As a PANS/PANDAS organization, our involvement is important. PANS/PANDAS can occur in autistic individuals, and the Plan’s increased attention to co-occurring medical conditions and neurodevelopmental regression creates an important opportunity to investigate the role that infection, immune dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and other neuroimmune processes may play in some cases of regression and significant changes in functioning.
We also do not support efforts to stall implementation of the Strategic Plan. The Plan reflects years of stakeholder engagement, scientific evidence, lived experience, and public comment, including extraordinary participation from families and advocates this year. The needs identified through this process have been documented for far too long without adequate action.
There is more work to be done, and there will always be areas where members of our diverse communities disagree. But delaying implementation does not move research, care, or support forward.
We cannot go backward. We must move forward.
Setting the Record Straight on the 2026–2028 IACC Strategic Plan
There has been significant discussion about what the newly adopted IACC Strategic Plan does and does not say. This infographic addresses several of the claims being made about the Plan, including its approach to research, intellectual disability, services and supports, public input, and federal action.
For ASPIRE, this conversation is particularly important. PANS/PANDAS can occur in autistic individuals, and we have long advocated for greater recognition of the medical and neuroimmune issues that can affect neurodevelopmental health. The Plan expands attention to co-occurring medical conditions, neurodevelopmental regression, immune and other biological research, and the needs of autistic people with complex support needs.
Different perspectives within the autism community should be heard. At the same time, disagreement should be based on what the Plan actually says and what occurred during the public process.
ASPIRE supports the 2026–2028 IACC Strategic Plan and moving forward with its implementation. Families have waited long enough for many of these issues to receive meaningful federal attention.
We cannot go backward. We must move forward.
#Autism #PANSPANDAS #IACC
Gabriella True
