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Academic Reentry / Ready to Learn

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Kids are still sustaining concussions during COVID-19

Concussions don’t just happen to student-athletes, concussions happen to everyday students K-12.
Concussions don’t just cause headaches.
Concussions can cause learning and (sometimes) emotional/behavioral problems.
100% of students with a concussion must return to school even if they never return to sport.

The good news is that the majority of concussions heal within 1 to 4 weeks, especially with quick and simple supports from public and private schools.
Let us help your teachers learn strategies to support students as they Return to Learn following a concussion.
Get Schooled on Concussions flyer
Log into the Get Schooled on Concussion Alabama site here.
(Password: TACTalabama2020)
​​Are you ready to Get Schooled On Concussions?
The Alabama Head Injury Task Force and Alabama Department of Rehabilitation have launched our Return to Learn/Concussion Management System for Alabama Public and Private School Teachers K-12. Alabama State guidelines and legislation exists for Return to Play decisions after concussion. The Alabama Head Injury Task Force and ADRS realized a need for Return to Learn/Academic Re-entry Guidelines which include cognitive rest. Many other states are using the same Get Schooled on Concussions - Return to Learn Protocol which was developed by Dr. Karen McAvoy in Colorado. This tool is now in Alabama, sponsored by the ADRS Traumatic Brain Injury Program, www.getschooledonconcussions.com/alabama, and the Return to Learn Protocol, and it is called the TACT (Teacher Acute Concussion Tool). (Please see the flyer & one-pager below). The TACT includes short tutorial videos and educational cut sheets about concussions in the general education classroom and provides weekly email reminders to teachers.

If your public or private school system in Alabama would like more information, please contact: April Turner, State Head Injury Coordinator- Alabama Department of Rehabilitation, 334-293-7116.
Alabama TACT Flyer
Click image to download the Alabama TACT Flyer (PDF).
TACT Concussion Tool one-pager
Click image to download the TACT Concussion Tool one-pager (PDF).

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Academic Reentry

PUBLIC HEALTH BURDEN OF CHILDREN WITH TBI
Traumatic brain injury in children represents a significant public health burden in the United States according to the 2018 CDC Report to Congress: The Management of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in Children. A traumatic brain injury disrupts the normal functioning of the brain, and can be caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head, or a penetrating head injury. The leading cause of TBI-related emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and deaths for those 0-14 years of age were unintentional falls and being struck by or against an object, whereas for those 15-24 years of age, the leading causes were motor vehicle crashes and falls. Another common cause of TBI is sports and recreational activities which accounted for an estimated 325,000 TBI-related ED visits among children and teens in 2012. 

Effects of TBI

​EFFECTS OF TBI
TBI effects children differently than adults. An injury of any severity to the developing brain can disrupt a child’s developmental trajectory and may result in restrictions in school and participation in activities (e.g. sports). As result of TBI,  children can experience  changes in their  health, thinking,  and behavior  that affect  learning, self-regulation, and social participation, all of which  are important  in  becoming  productive adults.(1)
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While symptoms of a brain injury in children are similar to those experienced by adults, the functional impact can be very different.  Children are not little adults: the brain of a child is still developing. The cognitive impairments of children with brain injury may not be immediately obvious after the injury, but may become apparent as the child gets older. These implications can create lifetime challenges for living and learning for children, their families, schools and communities.(2)

 

Return to School

RETURN TO SCHOOL
When children with a brain injury return to school, their educational and emotional needs are very often different than before the injury. Their disability has happened suddenly and, in many instances, traumatically.  They can often remember how they were before the brain injury, which can bring on many emotional and social changes. The child’s family, friends, and teachers may also recall what the child was like before the injury, and may have trouble adjusting their expectations of the child. It is important to plan carefully for the child’s return to school (2).
 
In this section, you will find various resources for dealing with the most common implications of brain injury in children
  1. From: (Suggested Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). Report to Congress: The Management of Traumatic Brain Injury in Children, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control; Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention. Atlanta, GA.)
  2. From: The Brain Injury Association of America website
  3. Returning to School After TBI | BrainLine  ​​

Managing Concussion in the Classroom

Academic Re-Entry/Return to Learn

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the brain to move rapidly back and forth within the skull. For most students, (70%) concussion symptoms typically resolve within 28 days, However, a fraction of students may have on-going physical, cognitive, emotional or energy symptoms beyond this timeframe and may need academic accommodations provided via a Health Plan, a 504 Plan or in rare occasions, through an Individualized Education plan.

Academic Re-Entry/Return to Learn  has been implemented in Alabama to address Managing  Concussion in the Classroom.
 
Click the link below to learn more about Returning Students to School:  www.getschooledonconcussions.com   
REAP Program brochure

​Reap Program

REAP is a community-based model for Concussion Management.

Remove/Reduce • Educate • Adjust/Accommodate • Pace

​Click image to download the full REAP Program brochure. 
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  • Home
    • Contacts by Counties
  • TBI Awareness Month
  • For Consumers
  • COVID
  • Academic Reentry / Return to Learn
  • Concussion
  • Employment
  • Mental Health
  • Resources & Training
  • Veterans with TBI
  • Alabama Head Injury Task Force