Safety advocates and the media as a whole have done an admirable job raising awareness about the danger posed by concussions. Nowhere is such awareness more important than when it comes to student athletes. Every sports league and team out there hopefully understands that a child suspected of suffering a concussion must come out of the game immediately. That child must receive an evaluation from a medical professional, and he or she must stay out of the game until approval is given by that same healthcare provider.
What’s less readily understood is when a child is going to be ready to go to school after suffering a concussion. Yes, most children hopefully are not being exposed to impactful bumps to the head in a classroom setting, but it’s not just blunt force trauma that could be dangerous to a concussed child. Intense concentration on school subjects can actually limit a child’s ability to recover from a concussion, causing them to experience things like dizziness, intense pain, nausea, and more.
Thankfully, a new report finds one doctor relating some important guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics focused on helping parents determine when the time is right to send a concussed child back to school.
If you suspect your child has suffered a concussion, make sure to seek medical attention right away. At a sporting event, don’t even wait until the end of the game to get help. Otherwise, your child could experience such deleterious side effects as headaches, concentration issues, sleep problems, light sensitivity, and more.
When it’s determined that your child has experienced a concussion, you should speak with a doctor to alight upon the right course of action and a timeframe at which the child can be expected to safely return to school. Oftentimes, this will require vigilance from a parent, as the amount of recovery time will vary from child to child.
The report notes that a child being able to concentrate 30 to 45 minutes is probably ready for school, considering that most classes are around that long. Teachers may need to be informed of the condition so that they’re prepared for a child who needs to rest because they don’t feel well, and a doctor’s note isn’t a bad idea so that the child isn’t expected to participate in physical activities.Informing teachers also makes it easier to allow the child to ramp up their homework allotment gradually rather than being expected to carry out intensive assignments.
Finally, if a child still isn’t feeling well after a few weeks, another visit to the doctor should be in order. A concussion expert may even need to be consulted.
About the author
