National Autism Association

10/09/2026

Today is PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day. 💚

PANS and PANDAS can cause sudden, dramatic changes in a child’s behavior and functioning, including OCD, severe anxiety, tics, sleep or eating changes, urinary symptoms, regression, and difficulty at school.

PANS involves the abrupt onset of OCD or severely restricted eating along with other neuropsychiatric symptoms. PANDAS is associated with Group A strep infection and can involve sudden OCD and/or tics.

These symptoms can have many causes, but sudden changes deserve prompt medical evaluation and greater awareness can help families get answers sooner.

10/08/2026

Someone with autism means the world to so many of us. 💙🌎 Whether it’s your child, sibling, grandchild, friend, student, coworker, or someone else you love, they make our world brighter just by being themselves.

10/07/2026

Helping prepare autistic individuals for interactions with law enforcement can make a meaningful difference. 💙

NAA’s Meet the Policeguide offers information for parents and caregivers to help support safer, more positive interactions with local law enforcement.

Download it FREE as part of our Safety Toolkit Series at nationalautismassociation.org/downloadable-resources.

10/05/2026

For families who have spent years navigating sleep struggles, a good night’s sleep can feel life-changing. 💙

After years of Ryker sleeping only 2–3 hours a night, his mom Haley shared that he was treated for PANS by a MAPS clinician. For about three weeks, he slept 13 hours a night—and he now regularly sleeps a solid 8–10 hours.

That’s a milestone worth celebrating! Better sleep can make a world of difference for a child and the entire family.

Has your child reached a milestone that once felt impossible? We’d love to celebrate with you. 💙 Comment below and we may feature your story next.

10/02/2026

26-year-old Westfield, MA man, Timofey Gavrilyuk is still missing. He is nonspeaking and has autistic catatonia tendencies, though he understands speech and other forms of communication.

"Timofey Gavrilyuk is five feet eight inches tall, weighs 150 pounds and has short brown hair and bluish-green eyes. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie over a gray, plaid fleece button-down shirt, black sweatpants and black leather sneakers with white soles. He was carrying a birch basket and a small red paring knife that he uses when foraging for mushrooms and berries with his family."

If seen, police advise maintaining a calm and comforting demeanor and contacting authorities immediately.

The family of a missing 26-year-old Westfield man is speaking out as multi-agency search efforts continue following his disappearance on Sept. 24.

10/01/2026

🌟 Did you know you can watch replays for free at any time? From haircuts and toilet training to IEPS and dating-- we've called in the experts! Let us know what you'd like to learn about next. Link in the comments below.

/PANDAS

09/30/2026

What feels small to one person can feel overwhelming to another.

For many autistic people, sensory input builds throughout the day until one more sound, light, touch, or surprise is simply too much. Recognizing sensory overload helps us respond with patience instead of frustration
What helps your loved one reset when it all gets to be too much? Share below. Your tip might help another family today.

09/29/2026

We are so happy when we can highlight a wandering story with a happy ending. 💙

After a weeklong search, 24-year-old Alex Shear was found alive. He was cold and hungry, but otherwise okay. We are incredibly thankful for this outcome and for everyone who helped bring Alex home safely.

Learn more about autism and wandering/elopement, including prevention and response resources, on our website: nationalautism.org



https://wvmetronews.com/2026/09/29/missing-autistic-man-found-alive-in-boone-county/

After seven days missing, 24-year old Alex Shear walked out of the woods on Price's Branch in Danville this morning about 7:30 a.m.

09/29/2026

MISSING AUTISTIC ADULT – WESTFIELD, MA
Please share and help bring Timofey home safely.

Timofey Gavrilyuk, 29, is autistic and non-speaking and has been missing since September 24. He was last seen around 7 PM near Service Star Industrial Way and Egleston Road.

As of September 28, Timofey has still not been located and there have been no confirmed sightings.

Residents in the area are being asked to check security cameras, trail cameras, sheds, and other outbuildings.

Full details and updates are available at the link.

Anyone with information or a possible sighting should call the Westfield Police Department at (413) 562-5411.

09/28/2026

"I wanted to share a huge win with my daughter in hopes that it might help another family! Before we looked into her gut health, she was exhibiting a ton of intense sensory-seeking behaviors—she was constantly chewing on things, wanting to lay or read her books upside down, stimming frequently, and having these random, erratic bouts of laughing. We finally did some functional testing and discovered she had a major yeast overgrowth in her gut. We started treating it with Nystatin, and the change has been incredible. Once the yeast cleared up, almost all of those sensory behaviors and sudden mood swings either drastically lessened or completely went away.” - Kathy M.