Concussions are a common injury in teenagers and the consequences of not recognizing them or not managing them adequately are becoming increasing clear. This year we will be augmenting our Concussion Management Program in two ways. First, we will be asking students and parents to take an online Concussion Education Program before students come to school in September. Secondly, we will be asking all students to complete the ImPACT concussion baseline test online. Both the Education Program and the baseline ImPACT baseline will be required before participating in athletics at Deerfield.
Concussion Education: Understanding what a concussion is and how to recognize it is the foundation of any Concussion Management Program. This is important for both parents and students. Two excellent courses are available online. Please take either of the courses listed below. We really like the NFHS course. It requires registration and is a little confusing to access but keep trying. Both are good courses and both are free.
Centers for Disease Control Course
ImPACT Testing: We have been using the neurocognitive test called ImPACT for many years to help us evaluate concussion injuries. In previous years we have focused our attention on athletes, but because we have seen an increase number of concussions in non-athletes and because a concussion can occur just about anywhere, we have expanded our testing to the student body as a whole. The ImPACT Test (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test) is a computerized concussion evaluation system. This type of concussion assessment can help us objectively evaluate the concussed student after the injury and track recovery for safe return to play, thus preventing the cumulative effects of concussion. It also aids us in determining if academic accommodations are needed following an injury.
We are asking that all new students to Deerfield complete the Baseline ImPACT Test online. Even if you have taken this test at another school, we would like you to complete this test again for our records at Deerfield Academy. By completing this test you will provide us with baseline data that we will use to compare to post-injury scores if you sustain a concussion.
If you are a returning student and you did not take the baseline test this year we would also like you to complete this before you return to school in the fall.
Instructions for logging on and taking the test are provided below.
Once you and your child have completed both the online educational course and the baseline ImPACT test, please fill out this form. Thank you in advance for your participation in this program.
If you have any difficulties or problems please do not hesitate to contact Robert Graves at rgraves@deerfield.edu.