Treasure Coast Autism Project

10/31/2025

Read about the research via the link in the comments!

10/28/2025

10/26/2025

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2834486

10/22/2025

Our 2026 ECHO cohort will be finalized in the next week or two, but for now, there is still time to apply to join this free CME mentorship. We had an overwhelmingly positive response from the attendees of the first 25 didactics and we are excited to launch the second cohort in January with a special emphasis on PANS. neuroimmune.org/echo

10/13/2025

10/08/2025

Kids, COVID, and the Brain: What a New Case Series Found
Symptoms sound very similar to PANDAS/PANS

We’ve all heard about “long COVID,” but what does it look like in kids—especially when their original illness was mild? A new medical case series followed five children (ages 2–15) who had mild COVID at home and later developed neuropsychiatric symptoms—things like tics (eye blinking, grimaces), anxiety, sleep problems, and in one teen, a short psychotic episode that improved with treatment.

What’s striking:

Symptoms appeared weeks to months after the infection was over.

Scans and tests were mostly normal (EEGs, MRIs, bloodwork).

Therapies helped: cognitive behavioral therapy, speech/motor therapy for little ones, and medication for the teen.

Some kids improved a lot over time, but a few still had mild symptoms at follow-up.

Why might this happen?
The authors think it’s multifactorial—not just one cause. Possible pieces of the puzzle include:

Inflammation in the body or brain after the virus

The immune system getting confused and overreacting

Stress from the pandemic (isolation, school disruption) amplifying problems in vulnerable kids

Temporary shifts in brain chemicals tied to infection and stress

How common is this?
That’s still unclear. Different studies report very different numbers, and this paper covers only five cases. The bottom line: it can happen, even after mild illness, and more follow-up is needed to know how long symptoms last and which kids are at higher risk.

What can parents watch for?

New or worsening tics (frequent blinking, facial movements)

Irritability, anxiety, or big mood swings

Sleep trouble, attention problems, or “brain fog”

Changes in appetite, clinginess, or regression (like bed-wetting)

If you notice these after COVID, talk with your pediatrician. The good news: many kids improve with time and support, and therapies can make a real difference.

👉 Read the full article here: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9138973/

(Usual reminder: this isn’t medical advice—just a summary to spark awareness and conversation. If you’re worried about a child, please check in with a healthcare professional.)

10/06/2025

Today we launch PANS PANDAS Awareness Action Week! 💚

A simple way to join in: update your profile picture with an awareness frame. It’s a small step that helps spark big conversations. 👉 https://aspire.care/get-involved/pans-pandas-awareness-day/

How to do it:
✔️ Use the Canva template for the quickest option.
✔️ Or download the PNG frames from our site and add them with any photo app.

Stuck? We’ve got you! Just email your photo to info @ aspire.care (remove spaces), tell us which frame you’d like, and we’ll send it back ready to go.

Let’s show the world we stand together for PANS and PANDAS awareness! 🌟

09/23/2025

"My name is Rachel and it was early in the first lockdown when I got ill. I was 12 years old and the message at the time was that Covid didn’t affect children, so I believed it"Rachel now 18 is still living with symptoms such as crushing fatigue, brain fog, nausea, indigestion, bloating, body ache...

09/12/2025