Frequently Asked Questions
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has classified “brain fog” as a symptom of COVID-19. Brain fog is actually also a symptom of concussion (usually called “mental fogginess” when it occurs with a concussion); it can be a symptom following the flu, mono, after a seizure, after chemotherapy, during a “low” with diabetes and is common when a student suffers a significant mental health crisis like trauma. Brain fog refers to difficulty with thinking, concentrating, focusing, remembering, learning new material and processing quickly. Whenever there is a medical or psychological condition that causes “cognitive inefficiency” (aka brain fog), learning can be hard for that student.
That is why all of the evidence-based interventions that have come out of 20+ years of research post-concussion, can now be applied to Return to Learn post-COVID. The symptoms are the same so the interventions are similar as well!
Get Schooled On Concussions (GSOC) provides return -to-learn resources FOR educators, BY educators. Since the majority of students with concussion have difficulty learning due to “mental fogginess”, GSOC feels that classroom teachers play a pivotal role in welcoming students back into the classroom, helping them to manage symptoms so they can learn and adjusting the workload immediately, to promote the best chance for a smooth and seamless recovery.
Schools, districts or states can purchase a subscription to GSOC which includes:
Tier 1 (classroom teacher) and Tier 2 (related service provider) educational resources via:
- Access to video tutorials on the academic support of cognitive inefficiency (from a concussion, COVID, trauma or any other medical/psychological condition that affects the student’s ability to learn) in elementary, middle and high schools.
- Highlights a web-based access to the Teacher Acute Concussion Tool (TACT) delivering Return to Learn curriculum in 1.) school-wide teacher training and/or 2.) in “real-time” (when the student returns to the classroom) customized for teachers based upon what, when and how they teach.
- The TACT requires no advanced training of school professionals, yet a 15 minute video + on-the-spot TACT training can train an entire teaching staff on “cognitive inefficiency” (from a concussion/COVID/trauma) in just 20 minutes.
- The TACT builds capacity of educator’s knowledge, confidence and competence around how to provide immediate, relevant and flexible academic supports in “real- time” (just as the student with a concussion/COVID/trauma is imminently ready to return to the classroom).
- The TACT is a tool used for teacher training, either in advance (in 20 minutes), OR at the time they get a student with a concussion/COVID/trauma. It customizes how the teacher should adjust the classroom environment for the student with cognitive inefficiency (from concussion , COVID, trauma or other conditions) based upon HOW the teacher teaches, WHAT they teach, WHEN they teach and AMOUNT of technology and reading. Email supports are delivered for 4 weeks.
- The TACT does not need, use or keep any student-specific information.
- The TACT is intended for use in the first 4 weeks post-concussion/COVID/trauma – to maximize prompt support for the student and optimize recovery but can still be helpful after 4 weeks if classroom supports were not immediately initiated.
No, the TACT is purely a tool to teach teachers how to support students with cognitive inefficiency in the classroom. A teacher is informed of a student with a concussion/COVID/trauma via your standard school process and is either invited to complete the TACT themselves or is completed for them. The customized email is delivered. Of course, supporting the teacher to support the student provides a good RTL outcome for the student. The TACT does not need or ask for student identifying information so it is not a HIPAA or FERPA compliance issue.
No, while the concepts of good Return-to Learn in the TACT have come from 20+ years of concussion research and experience, the TACT was really developed to help ALL students returning to school after a concussion (not just athletes). The TACT has been adjusted to provide immediate guidance to general education teachers on cognitive inefficiency that is coming from from a concussion, from COVID or from trauma. In fact, there are numerous other medical and psychological conditions that also cause temporary cognitive inefficiency (seizures, mono, the flu, uncontrolled diabetes), the TACT is applicable to cognitive inefficiency from all of those conditions as well.
Yes, the GSOC materials can be applied to elementary students and the TACT takes into account elementary versus middle/high school teacher vs college professor.
Firewalls can sometimes block emails. Please email karen@getschooledonconcussions.com if you do not receiver your TACT email. We will figure it out together.