At a glance
This success story, New York: Returning to Physical Education Following a Concussion, highlights how Core SIPP implements, evaluates and disseminates injury prevention strategies into action.
What did New York do?
New York adopted new concussion management guidelines for children returning to physical education following a concussion. New York Core State Injury Prevention Program (Core SIPP) funded the Brain Injury Association of New York State (BIANYS) to develop a Return to Physical Education training program. The training explained the struggles a student may face after having a concussion. The program reached over 2,000 educators in New York State. Core SIPP funding allowed BIANYS to:
- Form a workgroup of people associated with physical education (PE) to develop guidelines for Return to Physical Education.
- Collaborate with the New York State Public High School Athletic Association, which includes coaches and PE teachers, to define differences between Return to Physical Education and Return to Play guidelines. This collaboration included creating a training for PE teachers that explained how Return to Physical Education is different than Return to Play. The training provided examples of how Return to Physical Education can be used at their schools.
- Gather ideas and feedback from discussions with coaches and PE teachers on Return to Physical Education guidelines. This feedback clarified and improved recommendations before submitting proposed Return to Physical Education guideline updates for publication.
How did this impact concussion management guidelines in New York?
BIANYS and their partners proposed an update to New York State Education Department (NYSED) for their Guidelines for Concussion Management in Schools document. NYSED and the New York Department of Health reviewed the proposal and updated the guidelines in July 2023. The updated guidelines more clearly discussed the difference between returning to activity in PE versus athletic activities.
Why did New York create new guidelines?
Students are currently not allowed to return to PE class after they sustain a concussion until they are completely symptom free. Most school districts in New York use Return to Play principles for a student to return to PE class. Return to Physical Education should not be the same as Return to Play. Return to Play relates to preparing and clearing student athletes for competition after a concussion. There are no guidelines for returning to PE after a concussion. Studies show that a slow return to physical activity while still symptomatic aids in recovery.