Concussion recovery and returning to school
Everyone’s experience with concussion is different. How a person recovers from a concussion and the type of support and care they need may vary in order to optimally help them return to daily life, including school.5 Returning to school and being able to handle the demands of school-based activities must take place before returning to play or sports. Returning to school and play are gradual processes.
As a Concussion Champion, encourage your student with concussion to get sleep, conserve their energy, take time for a break and eat healthy.
Looking for strategies and tools that might help your student recover from their concussion? Download the ‘Concussion & You Handbook‘ created by the Concussion Centre at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital to help your student get started.
As a Concussion Champion, it is important for you to focus on developing and implementing the right educational supports for the student in a way that aligns with the recommendations made by their doctor and/or healthcare team.
Students may have setbacks during their recovery. As a result, they require ongoing monitoring and support. Understanding that students may require more and/or different supports at different times can go a long way. This can help students participate in school activities to the best of their abilities without provoking symptoms at each stage of recovery. Differentiated support allows students to participate to the best of their abilities during recovery. Providing support at school can include modifying the environment, adapting approaches to instruction and exploring alternative methods for assessment and evaluation.
Watch this!
Tune in to Maddy as she shares how her teachers made it easier for her to come back to school after her concussion.
Resources
Try this!
Parachute Canada has a ‘Concussion Guide for Teachers’ to help support students through the return-to-school process after a concussion.
Not sure how to best support your student with a concussion in the classroom? Check out these examples of classroom supports.
Try this!
Need some tools to help guide the return-to-school process for students?
Check out these tools:
- Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT)
- Nationwide Children’s Hospital: Educator’s Guide to Concussion in the Classroom
An important note!
Before a student returns to sports or risky activities, they should have:
- Returned to school and be able to handle the full academic workload;
- Completed a return-to-play protocol; and
- Received medical clearance
For more information, see OPHEA and Parachute Canada’s Return to School and Return to Physical Activity Stages as an example of a resource to guide you through this process.
Helpful links:
Want more ideas on classroom supports you can provide to a student after a concussion? Here are some resources to check out:
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
- Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT):
- Ontario Physical Health Education Association:
- Parachute Canada: Concussion protocol resources for schools
- Nationwide Children’s Hospital: An Educator’s Guide to Concussions in the Classroom
For more information on returning to all activities including school, check out these resources: