Advocating for Californians Impacted by PANS/PANDAS
PANS/PANDAS
in the School Setting
Individualized Educational Plans:
Most students will require individualized school accommodations to some degree, ranging from an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to a 504 plan, to an Individualized Health Care Plan (IHCP).
How does PANS and PANDAS impact school performance?
Many PANS/PANDAS symptoms make school incredibly difficult for students. Anxiety, OCD, tics, fatigue, and other PANS/PANDAS symptoms can create difficulties when it comes to:
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Attendance
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Sensory overload
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Deterioration in academic performance (including reading, writing and math)
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Focus and attention make it difficult to complete classwork/homework.
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Fine motor skills (handwriting and task completion)
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Urinary frequency and control
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Appetite and ability to eat throughout the day
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Social Anxiety
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Remember, this is a Medical Condition that is extremely difficult on impacted children and families. School staff must be supportive and accommodating to families as a PANS/PANDAS diagnosis is life altering to students, siblings, parents, and caregivers.
Possible School Accomodations
Accommodations and modifications for PANS/PANDAS in the classroom may include:
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Attendance modifications which may include flexible arrival and departure times, daily delayed arrival, excused absences at the discretion of the parent.
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Bathroom breaks per student’s discretion as urinary frequency is a common symptom in children with PANS/PANDAS.
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Provide a quiet space for student to regroup throughout the day as needed.
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Encourage and promote proper hand washing amongst students and regularly disinfect desks and frequently used items in the classroom.
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Notify parents about increased infections within the school such as strep throat without identifying information regarding impacted students.
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Provide flexibility around deadlines during flares or regressions.
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Allow typing instead of written work if handwriting skills are impacted.