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For Schools

Young athletes are students first, and returning to school after an injury is as important – if not more so – as returning to the field of practice or play. It is important that teachers, school nurses, and school officials coordinate and monitor the treatment of injured students to be sure recovery is complete.

Facts:

All concussions are serious
Most concussions occur without loss of consciousness
Recognition and proper response to concussions when they first occur can help prevent further injury
When in doubt, sit them out

Returning to school:

Students who have been injured often need additional support to perform school activities during their recovery. After a concussion, teachers, nurses, counselors, school psychologists, and administrators should watch for:

Problems paying attention or concentrating
Problems remembering or learning new information
Longer time needed to complete tasks or assignments
Greater irritability and less ability to cope with stress
Increased symptoms (headache or fatigue) when doing schoolwork

The importance of full recovery:

Full recovery should be documented with an assessment by a healthcare professional before the student returns to a full academic schedule.

We define full recovery as:

No active post-concussive symptoms (physical and cognitive) at rest or with exertion
Neurocognitive functioning is back to pre-injury level
No problems with balance or coordination
No other associated medical or neurological complications

The risk of incomplete recovery:

Children or teens who still have symptoms and who return to school without a plan for supporting their learning are at risk for delayed recovery and at risk for ongoing problems with learning and performance. Please consult with a healthcare professional about any child or teen’s readiness to return to school.

What Children's National offers:

The Children’s National SCORE Concussion program partners with school officials across the DC/Maryland/Virginia region to support them in recognizing and responding to concussions in their student-athletes. If you are interested in learning about concussion education or further consultation please contact us.

Play Smart, Your Brain Matters

This year, Children’s National and MedStar were chosen as the first in the nation to receive funding to establish a concussion awareness training program that will help enforce the protocols of the District’s Athletic Concussion Protection Act of 2011.

Learn more about the Play Smart, Your Brain Matters program