FAQ
I have a concussion. How do I use this product?
Having experienced a concussion firsthand, only you know how this event has changed your life. Only you know how you have changed, how you feel, and if you are improving from day to day.
The Concussion Story Wall is the place where your experience meets the experiences of so many others who have been impacted by concussion. While your injury is distinctly unique to you, interacting with this Story Wall will enable you to hear about other experiences, some of which may sound familiar. Additionally, the Story Wall also offers insights from some of the world’s leading medical experts who treat individuals just like you on a daily basis.
The Concussion Story Wall represents so many members of our community. As a result, it has been designed to reach people everywhere – non-athletes and athletes, parents and teachers, coaches and military veterans, and medical care teams such as school nurses, athletic trainers, rehab specialists and physicians. Below are some examples of how you might enlist the power of storytelling in your community:
- Organize a peer group event to interact with the Concussion Story Wall and pass along valuable firsthand accounts to others in your peer network (e.g., sports team, clubs, school events, etc).
- Promote these powerful learnings through use of social media – share examples on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.
I am a caregiver. How do I use this product?
As a parent, guardian, mentor or friend, you are in a unique position to observe the changes that occur after concussion, while also caring for the individual during their recovery. During this period, you may also be faced with communicating with members of the medical care team and social environment to help determine when it is best to return to learning or activities that are required for sport, school or work-related activities. However, it may be challenging to determine what decisions to make and how to know what the impact of these decisions will be.
Within the Concussion Story Wall, more than a hundred family members have offered their experiences in an effort to address many variables that make concussion a complex injury. Hear their stories, retrospective insights, and candid comments that will help guide you during this difficult time.
I am a Teacher/Coach. How do I use this product?
As an educator, you are in an influential position to promote learning initiatives among your students. No matter what your knowledge level is around various health issues, you will be able to use the CrashCourse products to optimize learning and retention in your environment. If you are highly knowledgeable about these issues, or have access to medical/health experts, these products can be used as a supplementary tool to reiterate key concepts and messages. However, if you are new to this information, you may simply show the curriculum in classrooms or in practice to help build new knowledge and correct misconceptions.
CrashCourse | Concussion Story Wall. This product is an interactive database featuring more than 700 individual’s stories describing personal concussion experiences. It is intended as a comprehensive mental health resource for the many who are impacted including athletes, parents, coaches, officials, teachers and Military Veterans. It also serves as a referral source for athletic trainers, rehab specialists and physicians. For class curriculum, 14 leading medical experts offer video descriptions of concussion symptoms and how best to manage them. This is an invaluable resource for “all about concussion” discussions.
Other helpful and complementary CrashCourse Resources include:
CrashCourse | Concussion Education. This 12 minute video shares the latest medical knowledge about concussion symptoms, prevention and treatment. An injured athlete faces a dilemma: “Stay in the Game” or “Take a Knee”. What would you do? Note: Many programs use this content to provide course certification for their athletes.
CrashCourse | Brain Fly-Through. Using state-of-the art technology from Stanford University’s Neurosurgical Simulation and Virtual Reality Center, this video is a journey through the human brain. Traveling amidst blood vessels, cerebrospinal fluid and white matter, this fly-through demonstrates the complexity and fragility of the brain, emphasizing the importance of caring for it. Note: This product is highly recommended for science and human biology classrooms. A Teacher’s Guide for the Brain Fly-Through can be found here.
I am a medical professional. How do I use this product?
Like all education products by TeachAids, the Concussion Story Wall is available for free use online. It can be accessed via the TeachAids Products page or this Concussion Story Wall website.
Whether you are accessing the product for the latest information from our Leading Medical Experts, are looking to provide a valuable resource for your patients, or you are highly knowledgeable about these issues, the Concussion Story Wall was developed to be used as a supplementary product to reiterate key concepts and messages.
Our hope is that you will be comfortable in referring the Concussion Story Wall to your patients and their parents/caregivers in order to help them understand more of the challenges they may face on their road to recovery. In addition, it will help to reinforce the concept that your patient is not alone in their journey to recovery.
I am a military veteran. How do I use this product?
As a military veteran, you likely have been exposed to environments where concussions often occur and may have experienced at least one during training or in active combat. With this in mind, it may be helpful to hear from a community of people who are willing to talk about their experiences with concussion. From injury to diagnosis, recovery and beyond, the Concussion Story Wall is that place.
Our hope is that these stories and the advice of medical experts will reinforce the importance of immediately disclosing and discussing your symptoms with your medic and/or commander. If you have left the military and are still experiencing symptoms, the Concussion Story Wall emphasizes the importance of seeking support and help from your Veteran’s Administration services (local VA Hospital, etc.).
The Concussion Story Wall is the place where your experience meets the experiences of so many others who have been impacted by concussion. While your injury is distinctly unique to you, interacting with the StoryWall will enable you to hear about other experiences, some of which may sound familiar. Additionally, the Story Wall also offers unique insights from some of the world’s leading medical experts who treat individuals like you on a daily basis. In fact, two of these, Dr. Cifu and Col. (Ret.) Hack, MD, have worked extensively and directly with veterans.
I have a concussion. How can I locate resources in my state?
After listening to the experiences of others and living through your own injury, you might be wondering what kinds of services are available to you. In addition to the Other Resources section below, we encourage you to contact the Brain Injury Association of America’s National Brain Injury Information Center (NBIIC) for resources in your state.
Trained professionals at NBIIC assist individuals and families who experience the life-changing effects of brain injury, including concussion. When you contact NBIIC, you will be linked to compassionate, knowledgeable specialists who help locate rehabilitative, legal, financial, and other support services critical to maximizing your recovery. NBIIC offers accurate, user-friendly information about brain injury provided by trained specialists across the United States. To speak to a local brain injury specialist in your state, contact NBIIC at 1-800-444-6443.