Dist. 203 focusing on return to classroom after concussion
The discussion around student-athlete concussions long has centered on procedures for safely returning to game play.
But now school districts, including Naperville Unit District 203, are beginning to focus on how concussions impact learning and the procedures that must be established by next school year for students returning to full classroom activities after such an injury.
District 203 officials on Monday announced creation of a concussion oversight team, which is required under a new state law Gov. Bruce Rauner signed in August. The team will develop a return-to-learn protocol, analyze district-level concussion data and make sure the best practices are in place to "ensure students receive comprehensive support from their school to address both their physical and cognitive needs while their brains are recovering from a concussion injury," said Jeanette Harris, nursing services coordinator.
Just as a student's return to playing sports after a concussion occurs in several levels of slowly building practice activities, Harris said a student's return to full learning activities comes in phases.
Depending on the severity of concussion symptoms, she said a student could need to stay home from school for a couple of days, then could need accommodations such as extra time to complete assignments, modified classwork or time to rest in the nursing office.
Harris said school nurses already coordinate with doctors, parents and teachers of students who have suffered concussions to check on their recovery and make sure accommodations are provided as long as they are needed. So the district already is meeting many elements of the new law.
But the concussion oversight team plans to bring a new policy to the school board in the spring to further address return-to-learn specifics. The team, which includes University of Chicago Medicine sports medicine Dr. Holly Benjamin as well as athletic directors from both high schools, met for the first time last week.
School board member Mike Jaensch said the district's concussion totals from August to November were higher than he expected at 90 reported among high school students, 23 among the junior high population and 10 among elementary schoolers.
School board members said they want to know which sports have the most concussions and how the number of concussions students suffer breaks down by gender.
Harris said the concussion team will look into those stats as it works on creating a return-to-learn protocol and putting it in writing.
Once new return-to-learn protocols are established, she said the new law requires student-athletes who have suffered concussions not to begin playing sports again until all steps have been completed.