PANS : The Disease Formerly Known as PANDAS – a Major and Treatable Cause of Sudden Functional Regression in the Autistic Spectrum Child
PANDAS was initially proposed as a disease entity in the mid-1990’s by Dr. Swedo to describe children who developed the sudden onset of obsessive compulsive disorder and/or tics in temporal correlation with “strep throat” infection. Over time, it has become clear that the PANDAS model is too restrictive and it has been reformulated as Pediatric Acute Neuropsychiatric Syndrome. The author will discuss three children with ASD who experienced sudden and severe functional regression. Tami Giles will present her son's personal story.
Rosario Trifiletti, MD, PhD, MD, PhD
Dr. Trifiletti is a child neurologist and neuroscientist. He was formerly Chief of Child Neurology at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York, NY and UMDNJ-Newark. While at Newark he was the director on Neurology at the Autism Center of New Jersey. He has been intensely interested in PANDAS/PANS since 1997 and has experience with over a thousand patients with this disorder, many of whom also have an autistic spectrum disorder. He has authored over 80 peer-reviewed scientific papers and over 90 abstracts.
Tami Giles
Tami Giles, mom of a teen with Autism & PANDAS, will discuss her son’s story and research that connected her with Dr Trifiletti. Tami has been a leader in the push for appropriate medical/biomedical treatments for autism. Over the years, Tami has worn hats for many autism organizations, including ARI, Autism One, Unlocking Autism, A-Champ, and Generation Rescue, where she was the first ever Rescue Angel.
