With concussion research and its link to sports evolving in the last several years, guidelines must be kept up to keep athletes safe. This school year, the Iowa Department of Public Health is partnering with the Iowa Department of Education to propose concussion management guidelines for Iowa schools to abide by.

 

Washington High School has been ahead of the game as they have already had many of these guidelines in place. Athletic Director Brent Van Weelden recognized that in some instances where an individual has experienced a concussion that they will slowly implement the student m back into the classroom as their symptoms decrease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) an estimated 3.8 million individuals in the U.S. record some degree of concussion from a sport or recreation-related activity each year. Is is important to take care of such an injury in the first few weeks after the concussion to prevent lingering symptoms. With this in mind, these guidelines expand on the current recommended model for schools to go by when assessing the status of an individual with a concussion called REAP (remove/reduce, educate, adjust/accommodate, and pace). The difference with these guidelines is in the past a concussion was viewed only through the lens of how it will affect an athlete in regards to their participation in the sport. The new guidelines ask for schools to look at the bigger picture. To see how it will affect students in the classroom and at home, and take these into consideration when assessing the status of the individual.