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Concussions are a type of brain injury that are caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head that causes the brain to move rapidly back and forth resulting in a chemical imbalance that effects the proper function of the brain. A concussion can result in the following:
Temporary cognitive struggles can create anxiety in student athletes and their families. Students need support from those in all areas of their lives such as coaches, teachers, school administrative staff, medical providers and family. It is very important that we can all be on the same page to make returning to school smooth and effective.
Return to learning should be initiated by a licensed healthcare provider and a written plan should be generated for school staff to be able to assist and set up a plan at school.
There should be a primary point of contact at each school. This can be the school nurse, athletic trainer or school guidance counselor; this may differ by school.
There is no “cookie cutter” approach or length of time to recovering from concussions. For return to learning to be effective, all involved need to understand this and be flexible. The process will likely involve some trial and error.
Focus on mastery learning- completing schoolwork that shows the student has mastered a subject, not more. This focus on essential academic assignments reduces anxiety about falling behind in school when it is difficult for students to keep up with a full workload. Anxiety can be a factor in slower recovery if assignments mount up.
Early intervention – Starting to develop a plan early in the injury course – is helpful in many ways:
Phase 1- No school/complete cognitive rest
This phase is typically short lived- potentially just a few days.
Phase 2- School work at home before return to classroom
Phase 3- Partial school attendance with accommodations
The goal of this phase is to initially see how the student tolerates the school environment (classroom noise, hallways, lights). The student will need breaks from class even if only attending a few classes. As the student’s symptoms improve more time in class and more assignments will be tolerable without significant worsening of symptoms.
Students often struggle with classes with lots of new learning- math, foreign language and higher-level science. All parties must be patient with this process. The student may be equally as frustrated as the teachers by slow progress.
Phase 4- Full school attendance with accommodations
Phase 5- Full school attendance without accommodations
Phase 6- Full school attendance and return to sports/extracurricular activities
**Every student athlete will not necessarily need to go through each phase in their return to learning program. There will be individual variability, so flexibility is important. In milder cases, some students will not even need a return to learning plan.
**Students with longer recoveries may require a specialized learning plan such as a 504 plan or IEP.
Return to Learn after a Concussion: A Guide for Teachers and School Professionals. luriechildrens.org/sports
Andrea Dorsch, PHD
Chris Ladish, PHD
Kevin McKittrick, Psy.D.
Katrina Rayls, PHD
Chelsey Vadixx, PhD
"MultiCare Sports Concussion Program helps keep student athletes safe"
Center for Disease Control's
"Heads Up - Concussion in Youth Sports" Program