BrainSTEPS
Return to School
Concussion Management Teams
(CMT)
Brenda Eagan Brown, M.S.Ed., CBIS
Program Coordinator
www.brainsteps.net
eaganbrown@biapa.org
724-944-6542
BrainSTEPS
Brain Injury
School Re-Entry Model
Program
BrainSTEPS
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Strategies
Teaching
Educators
Parents
Students
The BrainSTEPS Program
Funded by:
1. PA Department of Health
2. PA Department of Education
Implemented by:
1. Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania Beginning our 5th academic year
What is BrainSTEPS?
• Brain injury consulting teams available to
families and schools throughout Pennsylvania.
• Teams are extensively trained in the
educational needs of students returning to
school following brain injury.
• Teams work with local school staff to develop
educational programs, academic
interventions, strategy implementation, and
monitoring of students.
BrainSTEPS Encompasses
Acquired Brain Injuries
• Traumatic Brain Injury
(includes Concussions)
• Non-Traumatic Brain Injury
(Any child who has a brain injury that occurs
AFTER the birth process can be referred!)
BrainSTEPS Provides Services to:
• All public schools in PA
• All cyber charter schools in PA
• All cyber online schools in PA
30 BrainSTEPS Teams
27 Intermediate Unit teams & 3 large school district teams
300+ Active Team Members
All Colored Areas = Trained BrainSTEPS Teams
White = Intermediate Unit regions without BrainSTEPS teams
What BrainSTEPS Can Do:
1. Conduct observations of the student
2. Communicate with the LEA and medical
professionals/physicians to ensure a smooth reentry and ongoing communication through
recovery.
3. Gather medical, rehabilitation, & educational
reports to assist in making educational
recommendations.
What BrainSTEPS Can Do:
4. Create & provide a training for the school on
the educational impact of the student’s
specific brain injury. Educate and support
district staff & family.
5. Provide Peer Trainings, so peers understand
how brain injury has impacted their classmate.
6. Consult on all aspects of the student’s
educational plan & make recommendations
to the district team.
7. Assist in transitioning a student from grade to
grade or school to school by training new
teachers
BrainSTEPS Teams monitor students
annually until graduation.
Concussions in Pennsylvania:
Annually, approx. 22,000
children ages 0-21 years
sustain concussions.
Concussion: Incidence
Centers for Disease Control:
3.8 million sports and recreation related
concussions are estimated to occur in the
United States each year.
Concussion: Definition
• A concussion is a type of TBI, caused by a
bump, blow, or jolt to the head that can
change the way your brain normally works.
• Concussions can also occur from a blow to
the body that causes the head to move
rapidly back and forth.
The majority will recover within the first
3-4 weeks.
Until recovered, students should receive
accommodations in all settings to
promote cognitive rest.
• There is no set timeline for concussion
recovery
• Typically a child can fully recover from a
concussion as long as their brain has had
time to FULLY HEAL.
Concussion management within school:
Communication MUST flow between:
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School team
Physician
Family
Student
Coaches, & athletic department (if athlete)
BrainSTEPS team
Return to Learn
While it is true that an athlete must be 100%
symptom-free before Return to Play, they
do NOT need to be 100% symptom-free to
Return to Learn.
Striking a balance
between the need for rest
while keeping up with academic
content is the biggest
struggle for districts and students.
LEA Concussion Management
Is there a recommended protocol to help
districts manage the Return to Academics
for students with concussions?
YES!
Concussion Management
Team (CMT)
CMT
LEA or individual
school building team(s)
Academic
Monitor
Symptom
Monitor
1st week Post-Concussion: LEA
CMT will:
Share physician
instructions provided
by parents
Notify the athletic
department and coach
if student plays sports
Share student
symptoms and
accommodations for
classwork until all
symptoms resolve
Excuse student from
PE, sports, and all
physical activity until
cleared
1-4 Weeks Post-Concussion: LEA
Academic
Monitor
Monitors academic
progress/behaviors
weekly with teachers
Symptom
Monitor
Monitors symptoms
3-5 days per week
via student
interview
CMT monitors student symptoms & academic progress
• CMT meets weekly to review & adjust accommodations,
notifying relevant staff of any updates.
• Offers support and educational resources to parent/guardian
1-4 Weeks Post-Concussion: LEA
Academic
Monitor
Symptom
Monitor
1. Have student’s symptoms subsided?
2. Has student been cleared by a physician to return to full physical and cognitive
activity?
3. Do teacher weekly reports display no academic or behavior concerns?
If YES was answered for ALL 3 questions:
LEA will formally conclude concussion accommodations.
CMT monitoring will end.
Concussion will be documented in student’s education file and student should return to full activity.
If NO was answered to any 1 of the 3 questions:
CMT continues to monitor student’s academics and symptoms until concussion resolves or student
reaches 4 weeks post-concussion. At that time a referral to The BrainSTEPS Program is warranted.
4 weeks Post-Concussion: BrainSTEPS
CMT makes a referral to the BrainSTEPS Team
Referrals can be made earlier if the student’s symptoms are not progressively getting
better or if student has had multiple concussions in past
BrainSTEPS: offers concussion training to school staff
CMT: Sets up meeting to create BrainSTEPS Brain Injury Support Framework.
School team, CMT, BrainSTEPS, parent/guardian & student are invited. Copies of
monitoring tools from CMT will be shared with BrainSTEPS prior to meeting.
BrainSTEPS Brain Injury Support Framework is created with input from all
parties.
Schedule follow up meeting in 1 month to review.
CMT provides copies of BrainSTEPS Brain Injury Support Framework to
relevant staff, parents/guardian. CMT continues to monitor student.
4-8 Weeks Post-Concussion: LEA
For those students who need ongoing accommodations
Academic
Monitor
Continues to monitor
academic
progress/behaviors
weekly with teachers
Symptom
Monitor
Continues to monitor
symptoms 3-5 days
per week via student
interview
CMT monitors student symptoms & academic progress
• CMT continues to meet weekly to review & adjust accommodations,
notifying relevant staff of any updates.
4-8 weeks Post-Concussion
Key Questions CMT must discuss during
weekly CMT meeting:
1. Have student’s symptoms subsided?
2. Has student been cleared by a physician to return to full physical
and cognitive activity?
3. Do teacher weekly reports display no academic or behavioral
concerns?
If the answer is YES to all 3…
4 – 8 weeks Post-Concussion
If YES to all 3…
1. LEA should formally conclude the accommodations set
forth in the Brain Injury Supports Framework.
2. CMT & BrainSTEPS monitoring will end.
3. Concussion will be documented in student’s
educational file and student will return to full activity
4 – 8 weeks Post-Concussion
Key Questions CMT must discuss during
weekly CMT meeting:
1. Have student’s symptoms subsided?
2. Has student been cleared by a physician to return to full physical
and cognitive activity?
3. Do teacher weekly reports display no academic or behavioral
concerns?
If the answer was NO to any 1 question…
4 – 8 weeks Post-Concussion
If NO to any 1…
1. BrainSTEPS, CMT and the school team should continue to
monitor symptoms and accommodate the student until symptoms
resolve.
2. Discussion should take place as to whether an evaluation should
be conducted by LEA to determine need for more formal intensive
accommodations/modifications.
3. If a referral for a multipurpose evaluation is not deemed
necessary, then continued monitoring by the CMT and monthly
review of the Brain Injury Support Framework in partnership with
BrainSTEPS will continue.
Concussion Management Team(s)
(CMTs) will be Trained for FREE:
BrainSTEPS Concussion Return to School
Videoconference Training
January 15, 2012
9:00 am-12:00 pm
If they are registered at www.brainsteps.net
How to Establish and Register Your Concussion
Management Team(s):
1. LEAs should identify 2 individuals per district or per
school building (preferred). LEAs may also choose
to have one CMT per grade (i.e., 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th).
o Academic Monitor
o Symptom Monitor
2. LEAs are to register each CMT by clicking the link at
www.brainsteps.net. By registering each CMT, they
will receive information on the upcoming CMT
training.
3. BrainSTEPS will support students at 4 weeks post
concussion and continually offer update training and
resources to the CMTs.
Register Your Concussion Management Team(s) ASAP:
www.brainsteps.net
The Jan. 15, 2013 training objectives :
• Pediatric concussions and concussion etiology
• Concussion impact on classroom performance
• Strategies to reduce student symptom severity
and promote recovery
• Matching of accommodations to specific
symptoms
• How to fully implement the BrainSTEPS
Concussion Return to School Protocol
• Specific responsibilities that the Academic
Monitor and Symptom Monitor hold while
serving on the CMT
Teacher’s
Desk
Reference:
Concussion
This will be
IN PRINT &
Available from
PaTTAN KOP
shortly!
BrainSTEPS
Concussion/
mTBI Return
to School
Protocol
This will be
in print &
available
from KOP
PaTTAN
shortly!
BrainSTEPS
Concussion
Return to
School
Protocol
FLOW CHART
Instructions for
Administrators
regarding how to
establish &
register
Concussion
Management
Teams (CMT)
For More Information on the
BrainSTEPS Program
For more information – please contact:
Brenda Eagan Brown, M.S.Ed., CBIS
Program Coordinator
BrainSTEPS - Brain Injury School Re-Entry Program
Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania
Phone: 724-944-6542
Email: eaganbrown@biapa.org
To Register: www.brainsteps.net