What conditions do you treat?

We specialize in psychosis, schizophrenia, autism, and OCD — along with co-occurring mood and anxiety conditions. Our team is trained in the latest evidence-based approaches for each, from early intervention to complex, later-stage care.

We specialize in teens (13–17) and young adults (18–35) with early or established thought disorders, including co-occurring conditions like Autism, OCD, anxiety, and depression.

What is Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC)?

CSC is an evidence-based, team-delivered model validated by the NIMH RAISE studies. It combines psychiatry, individual therapy, family psychoeducation, supported employment/education, and case management.

Do you accept insurance?

We are out-of-network, although we work with most major commercial plans. Contact our team for a free benefits check and consultation.

Do you offer telehealth?

Yes. Many services are available via secure telehealth across California, alongside in-person programming at our Los Angeles offices.

How do I get started?

Call 888-710-PAND or request a free consultation. We'll help you understand what you are seeing and match you to the right care pathway.

Can an autistic person also develop schizophrenia?

Yes. Autism and schizophrenia are separate diagnoses that can co-occur. Population studies estimate psychosis-spectrum disorders occur in roughly 3 to 8 percent of autistic people, several times the general-population rate, and DSM-5 explicitly permits both diagnoses when psychotic symptoms are present.

How do clinicians tell autism apart from schizophrenia?

Trajectory is the strongest signal. Autism is present from early childhood and stable over time, while schizophrenia typically emerges in late adolescence or early adulthood after a period of decline from a prior level of functioning. Hallucinations and delusions are core to schizophrenia and rare in autism alone; restricted interests, sensory differences, and lifelong social-communication differences point to autism.

Are intense special interests the same as delusions?

No. A special interest is an enduring, reality-based passion that the person can describe flexibly and that often supports wellbeing. A delusion is a fixed false belief held with conviction despite contrary evidence, usually distressing, and typically newer in onset. Distinguishing the two requires asking how the belief formed, how firmly it is held, and whether it can be questioned.

What is a mirror phenotype, and why does it matter?

Some genetic variants produce opposite effects depending on their direction. The 16p11.2 locus is the clearest example: deletions are associated with autism and macrocephaly, while duplications are associated with schizophrenia and microcephaly. These mirror phenotypes show the two conditions share biological pathways while diverging in expression.

Does treatment change when both conditions are present?

Yes. Antipsychotic medication is used at lower starting doses with slower titration because autistic people are often more sensitive to side effects. Psychosocial care is adapted too: therapy is more concrete and visual, social-skills work such as PEERS continues alongside psychosis care, and sensory needs are accommodated rather than treated as symptoms.

When should a family seek an evaluation?

Seek assessment when an autistic teen or young adult shows a clear change from their baseline: new suspiciousness, hearing or seeing things others do not, speech that becomes hard to follow, withdrawal from previously valued interests, or a drop in school or work functioning. Early assessment shortens the duration of untreated psychosis and improves outcomes.

Out-of-network with most major insurers — talk with our admissions team to get started.

Why Pand...

What We Treat

OUR CORE SPECIALTY IS THE PSYCHOSIS SPECTRUM — with deep expertise in the co-occurring neurodivergent and mood conditions that often complicate diagnosis and recovery.

Psychosis Spectrum

Core Specialty

Co-occurring Conditions

Co-Occurring

Neurodivergent and mood conditions are frequently overlooked yet intertwined with psychosis-spectrum care.View all

Co-occurring Autism and Thought Disorders

Bridges and barriers: exploring the historical conflation, clinical divergence, and biological mirror-phenotypes of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Schizophrenia.

The history of ASD and SCZ is a century-long journey from total diagnostic conflation to strict empirical separation. Initially coined by Eugen Bleuler to describe a symptom of schizophrenia, "autism" has evolved from a psychoanalytic defense mechanism into a recognized neurodevelopmental identity. This section traces the shift from viewing autism as "childhood schizophrenia" to the modern neurodiversity paradigm.

1911—1970: The Era of Conflation

1911
Bleuler's Autismus
A symptom of schizophrenia defined as a "withdrawal from reality."
1952
DSM-I & II
Autism classified under "Schizophrenic reaction, childhood type."

1980—Present: Partition & Diversity

1980
DSM-III
Infantile Autism becomes a distinct Pervasive Developmental Disorder.
2013
DSM-5 Consolidation
A single unified Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is established.

Frequently asked questions

Autism, psychosis, and where the two meet.