Tick Boot Camp Episode 562: Pediatric Lyme, Autism Regression, PANS/PANDAS & Root-Cause Healing | Dr. Somer DelSignore
In this powerful in-person interview at the Tick Boot Camp studio, Matt Sabatello sits down with Dr. Somer DelSignore, DNP, a board-certified pediatric practitioner specializing in Lyme disease, tick-borne co-infections, PANS/PANDAS, autoimmune and neuroimmune disorders, autism-like regression, and congenital tick-borne illness.
This episode is essential listening for parents who have been told to “wait and see,” families who have seen multiple specialists without answers, and anyone trying to understand how infection, inflammation, immune dysfunction, and nervous system imbalance can impact a child’s brain and development.
🎙 About Dr. Somer DelSignore
Dr. DelSignore began her career in traditional pediatric medicine before recognizing that many children with complex chronic illness could not be properly treated in 10–15 minute appointments.
Her clinical evolution accelerated after:
- Training with Dr. Richard Horowitz (tick-borne disease complexity and layered treatment strategies)
- Training with Dr. Kenneth Bock (autism and autoimmune encephalopathy patterns)
- Identifying the infectious and immune triggers driving neuropsychiatric symptoms
Today, she runs a private practice in upstate New York where she treats children (and a small cohort of adults) using a comprehensive, root-cause framework.
🧠 Autism, Lyme & Autoimmunity — Connecting the Dots
Dr. DelSignore explains that autism is often a cluster of symptoms, not a single-gene condition. In her clinical experience, many children experience immune-triggered neuroinflammation that presents as:
- OCD
- Anxiety
- Rage
- Intrusive thoughts
- Impulsivity
- Hallucinations
- Developmental regression
Lyme and co-infections such as Bartonella and Babesia can activate autoimmune responses that interfere with neurotransmitter signaling. When inflammation blocks receptors for dopamine and serotonin, psychiatric symptoms emerge.
Her message is clear:These symptoms are often biomedical — not simply behavioral.
🦠 Why “Root Cause” Is Rarely One Thing
Healing rarely comes down to one pathogen.
Children may present with overlapping contributors such as:
- Lyme disease and co-infections
- Mold and mycotoxins
- Heavy metals
- Epigenetic pathway dysfunction
- Detox impairment
- Nervous system dysregulation
Dr. DelSignore emphasizes layered pattern recognition and systematic evaluation rather than single-diagnosis thinking.
🧬 Treatment Approach: Layered, Sequenced & Individualized
There is no cookie-cutter protocol.
Her framework may include:
- Targeted antibiotic combinations
- Herbal antimicrobials
- Biofilm and fibrin support
- Gut protection from day one
- Detox support (liver, kidney, lymphatic)
- Ozone therapy
- SOT (gene-silencing therapy)
- IVIG for autoimmune modulation (when appropriate)
- Plasmapheresis referral
- Regenerative PRP strategies
Sequencing matters. Some children require detox and nervous system stabilization before antimicrobial treatment begins.
🧱 Biofilms & Tissue Infection
Dr. DelSignore confirms:
- Biofilms are real and clinically significant
- Microbes communicate and protect one another
- Chronic infections often reside in tissue, not just blood
- Killing pathogens without detox support can worsen flares
Her philosophy:Eliminate pathogens while simultaneously rebuilding the body.
🌿 Detox, Regeneration & the Nervous System
Pathogen elimination is only part of recovery.
Healing also requires:
- Supporting liver and kidney detox pathways
- Encouraging lymphatic flow
- Gentle sauna when tolerated
- Epsom salt baths
- Breathwork and box breathing
- Vagus nerve stimulation
- Nervous system retraining
Many children are stuck in chronic sympathetic (“fight-or-flight”) mode. True recovery requires shifting into parasympathetic “rest and repair.”
❤️ A Story of Hope
Dr. DelSignore shares the case of a child born with congenital tick-borne infections who:
- Was non-verbal
- Required feeding tube support
- Was diagnosed with autism
After comprehensive treatment and immune regulation, the child:
- Became verbal
- Engaged socially
- Reached developmental milestones
- Thrives in school
It’s a reminder that recovery is possible—even in severe presentations.
🏥 The Care Coordination Challenge
Families often see 10–15 specialists before reaching her office.
Dr. DelSignore stresses the importance of:
- A “medical home”
- One lead clinician acting as quarterback
- Coordinated communication among providers
She also discusses the urgent need for legislative and insurance reform to support time-intensive chronic illness care.
🌎 Looking Forward
Dr. DelSignore hopes for:
- Increased research funding
- Broader recognition of infection-driven neuroinflammation
- Earlier pediatric intervention
- A shift toward prevention and health-promotion medicine
Her belief: When properly supported, the body can heal.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Trust parental intuition
- Neuropsychiatric symptoms may be immune-driven
- Detox and gut health are foundational
- Nervous system regulation is critical
- Healing is possible—even in complex cases