Colorado Kids with Brain Injury

How do you hear about a student’s concussion?

• Parents
• Teachers
• Attendance Secretary
• Student
• Athletic Trainer

Educating your school staff to listen for key words (head hit, dizzy, vomiting, etc) can help identify those students who sustained a concussion, but haven’t told anyone yet.  Sometimes a simple conversation between your health tech/teacher/school staff and the student who is “not feeling well” can identify a previous injury or other reasons why the student is not feeling well.

Now that you have identified a concussion what do you do with that information?

• The entire school building does not need to know about every students injury.  However, the school staff that works with that student plus an administrator does.
• Communication between the student, family, healthcare provider, and school staff is imperative to be able to understand the students symptoms in all areas.  If the student is still needing adjustments at school, and not showing any physical symptoms, then the provider will only hear of 1 area of impact. A medical release of information will be needed.
• Different behaviors can also be a symptom of a concussion.  Behaviors such as loud outbursts, being very emotional, etc.  It is important to advise the family and healthcare provider so a fully informed discussion regarding concussion clearance can be completed.

A student does NOT need a prescription or written instructions from a healthcare provider to Return to School / Return to Learn.  The student should not be absent from school for a prolonged period following their injury.  The school’s concussion management team can support the student with physical symptoms and with their academics only when they have returned to the school setting.

Symptom – Health tech, Nurse or anyone that serves students when they go into the health room would be the best person to monitor the students symptoms.  It is best practice to review the student’s symptoms once weekly.  This should be a conversation to help develop a relationship with the student, NOT a checklist given to the student to fill out.

Academic – A counselor or teacher should help the student to monitor their academics

Missing assignments and not feeling well can be overwhelming. Having someone the student can discuss school work with and help streamline the work can be helpful.

MENTAL HEALTH MONITORING

Mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, poor problem-solving skills, and considerations aligned with suicide risk can be associated with a traumatic brain injury in children.  More than two in five (44.4%) TBI-related deaths were attributable to intentional causes (suicide and homicide). Suicide was the leading category or tied for the leading category of TBI-related deaths in 43 states in 2020. (Schuchat, et al, 2016)

Due to the serious increase of mental health issues and overall increased risk of suicide, it is important to begin mental health monitoring with the student as soon as you are aware of their injury.  This monitoring should continue even after their concussion has been marked as cleared.

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