Lyme pediatric specialist, Charles Ray Jones, MD, compiled a list of common symptoms of infection in his young patients:

• severe fatigue unrelieved by rest,

• insomnia,

• headaches,

• nausea,

• abdominal pain,

• impaired concentration,

• poor short-term memory,

• inability to sustain attention,

• difficulty thinking and expressing thoughts,

• difficulty reading and writing,

• being overwhelmed by schoolwork,

• difficulty making decisions,

• confusion,

• uncharacteristic behavior,

• outbursts and mood swings,

• fevers/chills,

• joint pain,

• dizziness,

• noise and light sensitivity.

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• How Lyme Disease can affect Children in School - "78% of the parents stated that their children experienced a fall in grade point average during the time of illness, 79% experienced a decrease in the number of friends. A quote from the CDC study sums up the magnitude of the problem: “Perhaps the greatest costs incurred by the study children were the social costs of the illness and its treatment. Schooling and extra-curricular learning activities were seriously interrupted for most children; often, children spent large blocks of time as semi-invalids, isolated from social groups and missing out on cultural, sports, and social activities. School performance of nearly all children fell, sometimes drastically, and in several instances was said to interfere with selection by colleges and universities.”  read more>

 

• The ABC’s of Lyme Disease - Important Information for Parents and Educators - Download printable brochure to share with parents and Educators. download here>

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• How Lyme Disease Affects Children and Learning - "There is an urgent need for Lyme disease education and awareness in the schools throughout the United States. In addition to the "ABC's of Lyme," and the new "Time for Lyme" video, Lyme professionals - physicians, psychotherapists, neuropsychologists, need to be seeking opportunities to provide in-service training to schools, so that teachers and other school professionals understand and appreciate the difficulties that face kids with Lyme every day. We need to call on the schools to help these children, and education is the key." read more>

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Additional Resources

​Controlled Study of Cognitive Deficits in Children With Chronic Lyme Disease.  read more>

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Identifying Lyme in Schools - A Guide for Educators. read more>