Webinars

Beyond the Diagnosis: Using Organic Acids Testing in Pediatric Anxiety, OCD, and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Publish Date

August 13, 2026

Overview

*This webinar was presented live on September 24, 2026.

Pediatric neurodevelopmental and mental health disorders are increasingly common, frequently overlap, and often require clinicians to look beyond the diagnostic label to understand potentially modifiable contributors to symptoms. This presentation will explore how a functional medicine approach, using Organic Acids Testing (OAT) as a clinical tool, can provide insight into areas including gut and microbial health, nutritional and metabolic status, methylation, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation. Through practical interpretation and pediatric case examples, attendees will learn how to translate these findings into individualized treatment strategies for children with anxiety, OCD, PANS, and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Objectives

After this presentation, attendees will be able to:

  1. Describe the increasing prevalence and clinical complexity of pediatric neurodevelopmental and mental health disorders and recognize the value of evaluating potentially modifiable contributors to symptoms.
  2. Apply a functional medicine framework to Organic Acids Testing to assess key areas of pediatric health, including gut and microbial balance, nutritional and metabolic status, methylation, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation.
  3. Integrate Organic Acids Test findings with the clinical presentation to develop practical, individualized treatment strategies for pediatric patients with anxiety, OCD, PANS, and neurodevelopmental disorders.

About the Author

Dr. Emily Gutierrez, DNP, PNP-C, APRN, PCMHS, FMCP-M, CCN, FMAPS

Dr. Emily Gutierrez is a doctorally prepared pediatric nurse practitioner with formal education from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Texas at Austin. She holds board certifications in functional medicine, clinical nutrition, and primary care mental health, and is a fellow of the Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs. Her clinical focus is integrative and functional medicine for children with complex neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions. She is the founder and owner of Neuronutrition Associates, where she maintains an active clinical practice, and Neuro Nutrients, a professional supplement company developed from more than a decade of clinical experience in functional medicine.