It’s been almost fifteen years since the publication of my first book Saving Sammy: Curing the Boy Who Caught OCD brought widespread recognition and demand from parents that the medical community step up and recognize that infections cause behavioral symptoms and “mental illness” in children.  Parents have driven every change in this area of medicine to date whether it be publicity, legislation, conferences, or news reports.  The response by most of the medical community has been tepid at best.  Children, suffering for years, are relegated to psych drugs and institutions.  Sometimes, they die at their own hand.  Mothers of PANDAS/PANS children continue to be falsely accused and labeled medical child abusers.  Academic institutions cling to outdated rigid criteria whereby Sammy, the most famous PANDAS patient in the world who got sick 22 years ago, still today would not receive treatment for his underlying infection.  The PANDAS Physician Network (“PPN”) has finally issued a statement that the AAP must abandon its archaic refusal to include recommending a strep test when children present with “abrupt and dramatic” onset of OCD.  It’s a small step; but not enough from a network of doctors claiming to be committed to these sick children.  Most children do NOT wake up overnight as a completely different child.  Most parents CANNOT designate the exact two or three day timeframe when “it happened” much less be able to tie it to an infection.  And every one of those children will suffer as a result of too little too late.  The bigotry of academic medicine is appalling.  If you suspect your child has infection-based mental illness, do not take that child to one of the academic affiliated hospitals and expect to find help.  The only exceptions may be Stanford and UNC.  Otherwise, the orientation is to look for reasons to exclude your child from treatment, rather than being open to treat them.  Find a safe physician, who has a track record of recognizing and healing such children.  Protect yourself, your family, and your children while seeking appropriate care. https://www.keloland.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/714124461/aap-update-needed-abrupt-and-dramatic-onset-of-ocd-symptoms-warrant-strep-test/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2cY0w0f9iYe7brxcPuGcAjz69kuu_06Q4LmJzjNLpsRyznxB146dGUuss_aem_ATWTbNq6D2jT5jb6NyG5RLj4cbWgJ3jL3FPxxVDGyJ-x0McehhZWM1tjjlzB2mbPbkVbS6kPQnp2KUS7sPvuaz0Y