Get Schooled on Concussions & COVID

Quick Teacher Acute Concussion Tool (QTACT)

The Return to Learn portal of South Carolina

Get Schooled on Concussions & COVID (GSOC) has updated our Teacher Acute Concussion Tool (TACT) to the Quick Teacher Acute Concussion Tool (QTACT).

What does that mean?

Our transition to the QTACT means that it is easier for ALL adults in a young person’s life to support them from onset of concussion to full resolution of symptoms (typically within 28 days).

Now ANY adult can fill out the QTACT in 9 questions or less. The questions ask about the grade level of the young person with the concussion, the learning modalities used in their classroom, and what time of year the concussion has occurred in (to help with academic adjustments during midterms or finals, if applicable).

Originally, this resource was created primarily for teachers and educators. They would fill out the TACT and receive weekly emails for three weeks post-concussion to assist with academic adjustments while concussion symptoms were still present.

NOW, any adult in a young person’s life can fill out the QTACT questions and make sure that these weekly emails are sent to up to 10 email addresses! There is also an option to upload an attachment (for example, from a concussion clinic or medical provider) so that all adults who receive these academic adjustment resources know how to best support the young person as a united team.

Did you know that COVID and concussions have more in common than you may have initially thought?

In fact, many of the symptoms that kids can exhibit when they have a concussion are similar to the symptoms that they can exhibit after being diagnosed with COVID.

Now, through a partnership between the Brain Injury Association of South Carolina and Get Schooled on Concussions, new resources are available to help you understand childhood concussions and help you properly support students once they return to a learning environment, either in-school or online.  

What’s in the portal

Here’s what you’ll find in the Get Schooled portal. The Return to Learn educational resources include:

• The "Introduction to the TACT" video

• New videos

• OVER 30 Tip Sheets for Teachers and Parents

• Free download of the "Points of Vulnerability" Form

How to get access

Teachers and other professionals in South Carolina, through the Brain Injury Association of South Carolina, now have free access to the Return to Learn portal and all the information it contains.

To gain access you simply need to request your free login.  Request yours today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this resource?

The TACT (Teacher Acute Concussion Tool) is a way to make sure that while a young person is symptomatic from a concussion, their academic expectations at school are being adjusted. This ensures that a young person doesn’t push THROUGH their symptoms and up regressing in their recovery. This also ensures that a young person doesn’t fall behind in school while symptomatic from their concussion as these symptoms impact their cognitive functioning, processing speed, critical thinking skills, energy levels, attention levels, and much more. The focus on academic adjustments is called focusing on Return to Learn (RTL) - what happens inside the classroom when a young person is back to school and recovering from a concussion.

Who can utilize the TACT?

Any adult in a young person’s life can fill out the TACT and get the follow-up weekly emails for three-weeks post concussion. These emails can also be sent to up to 9 other email addresses to make sure that all adults in a young person’s life are on the same page in supporting the young person with their concussion symptom recovery.

My teachers are swamped with so many new initiatives each year. Will the TACT be something that takes a lot of time out of their day?

No, actually the Teacher Acute Concussion Tool only requires the teacher to answer 7 or 8 questions; it will take a teacher (or ANYONE who fills it out) less than 5 minutes to answer the questions and they will receive a customized email in their inbox (and up to nine other peoples’ inboxes of your choosing) within minutes.

Does the TACT keep Return To Learn information on each student with a concussion?

No, the TACT is purely a tool to teach teachers how to support students with concussion in the classroom. A teacher is informed of a student with a concussion via your standard school process (usually an email from the school nurse, counselor or a call from the parent). Once the teacher is informed of the student with a concussion, they are encouraged to go to the GSOC state subscription link and put in the password. The teacher answers the 7 or 8 questions about how they teach, what they teach, and answer when in the day they have this student and when in the semester it currently is. The customized email is delivered. The TACT does not need or ask for student identifying information. The TACT never has any information about a student so it is not a HIPAA or FERPA compliance issue.

Is the TACT only for student-athletes?

No, the TACT is Return-To-Learn for ALL students; apply it to all students returning to school and returning to learn after a concussion, not just athletes.

I teach elementary school. Most everything I see on concussion is for high school athletes. Will the Get Schooled on Concussions materials and the TACT help me with my elementary students?

Yes, the GSOC materials are applicable to elementary students and the TACT takes into account elementary versus middle/high school teacher.

I filled out the TACT but I never got an email.

Firewalls can sometimes block emails. Please email safetynetcoordinator@biaofsc.com and we will help.

What about COVID and concussions? Teachers are already overwhelmed, so how can they add tracking concussion symptoms to their to-do list?

We know that COVID-19 has created unique challenges for districts throughout the state leading to various learning models: in-person vs. hybrid vs. remote. While the TACT was developed to provide guidance to teachers in the classroom, the contents of the TACT are equally helpful for students regardless of their setting. Concussions can occur in any setting. To ensure this information is available for parents/guardians whose children may experience a concussion during remote or partial learning, we strongly suggest that teachers and schools coordinate a way to work together utilizing TACT resources.