Presentation Details
PANS/PANDAS Symptoms and Solutions in the School Setting
- Date: April 2nd, 2024
- Time: 3:00-5:00
- Join Via Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85003252706?pwd=abiFFHc769nNHc9heesP6uG24ZjV9w.1
- Presenter: Gabriella True, ASPIRE President
Please Note: Attendance will be taken during the meeting.
Presentation Description
- Key elements of the PANS diagnostic criteria
- Overview of PANS PANDAS symptoms
- Brief Medical overview
- What PANS looks like at school, how learning is affected
- Overview of school supports/accommodations
- Strategies for working with a student with PANS
Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Strep (PANDAS) are neuroimmune disorders that not only impact the physical health of a student but also cause psychological, neurological, behavioral, and developmental difficulties that ultimately affect a student’s ability to attend school and learn. Symptoms and symptom severity vary from student to student and even from flare to flare in the same student. As PANS & PANDAS are complex disorders, they require a multi-system approach to treatment. The goal of treatment is to achieve full recovery to prevent the student’s condition from becoming a chronic, debilitating illness. Treatment includes medical protocols as well as therapeutic practices. School accommodations are an essential component of a thorough and appropriate treatment approach.
Most PANS & PANDAS students require individualized school accommodations to some degree, ranging from an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to a 504 plan, to an Individualized Health Care Plan (ICHP) to non-formalized supports built into classroom-friendly strategies. The school’s multidisciplinary team benefits from an awareness of PANS PANDAS, the resulting impact on school performance, and the recommended support.
Presentation Resources
Please contact Gabriella True to
- Set up a School Nurse and/or Educator Overview in-services for your school or district
- Access PANS PANDAS School In-Service Lecture Resources
- Including links to previously recorded School Nurse and/or Educator Overview in-services
Toolkit and Handouts
- Comprehensive School Toolkit
- Current Resources for Providers Toolkit
- PANS in the School Setting Handout
- School Nurse Overview on PANS Handout
About the Presenter
Gabriella True, ASPIRE President
Gabriella True is the president of the nonprofit ASPIRE, Alliance to Solve PANS & Immune-Related Encephalopathies, which she helped found in 2019. ASPIRE’s founding board came together to form ASPIRE to ensure there was a strong national nonprofit coordinating awareness and advocacy efforts at the local, state, and regional levels. She has been a leader in the PANS and autism communities since 2008. She was the president of the New England PANS/PANDAS Association (NEPANS) from 2015 to 2018. Gabriella led the Connecticut PANS PANDAS Partnership (CTPPP), a Connecticut-based support and awareness group. She also sat on the PANDAS/PANS Advisory Council of the Department of Health for Connecticut. In addition to her work in the PANS community, Gabriella is also The Autism Community in Action (TACA) Connecticut Chapter Coordinator and has volunteered for over ten years. Gabriella is a parent to two children with PANS, one of whom has autism. Gabriella has a Bachelor of Arts and has worked as a merchandise planner at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Saks Fifth Avenue.
Gabriella True
