Your Child Has a Concussion, Now What?

If your child has a concussion, you may be wondering what to do next. It’s important to give their brain time to heal. That’s where the Return-to-Learn (RTL) and Return-to-Play (RTP) steps come in. These are step-by-step plans that help your child recover safely before going back to school and sports.

Step 1: Return-to-Learn (RTL)

This helps your child ease back into school after a concussion. It has 4 stages and starts after resting for 1-2 days (24-48 hours).

• Stage 1: Light activities at home
  • Your child can do short, quiet activities like reading for 5–15 minutes. Limit screen time.
• Stage 2: Schoolwork at home
  • They can try doing homework, reading, or school tasks at home.
• Stage 3: Half days at school
  • Your child can return to school part-time. They might need breaks during the day.
• Stage 4: Full days at school
  • When they can handle a full school day without symptoms, they're ready for the next step.

Step 2: Return-to-Play (RTP)

Once school is going well, your child can begin going back to sports. There are 6 stages for RTP and each one should last at least 1 day (24 hours). If symptoms come back, go back to the last step where they felt okay.

• Stage 1: Rest
  • No sports. Your child can do basic things like brushing teeth, light reading or short walks - only if they don’t feel worse.
• Stage 2: Light exercise
  • This can include walking or slow biking. No hard workouts yet.
• Stage 3: Sports movements
  • They can do sport activities like running or dribbling, but no head contact.
• Stage 4: Practice with teammates (no contact)
  • They can do team drills like passing. Light weight training can start here.
• Stage 5: Full practice
  • After a doctor says it’s safe, your child can join full-contact practice.
• Stage 6: Back to games
  • Your child can play in games and compete like normal.

Why These Steps Matter 

Following these steps helps your child heal fully. It lowers the chance of another concussion, lowers the chance of secondary impact syndrome and protects their brain for the future! 

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Serafina Tulioc, MD

Pediatric Resident

Dr. Serafina Tulioc is a California native who comes to Valley Children’s from Ross University School of Medicine, and she is in her third year of postgraduate residency. Dr. Tulioc, is an advocate for children’s health and education, demonstrated through her work creating STEM presentations for children in Marin-Sonoma County. Her background also includes extensive research in marine biology, where she is studying techniques for preventing coral reef bleaching. Learn more about Dr. Serafina Tulioc here.