Concussion Policy

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Information for Parents

A  child or teen with a concussion needs to be seen by a medical provider.  If you think your child or teen has a concussion, contact his or her  health care professional.

If the concussion happens while playing sports, you should also:

1. Remove the child from play.
2. Keep  the child out of play the day of the injury and until a medical  provider, experienced in evaluating for concussion, says he or she is  symptom-free and it’s OK to return to play.

Children or  teens who return to play too soon—while the brain is still healing—risk a  greater chance of having a repeat concussion. Repeat or later  concussions can be very serious. They can cause permanent brain damage,  affecting your child for a lifetime.

Most  kids and teens who have a concussion are treated in the emergency  department or a medical office and get to go home. Through telemedicine  or telehealth services, patients may get checked for concussion symptoms  and get recovery tips without needing to travel to a medical office or  hospital. You may consider using telemedicine or telehealth services if  you are unable to visit a healthcare provider in person. Telemedicine and telehealth servicesexternal icon connect patients and their healthcare providers through a phone or  video chat. Your healthcare provider can identify whether these services  are available to you.

Patients experiencing concussion danger signs should seek care right away at an emergency department. When the injury  is more serious, your child or teen may need to stay in the hospital  overnight.

Be sure to  tell the medical provider if your child or teen is taking  medications—prescription, over-the-counter medicines, or “natural  remedies.” When possible, also write down and share the following  information:

• Cause of the injury and force of the hit or blow to the head or body
• Any loss of consciousness (passed out/knocked out) and if so, for how long
• Any memory loss right after the injury
• Any seizures right after the injury
• Number of previous concussions (if any)

Your  child or teen’s medical provider may do a scan of his or her brain  (such as a CT scan) to look for signs of a more serious brain injury.  Other tests such as “neuropsychological” or “neurocognitive” tests may  also be performed. These tests help assess your child or teen’s learning  and memory skills, the ability to pay attention or concentrate, and how  quickly he or she can think and solve problems. These tests can help  the child’s medical provider identify the effects of the concussion.

Ask  for written instructions from the young athlete’s health care provider  on return to play. These instructions should include information about  when they can return to play and what steps you should take to help them  safely return to play. Before returning to play an athlete should:

• Be back to doing their regular school activities.
• Not have any symptoms from the injury when doing normal activities.
• Have the green-light from their health care provider to begin the return to play process.

Information for Coaches

If you think an athlete has a concussion, implement the HEADS UP Action Plan:

Remove from Play

Remove the young athlete from play. When it doubt, sit them out!

Seek Medical Attention

Keep  a young athlete with a possible concussion out of play the same day of  the injury and until cleared by a health care provider. Do not try to  judge the severity of the injury yourself. Only a health care provider  should assess a young athlete for a possible concussion. After you  remove a young athlete with a possible concussion from practice or play,  the decision about return to practice or play is a medical decision  that should be made by a health care provider. As a coach, recording the  following information can help a health care provider in assessing the  young athlete after the injury:

• Cause of the injury and force of the hit or blow to the head or body
• Any loss of consciousness (passed out/knocked out) and if so, for how long
• Any memory loss right after the injury
• Any seizures right after the injury
• Number of previous concussions (if any)

Inform and Educate Parents

Inform  the young athlete’s parent(s) about the possible concussion, and give  them the HEADS UP fact sheet for parents. This fact sheet can help  parents watch the young athlete for concussion signs or symptoms that  may show up or get worse once the young athlete is at home or returns to  school.

Customize and download PDFs with your team’s colors and logo.

Parents Fact Sheet pdf icon[PDF – 265K]Hoja Informativa para los Padres pdf icon[PDF – 410K]

Fact Sheet for Parents pdf icon[PDF – 273K]Hoja Informativa para los Padres pdf icon[PDF – 374K]Get Written Concussion Care Instructions

Ask  for written instructions from the young athlete’s health care provider  on return to play. These instructions should include information about  when they can return to play and what steps you should take to help them  safely return to play. Before returning to play an athlete should:

• Be back to doing their regular school activities.
• Not have any symptoms from the injury when doing normal activities.
• Have the green-light from their health care provider to begin the return to play process.