PANS PANDAS UK

PANS PANDAS APPG writes to the Education Secretary

We are delighted to share that, during the inaugural meeting of the PANS PANDAS All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), members agreed to send a formal letter to the Secretary of State for Education, Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson, emphasising the urgent need for teacher training on PANS and PANDAS.  

The letter highlights several critical points:  

  • Limited awareness of PANS and PANDAS among professionals. 
  • The acute onset of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in children and young people with PANS and PANDAS, often with no prior indication of needs. 
  • The significant impact these conditions can have on school attendance. 
  • Challenges in accurately identifying and supporting fluctuating and evolving needs. 

 The APPG also outlines how addressing these issues aligns with priorities from recent government education reforms and it calls on the Department for Education to: 

  1. Implement dedicated training programs for teachers and educational professionals on identifying and responding to PANS and PANDAS. 
  2. Develop school guidance on adapting SEND provisions dynamically, in line with the acute and evolving nature of these conditions. 
  3. Facilitate stronger collaboration between the health, education, and social care sectors to ensure timely identification and intervention. 

Additionally, the APPG has invited the Department for Education to attend the next APPG meeting, where further evidence will be presented to underscore the necessity of prompt action. 

PANS PANDAS UK warmly welcomes this significant step towards improving educational outcomes for children and young people living with PANS and PANDAS. We extend our gratitude to the members of the APPG for their commitment to this cause. 

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Glossary

  • ADHD
    Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  • AE
    Auto-immune Encephalitis
  • ARFID
    Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
  • ASD
    Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • CAMHS
    Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
  • CBT
    Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
  • Dysgraphia
    difficulty writing by hand
  • EHCP
    Education, Health and Care Plan
  • Emotional Lability
    Rapid, and dramatic changes in mood (for example uncontrollable laughter to crying)
  • Enuresis
    wetting
  • GAS
    Group A Streptococcal infection
  • NHSE
    NHS England
  • NICE
    National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
  • OCD
    Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
  • PP
    PANS PANDAS
  • PPUK
    PANS PANDAS UK
  • PPN
    PANS Physicians Network
  • PPSG
    PANS PANDAS Steering Group
  • SENCo
    Special Educational Needs Coordinator
  • SIGN
    Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network to the glossary
  • Tic
    Sudden repetitive movement (motor tic) or sound (vocal tic) which is difficult or impossible to control