAPS Spring Conference.

Other roundtables include testing and labs, genetics, mitochondrial issues and seizures, detoxification, feeding and sleep issues, and other topics related to complex childhood illness.

I attended the MAPS Parent Conference last spring and saw firsthand how valuable that access can be. Parents I spoke with told me how helpful it was to ask questions and learn directly from experts in different areas.

Looking beyond behavior

This year’s conference theme, “Redefining Autism,” may seem less directly connected to Lyme disease, but there is an important overlap.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is diagnosed based on a child’s developmental history and behavior. There is no medical test, such as a blood test, that can diagnose ASD.

The conference takes a broader look at biological and medical factors that may contribute to or accompany a child’s symptoms and behaviors, including neurological and immune function, metabolism, biochemistry and, in some cases, infection.

That connection is important for Lyme families. Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections can affect the brain and nervous system and may cause changes in a child’s thinking, mood or behavior. Considering infection and other possible underlying causes may help provide a more complete picture of what a child is experiencing.

As part of the Parent Conference, pediatric neurologist John Gaitanis, MD, recently appointed director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health, will present “Is This Still Autism? Rethinking Kanner’s Syndrome in the Modern Era.”

Lindsey Wells, ND, will present “PANS or ASD?” addressing Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Register now for in-person and virtual option

The MAPS Fall 2026 Parent Conference will be held September 12–13 in Philadelphia. The Saturday roundtables are available to in-person attendees, and a virtual option is available for Sunday’s parent program.

If you know a healthcare provider who works with children with Lyme disease, PANS/PANDAS, autism or other complex conditions, consider sharing the MAPS clinician conference information with them as well.

Learn more about the MAPS Fall 2026 Parent Conference and clinician conference.

Terri McCormick is a writer and advocate with LymeDisease.org. She is the author of Being Misdiagnosed: Stories That Reveal the Hidden Epidemic of Lyme Disease. The book is available on Amazon and at TerriMcCormick.com.

Endnotes

1. Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs (MAPS). “FAQ.” Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs.
2. Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs (MAPS). Fall 2026 Conference and Parent Conference program information.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder.” Updated April 15, 2025.
4. Tager FA, Fallon BA, Keilp J, Rissenberg M, Jones CR, Liebowitz MR. “A Controlled Study of Cognitive Deficits in Children With Chronic Lyme Disease.” The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences. 2001;13(4):500–507. doi:10.1176/jnp.13.4.500.