Session 1A: Ontario Brain Injury Association (OBIA) – Ruth Wilcock, Executive Director, with guest Debbie Giguere
(parent of a student who sustained a serious concussion)
Supporting Students with Concussions
There are multi-dimensional challenges that students, educators and families face after a child returns to the classroom
following a concussion/brain injury. This session will discuss strategies and general techniques when working with
students who have sustained concussions/ brain injuries. Furthermore, Ruth Wilcock will provide valuable information
on how OBIA works collaboratively with schools, teachers, students and families in finding creative solutions by which to
best accommodate a student who has sustained a concussions/brain injury. Case examples will be utilized to
demonstrate the power and success of collaboration. Additionally, Debbie Giguere will share with the audience a very
personal and moving story of how her son's concussion changed their lives and the many challenges and also successes
her son had upon return to learn.
Session 1B: Barbara Csenge, Director of Learning Enrichment – St. Michael’s College School
Concussion Management Principles for School: Recovery Trends Within A Male Adolescent Cohort
Since 2011, St. Michael's College School has provided comprehensive management for students with concussion.
Reintegration to school activities has been medically directed by physicians at the David L. MacIntosh Sport Medicine
Clinic at University of Toronto with corresponding school accommodations for cognitive, sensory and physical activity
progression in the school environment. With reference to the past three years and over 350 concussion records,
management principles and recovery patterns for students with concussion reintegrating to the school environment will
be discussed.
Session 1C: Football Canada – Aaron Geisler, Technical Coordinator
Creating a Concussion Prevention and Management Protocol in Football
This session will help guide the development of a complete concussion prevention and management protocol for all
levels of football, including concussion education for parents, athletes, coaches and administrators, equipment fitting,
baseline testing, sideline assessments, and implementation guidelines.
91 Bunting Road, St. Catharines, ON L2P 3G8
Phone: 905-227-5551
Session 1D: Ontario School Board Insurance Exchange (OSBIE) – Julie Welsh, Risk Management Program Coordinator
Concussions – Where are Your Risks?
Recent media focus, combined with a $750 million settlement with former NFL players has increased the awareness of
the risks of long term brain damage arising from repeated concussions. As the medical evidence continues to
accumulate, so does the need for school boards to be aware of concussion injuries and to develop/implement an
appropriate response protocol once a concussion has been diagnosed. This session will focus on identifying the risks
schools face, identify the common sources of concussions in a school setting and discuss the challenges in managing this
emerging risk.
Session 1E: Coaching Association of Canada – Anthony Bhagwandin, Coaching Consultant
Making Head Way Concussion eLearning Series
The Making Head Way Concussion elearning series is designed to help coaches gain the knowledge and skills required
to ensure safety of their athletes. Learn more about this popular concussion awareness series, which forms part of the
National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP), and was developed as part of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s
Active and Safe Initiative with the involvement of medical experts Dr. Jamie Kissick, Dr. Mark Aubry, and Dr. Charles
Tator.
In his presentation, CAC’s Anthony Bhagwandin will share insight on the development process for the Making Head Way
Concussion elearning series, speak to its current engagement in the Canadian sport system, and reflect on results from
participant surveys.
Session 1F: Ministry of Education – Speaker and description to be confirmed
91 Bunting Road, St. Catharines, ON L2P 3G8
Phone: 905-227-5551
Session 2A:
same as 1A
Session 2B:
same as 1B
Session 2C:
same as 1C
Session 2D:
same as 1D
Session 2E:
same as 1E
Session 2F:
same as 1F
Session 3A: First Office for Injury Prevention - Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre - Brandy Tanenbaum, Program
Coordinator
What does “safe” mean to you? Injury Prevention strategies to reduce the incidence of concussion
Despite being named a core value of Canadian Sport Policy (2012), “safety” is never clearly defined in the context of the
document. For the most part, “safe” is understood traditionally as the absence of physical injury. But the notion “I didn’t
get hurt, therefore the activity is safe,” is shortsighted and positions safety as an outcome rather than a process. As a
result, relevant stakeholders often neglect the active component of safety – injury prevention. When safety is seen as a
process, not an outcome, the inevitability of injury as an acceptable part of the sport experience becomes unacceptable.
This presentation will review injury prevention strategies in the context of sport and recreation programs and explore
the process for mitigating concussion risk.
91 Bunting Road, St. Catharines, ON L2P 3G8
Phone: 905-227-5551
Session 3B: LifeMark Physiotherapy – Anne Edgell-Kennedy, BSc PT, MSc (PT), FCAMPT
Physiotherapist & Clinic Director, LifeMark Fonthill
Active Recovery: Rehabilitation for Persistent Concussion Symptoms
Anne worked and taught at the Fowler Kennedy Sports Medicine Clinic and was on faculty at the
University of Western Ontario for over 15 years. Since 2012 she has been the clinic director at
LifeMark Physiotherapy Fonthill, where she has passionately pursued her interest in sports,
orthopedic and vestibular physiotherapy techniques.
Although 80% of concussion recover with rest within the first 7 to 10 days following injury, there are
some who suffer from persistent symptoms and struggle to return to school and to their sports.
Anne will present the current research which indicates that concussion recovery requires more than
sitting in a dark room with no stimulation, waiting to get better. Evidence based rehabilitation
interventions may include balance and vision exercises, neck treatment, as well as gradually
progressed exercise and cognitive exertion. LifeMark uses the ImPACT® neurocognitive assessment
tool as part of their concussion management program and a demonstration of this computerized
baseline and post injury test will be included.
Session 3C: Ben Fanelli – Former OHL player and founder of HeadStrong Foundation
Ben Fanelli is a former Ontario Hockey League (OHL) player with the Kitchener Rangers (2009-2014) and one of the
founding directors of HeadStrong Foundation – an organization that aims to inspire and inform the sport culture,
advance the research and empower the individual to recovery following brain injury. At 16 years of age, Ben suffered a
severe traumatic brain injury during an OHL game that lead to the lifetime suspension of the other player – the largest
penalty ever to be handed out by the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). After two long years of intensive recovery and
perseverance Ben made a surprise return to the game and team that he loved, playing again for the Rangers against all
odds. That year Ben was named the CHL Humanitarian of the Year for his contribution to advancing the cause of brain
injury and recovery in sport. In his final year with the Rangers he was named Captain to conclude his junior hockey
career.
91 Bunting Road, St. Catharines, ON L2P 3G8
Phone: 905-227-5551
Ben is now focused on doing everything in his power to help other people who suffer from brain injury receive the
healing and positive support that he once did. Support and encouragement made all the difference in his recovery and
there just isn’t enough of it.
Ben’s story sheds light on the different issues, normalizes the challenges for others and hopefully inspires people
affected by brain injury to reach out and keep staying on the recovery path, even when it gets hard.
In the true spirit of moving forward, Ben is presently pursuing academic excellence at Wilfrid Laurier University, actively
involved in many social ventures and is a leader in establishing HeadStrong as a national charitable organization.
Session 3D: Brain Injury Services and STEP UP! ABI Recovery - Alison Nicholson, Director of Community Services
The Face Behind the Statistics
“My brain injury may be invisible but my challenges are not.” Hear and see the stories of brain injury survivors and their
families. Understand the challenges of living with a brain injury or concussion. Learn about the long-term effects of living
with a brain injury; the heartache and the successes. Alison Nicholson from Brain Injury Services shares the experiences
and facts about living with a brain injury and the challenges experienced when trying to educate students to protect
their brain.
Session 3E: District School Board of Niagara – Michael Langlois, Health and Safety Officer, and Lora Courtois,
Superintendent of Education
Concussion Policy and Procedure Issues
PPM 158 Concussion Policy requirements are as follows: development of concussion awareness, prevention of
concussions, identification of concussions, management procedures for a diagnosed concussion and concussion training
requirements. The session will discuss possible remedies to the challenges associated with implementation of the Policy.
Lora will also share the DSBN’s Head Strong – Playing Safe, Staying Healthy initiative: an education plan for grades 1, 4,
7, and 9.
91 Bunting Road, St. Catharines, ON L2P 3G8
Phone: 905-227-5551
Session 3F: Ophea – Nancy Schad, Safety Consultant and Bob Soroko, Safety Consultant
Concussion Policy Implementation Strategies and Next Steps
Participants will have the opportunity to learn, share and network about best practices that school boards have used
and/or are planning to use to implement the components of their school board concussion policy.
Learn and share school board/school:
 strategies implemented to raise concussion awareness with students, parents, community partners
 plans for ongoing concussion awareness and training (e.g., for teachers [new and returning], students,
parents/guardians)
 strategies to create a culture of safety mindedness encompassing concussion prevention strategies
 procedures related to concussion identification (e.g., no signs or symptoms), management (e.g., offsite
concussions) and other issues
Session 4A:
same as 3A
Session 4B:
Dawn Good, Ph.D., C. Psych., Brock University; Sean Robb, M.A.; and Nicole Barry, M.A. Candidate
From research to practice: Applied strategies to assist students’ return to the classroom following a concussion
This interactive workshop will provide educators and coaches with an understanding of how a concussive-type injury to
the brain affects behaviour in children and adolescents and how to apply best practice strategies encouraging their
return to the classroom or safe return to the field. Using real life clinical case studies, we will discuss how postconcussive symptoms may present post injury, how it differs from psychopathology (e.g., depression, anxiety, etc.) and
how best to assist your students in being successful not only academically, but also socially, emotionally and
behaviourally.
Session 4C:
same as 3C
Session 4D:
same as 3D
Session 4E:
same as 3E
Session 4F:
same as 3F
91 Bunting Road, St. Catharines, ON L2P 3G8
Phone: 905-227-5551