Concussions are a type of brain injury that can range from mild to severe and can disrupt the way the brain normally works. Concussions are among the most commonly reported injuries to children and adolescents who participate in recreational activities. Continuing to engage in activities with a concussion or symptoms of a brain injury leaves a young athlete vulnerable to greater injury. Concussions can impair how a student athlete thinks, acts, feels and learns. A student who has sustained a concussion may need adjustments, modifications to curriculum, and monitoring by medical staff until the student is fully recovered.

Therefore, the Board adopts the return-to-play protocol, established by the Iowa Department of Public Health to provide for a student’s return to participation in any extracurricular interscholastic activity after showing signs, symptoms, or behaviors consistent with a concussion or brain injury.

Individual student plans will be developed for students, in grades seven through twelve, who participate in an extracurricular interscholastic activity and are diagnosed with a concussion or brain injury to accommodate the student as the student returns to the classroom.

Legal Reference:
Iowa Code §280.13C.
641 I.A.C. 54.

Cross Reference:
503 Student Activities Series

Adopted: July 1, 2019