Management of Concussion in Secondary Schools

The Virginia Athletic Trainers' Association (VATA) encourages Virginia's secondary school athletic trainers to be proactive in managing concussion within your schools. Athletic trainers working in the secondary school are uniquely positioned to facilitate concussion management from medical, academic and athletic perspectives.

Effective Concussion Management Strategies (PowerPoint)

Suggested Talking Points for Athletic Trainers Related to Virginia's Concussion Law (pdf)

Here are additional resources to aid your efforts:

Concussion Management from a Medical Perspective

• Virginia Academy of Family Physician’s (VAFP) Concussion Education Materials
  A collection of very good resource materials for physicians, especially those working as team physicians. Athletic Trainers are strongly encourage to review this information with your team physicians
• Acute Concussion Evaluation (ACE) Care Plan (pdf)
• Sports Concussion Assessment Tool 2 (SCAT 2) (pdf)
• SCAT 2 Pocket Card (pdf)

Concussion Management from an Educational Perspective

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Heads Up Concussion Materials

• For Teachers/Counselors/School Nurses- Heads Up to Schools: Know Your Concussion ABCs
  Excellent resources to share with your school faculty and staff. Given the potential academic consequences of concussion, athletic trainers are strongly encouraged to proactively share these materials with teachers, counselors and school nurses.

Concussion Management from an Athletic Perspective

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Heads Up Concussion Materials

• For coaches- Heads Up: Concussion in High School Sports
  Excellent collection of resources for coaches. Offers tools to help coaches identify suspected concussion in student athletes.
• Online Training Course
  

National Federation of High Schools (NFHS): Concussion in Sports- What You Need to Know

• Online training course

Virginia High School League

• Presentation at the VIAAA annual meeting by VHSL staff (pdf)
  

Guidelines for Concussions in Secondary School Student-Athletes

The Department of Education has just published the finalized guidelines, which will take effect July 1, 2011. Download the Guidelines (pdf)

Now that the Board of Education has adopted the concussion guidelines, local school boards can begin the process of developing concussion policies for local school divisions.

As with all other legislative mandates, the State School Board Association will develop and distribute model policies to local school boards to assist them in developing their concussion policies.

This is a great opportunity for athletic trainers to take a leadership role in protecting student health and safety! This concussion law provides school-based athletic trainers with an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate our value as medical professionals and the critical role we play in concussion management. Please review the presentation from the 2011 VATA annual meeting (pdf) for additional information.

Remember that the Virginia licensed athletic trainer is recognized as an "Appropriate Licensed Health Care Provider" under the Board of Education guidelines which grants you the authority to provide written return to play clearance. Please review the complete definitions for "Appropriate Licensed Health Care Provider" and "return to play" contained in the guidelines.

Questions/comments/concerns: please do not hesitate to contact John Reynolds.