Concussion Awareness

Concussion

Concussion is term for a clinical diagnosis that is communicated by a physician or a nurse practitioner. School staff, board staff or volunteers cannot make a concussion diagnosis, but must advise students who are suspected of having sustained a concussion and their parents or guardians to seek a medical assessment by a physician or a nurse practitioner. The definition of a concussion given below is adapted from the definition provided in the concussion protocol in the Ontario Physical Activity Safety Standards in Education (OPASSE).

A concussion:

  • Is a brain injury that causes changes in the way in which the brain functions and that can lead to symptoms that can be physical (e.g., headache, dizziness), cognitive (e.g., difficulty in concentrating or remembering), emotional/behavioural (e.g., depression, irritability, and/or related to sleep (i.e.., drowsiness, difficulty in falling asleep);
  • May be caused either by a direct blow to the head, face or neck or by a flow to the body that transmits a force to the head that causes the brain to move rapidly within the skull;
  • Can occur even if there has been no loss of consciousness (in fact, most concussions occur without a loss of consciousness);
  • Cannot normally be seen by means of medical imaging tests, such as X-rays, standard computed tomography (CT) scans, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.

Concussion Signs and Symptoms

A concussion sign is something an individual will feel. A concussion symptom is something others may notice. There is no single indicator for concussion; the signs and/or symptoms can take time to appear. A concussion cannot be seen and some individuals may not experience or report symptoms until hours or days after the injury; these can become more noticeable during activities requiring concentration or during physical activities.

Medical doctors and nurse practitioners are the only healthcare professionals in Canada with licensed training and expertise to diagnose a concussion and provide Medical Clearance.

Concussion Awareness and Prevention Strategies

WCDSB requires all students who wish to participate in board sponsored inter-school athletics, to submit a complete copy of the Sport and Recreation Consent Form (APH027-01F) before a student may participate any board-sponsored interschool sport (tryout, practice, game, competition). Students and parents/guardians, if the student is under 18 years of age, must confirm they have reviewed the Concussion Code of Conduct (Code of Conduct for Students-APH027-14F & Code of Conduct for Parents-APH027-15F) and Concussion Awareness Resource. It is the responsibility of the coach to ensure these forms are submitted prior to the student participating in the activity. All forms will be stored in a secure space with direct access to staff only and will be stored for seven years.

All coaches and trainers must confirm they have reviewed the Concussion Code of Conduct and Concussion Awareness resource by signing off with the school administrator on an annual basis, prior to participating in the activity (tryout, practice, game, competition).

WCDSB will participate in an annual concussion awareness event for students to be held on or around Rowan’s Law Day, which occurs on the last Wednesday in September. Planning for this event will be completed by the Superintendent of Learning responsible for Athletics and communicated to the system on an annual basis.

Resources