The Role of School Boards, Community Sports Organizations, and Centres

Pediatric concussion care for School boards, community sports organizations, and centres must ensure updated policies are in place to recognize and accommodate a child/adolescent who has sustained a concussion.

Publicize these policies widely among schools, staff, and sports organizations

• Schools and their staff should be ready to promote the child/adolescent’s safe and effective return-to-school.
• Immediate removal from play/activity is the first step in mitigating prolonged recovery.
• Allow the child/adolescent:
  • Enough time away from school and sport to begin cognitive recover
  • Accommodations to support cognitive deficits such as additional time for homework and/or exams during recovery

Links to toolkits that are useful for developing school board concussion policies:

• Ontario Ministry of Education School Board Policies for Concussion

• SCHOOLFirst Handbook: Enabling successful return to school for Canadian youth following a concussion (Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital)

• Pan-Canadian School Concussion Protocol Template: Concussion Protocol Harmonization Project

Links to tools that are useful for informing school policies:

• An Educator’s Guide to Concussions in the Classroom, 2nd Edition: Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH.

• Concussion Awareness Training Tool: CATT Online

• SCHOOLFirst Handbook: Enabling successful return to school for Canadian youth following a concussion (Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital)

• Parachute Concussion Series: Concussion Guide for Teachers

• Advice for gradually resuming activities after a concussion: Institut national d’excellence en sante et en services sociaux (INESSS – Québec) English handout / French handout

• Canadian Guideline on Concussion in Sport Medical Assessment Letter

Link to toolkits that are useful for developing sports organization policies:

• A roadmap for implementing concussion management policies and protocols in sport (Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine)

• Advice for gradually resuming activities after a concussion: Institut national d’excellence en sante et en services sociaux (INESSS – Québec) English handout / French handout

• Parachute: Canadian Guideline for Concussion in Sport

Links to tools that are useful for informing a policy for sports organizations:

• Parachute Concussion Series – After a Concussion: Return-to-Sport strategy

• 2016 Berlin Consensus in Sport Group Statement

• HEADS UP Concussion and Helmet Safety App (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

• Concussion Ed – Parachute Concussion Education

• Advice for gradually resuming activities after a concussion: Institut national d’excellence en sante et en services sociaux (INESSS – Québec) English handout / French handout

• Canadian Guideline on Concussion in Sport Pre-Season Education Sheet (Parachute)

• Concussion Recognition Tool 5. To help identify concussion in children, adolescents, and adults

• Canadian Guideline on Concussion in Sport Medical Assessment Letter