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:
-
Attendance
-
Sensory overload
-
Deterioration in academic performance (including reading, writing and math)
-
Focus and attention make it difficult to complete classwork/homework.
-
Fine motor skills (handwriting and task completion)
-
Urinary frequency and control
-
Appetite and ability to eat throughout the day
-
Social Anxiety
-
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:
-
Attendance modifications which may include flexible arrival and departure times, daily delayed arrival, excused absences at the discretion of the parent.
-
Bathroom breaks per student’s discretion as urinary frequency is a common symptom in children with PANS/PANDAS.
-
Provide a quiet space for student to regroup throughout the day as needed.
-
Encourage and promote proper hand washing amongst students and regularly disinfect desks and frequently used items in the classroom.
-
Notify parents about increased infections within the school such as strep throat without identifying information regarding impacted students.
-
Provide flexibility around deadlines during flares or regressions.
-
Allow typing instead of written work if handwriting skills are impacted.
