Your School Support Team
Key Points:
- Concussion injuries impact learning.
- A ‘Return to School Plan’ is intended to help manage your concussion symptoms and learning needs during recovery.
- There are many different members involved in your support team, including a central point person at school, who can act as a case manager and check in with you regularly.
Concussions Impact Learning
Proper management in school can speed up your recovery.
Your ‘Return to School Plan📝A plan created by your child's school team, to allow for their safe and successful reintegration back into school following concussion.’ will be created based on the symptoms you are experiencing from your concussion, and other factors that make you uniquely you.
Generally, it is recommended that you return to school and learning, before you return to sports.
Your medical team can guide you through the process, and work with you and your support team to make the process successful and less stressful.
Who can support you at school and what is everyone’s role?
Talk to your family, school team, and doctor/health care team for their input with school return planning. The following members of your team may be able to provide the following:
You/Student
Communicate your symptoms and feelings honestly to the team; Follow recommendations made by your doctor/health care team
Caregivers
Provide medical documentation to your school team as needed; Help you comply with all recommendations (medical and academic) to support recovery
School Administrator
May oversee the return to school plan; Help create and implement the student’s plan; Promote a concussion aware school culture, for both students and staff alike
School Counsellor
Help create the return to school plan and disseminate pertinent information to teachers; Modify course schedule and course selection, as appropriate; Provide support for your emotional needs
School Based Resource Teacher
Provide input/consultation/support to students experiencing persistent symptoms; Help formalize long term accommodations/adjustments for those students experiencing persistent symptoms
Classroom Teachers
Help create the return to school plan in a specific course - Follow recommended strategies/accommodations noted in the student’s return to school plan; Monitor and share information about the student’s progress
It’ll be helpful to have a central point person at school who can act as a case manager. The central point person may also:
- Document your return to school plan, share important information with your teachers, and oversee the return to school process
- Act as a central communicator between all team members in your support team
- Meet regularly with you to discuss progress, including both success and challenges
- Connect with your classroom teachers to provide and receive updates about your learning
- Re-evaluate and modify your school plan throughout your recovery
- Advocate on your behalf, and support you to advocate for yourself
It is important for you and your school team to meet and discuss how things are going once you return to school. Your doctor/medical team and caregiver(s) can also be part of this process.
Your school team will want to stay up to date with your progress so accommodations can be adjusted as needed.
It’ll be important for you to be honest about how you’re feeling and to express your readiness for increasing your activities in school, such as adding another class to your schedule.
Let your symptoms continue to be your guide - remember, you want to increase your activities gradually to ensure success!
Are you completing any coursework online?
If you are enrolled in any online coursework, remember to notify your online teachers of your injury.
Aside from avoiding screens during the first few days following your concussion (24-48 hours), it is not recommended that you completely avoid screen use. Start with short chunks of screen time, and add rest breaks in between. Then, over time, you can try to extend the period of time you are on your screens, while making the rest breaks shorter and less frequent.
You may also need to incorporate specific ‘online learning strategies’ while you are recovering from your concussion, like the ones included in this resource [PDF].