Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 27, 2016)
8 Wednesday, January 27, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Taking on concussion in the classroom By Jim Cornelius News Editor Sustaining a brain injury due to a concussion can keep a student-athlete off the play- ing field or court for a while. It can also affect him or her where it counts the most: in the classroom. When a student is found to have a concussion, the schools have a list of “pre- determined accommodations” that are immediately enacted, according to Sisters High School (SHS) Nurse Trish Roy. Students are not to take any tests, homework is put on hold, and the school works to “balance activity and rest.” No more are students sent home to stay in a dark room for several days. Athletic Director Tim Roth said that, in consultation with The Center Foundation, the school district has altered its protocol. you don’t want the kid to be in a dark room for two weeks. you need to get them back in the swing of things. — tim roth “You don’t isolate the kid,” he said. “You don’t want the kid to be in a dark room for two weeks. You need to get them back in the swing of things.” Both Roy and Roth say that teenagers who are isolated can develop depression and anxi- ety over missing out on school and activities, which impedes FINE FURNITURE By Commission recovery. Getting a concussion iden- tified quickly is important, according to Mark Stewart, the SHS administrator tasked with administering accommo- dation programs for special needs of all kinds. A concus- sion that occurs in a school sport is readily noted — but when it happens off the field, recognizing the effects can be delayed. “Those are tricky,” Stewart said. “Hopefully the student went to the doctor so we’ve got a little bit of a diagnosis ... it really helps to have that diagnosis from a physician.” Roy notes that a parent should act if they think some- thing may be wrong. “Listen to your gut instinct,” she said. “If it’s tell- ing you something is wrong, there’s probably something wrong… We’ve got to have information. We have to know that a kid is not normal.” If staff is unaware of a con- cussion, they sometimes have to identify the situation work- ing back from academic or behavioral symptoms. “Sometimes it’s just prob- lem-solving and we find out, oh, gee, they’ve had an acci- dent and we have to step back a little bit and move forward from there.” For most concussions, there is a two-to-three-week window of healing. In some cases, though, symptoms linger for longer periods of time (see related story, page 21). When that is the case, more structured and indi- vidualized accommodations may be required. According to Stewart, that’s when the Student Effectiveness Team steps in. A student who requires accommodations lasting more than 60 days is placed on a federally mandated “504 plan.” That plan is supposed to get teachers, students and parents on the same page. Effectiveness requires com- munication between all parties — and monitoring the pro- gram to make sure it’s being implemented across the board. listen to your gut instinct. If it’s telling you something is wrong, there’s probably something wrong… — trish roy Cort Horner’s son Ty was on a 504 plan to accommo- date issues stemming from concussion. Accommodations included breaking up four- part tests into individual days, because Ty had a hard time switching focus between dif- ferent aspects of a subject. Extra breaks are also common requirements. “That’s one of the accom- modations that you can have in a 504 plan,” Cort told The Nugget. Stewart says that common accommodations include extra 541-410-1309 SpringCreekWoodworking.com Cleaning Specialists For… TREATING SPORTS INJURIES Three Sisters Chiropractic 270 S. Spruce St., Sisters Dr. Inice Gough, DC, 541.549.3583 ThreeSistersChiropractic.com Hand-forged, Distinctive, Ironwork Decor Come visit our showroom in the Sisters Industrial Park today! 541-549-9280 | PonderosaForge.com | CCB# 87640 541-549-3008 Carpets • Upholstery Windows Accepting VISA & MasterCard! Snow Removal! Member of the Better Business Bureau Serving Central Oregon Since 1980 Bonded & Insured Children & Adults Functional Beauty Without all three clicking together, a student’s needs may not be completely met. Stewart believes that the district did everything pos- sible to accommodate Horner. Still, he acknowledges that the district can improve its under- standing and accommodation of brain injuries. “The problem with the 504s is the monitoring,” he acknowledged. “There can be gaps. I think we’re getting better,” he said. “I think as we learn more about them and their impact in the classroom, we’ll get better and better.” Horner, Stewart and Roy are in agreement on one requirement: Students need to express their needs and let teachers and parents know when they’re not being met. “The student needs to be able to advocate for them- selves as part of a 504 plan,” Horner said. Successfully navigating a student through the class- room impacts of concus- sion requires a high degree of cooperation between and among staff, parents and the affected student. Each case is individual and complex, and it’s all part of an evolving understanding of the nature of concussion-related brain injury. For everyone, educa- tion and training continue to be the best tools to deal with a potentially life-changing issue. Gordon’s Last Touch Dining Tables, Desks, Beds, Chests, Etc. Adam Bronstein, Craftsman time; organizational support; and help with time manage- ment. All of those functions are commonly affected by concussion and post-concus- sion problems. Horner singled out math teacher Kristy Rawls as having done a particularly good job in staying on top of Ty’s 504 plan. “Kristy Rawls was fantas- tic in spending the extra time with him and finding where he was struggling out of the classroom,” he said. He was not as satisfied with the across-the board imple- mentation. Some teachers, he felt, were not fully dialed-in on what the 504 required. “I would hope attention is brought to how we assure that teachers are adequately trained in 504 plans,” he said. Currently, Ty is at a school in West Linn, because the family did not feel his needs were being fully met. They are now. Horner is not casting blame. “The district resources are limited; their resources to accommodate anomalies to the norm are limited,” he said. “I understand that.” However, he says, there is “room for changes to the pro- cess or improvements in the process.” Horner believes that suc- cess requires “a good plan; administrative understanding; and teacher implementation.” Family-style Dinners Wed. thru Sun. at 6 p.m. Pre-set menu online Also serving breakfast & lunch Call for reservations 541-516-3030 www.lakecreeklodge.com Camp Sherman
