Schools are the first places for early PANS/PANDAS diagnosis.

When my brother began presenting signs of PANDAS in 2011, my family and I were confused, panicked, and worried. The extremely happy, caring, and intelligent child we once knew had suddenly become unrecognizable. With severe anxiety, tics, and OCD, we simply could not understand what had happened. Having known him as a kind, high performing child, my brother’s school staff and principal had noticed the rapid change in behavior, but had failed to recognize his illness as PANDAS.

"But, can the OCD start so suddenly?" asked the school principal.

"Yes, I have seen in some cases." answered the psychologist.

Had the school staff known that "sudden" onset OCD could be a diagnostic criteria for PANS/PANDAS, my brother would have quickly gotten the treatment he needed instead of suffering 8 years of relapsing/remitting PANDAS.

Anoushka Aggarwal

Founder

Research has shown that at least 1 in 200 kids have PANS/PANDAS, with the average age of diagnosis being 4-13 years (elementary and middle school).

Schools for Pandas is a non-profit organization that spreads awareness in schools, specifically with school staff and school nurses, to watch for signs of PANS/PANDAS in their students.

PANS/ PANDAS usually has a “sudden” onset where there is a sudden decline in academic performance, increased anxiety in a previously non-anxious child, deterioration in handwriting, and sudden separation anxiety.

IVIG (Intravenous Immunoglobulin) is considered to be an appropriate first line of treatment for most moderate to severe PANS/PANDAS cases. However, this treatment can be upwards of thousands of dollars. As insurance companies to do not cover it, we are advocating for the coverage of IVIGs for PANS/PANDAS. Additionally, we are raising funds to disburse to families who desperately need IVIG treatment but cannot afford it (see “Donate” page).