Monitor on Psychology - November 2011 - (Page 57)

“When you reach out to policymakers, educate the general public and educate other professionals, there’s a ripple in a pond kind of effect. Your effort can spread to thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people.” ChRistOphER C. Giza Mattel children’s hospital at the university of california los angeles “We don’t put kids with sprained knees in wheelchairs; we allow them to walk and do things up to the point where their symptoms start to worsen,” says Gioia. “It’s the same thing with school.” A legislative imperative In addition to raising awareness, legislative action is another priority for Gioia, who credits growing up with a politically active mother in New York City for his activism. At the state level, Gioia has offered testimony in Maryland’s General Assembly, Virginia’s General Assembly and Washington, D.C.’s City Council. His goal? To get every state to pass legislation based on three core principles. First, the legislation would require states to create programs to educate kids, parents, coaches and schools about concussion. It would require schools to adopt a “when in doubt, sit it out” rule, so that players showing signs of concussion — stumbling, looking glassy-eyed or having trouble remembering plays, for example — get pulled from the field. And it would require that kids with concussions return to the game only after they’ve been evaluated by a neuropsychologist or other health-care professional trained in concussion management. Gioia has also testified before Congress in support of federal legislation that would not only address student athletes’ safety but also make it possible for them to receive support in school for sitting out of sports until they recover. His testimony before the House Committee on Education and Labor last year prompted coverage by CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and other media outlets. That advocacy is already paying off. In Maryland, for example, a law passed last May requires the state’s department of education to develop policies and education programs for student athletes, parents, coaches and school staff. Christopher C. Giza, MD, who worked with Gioia on an evidence-based sport concussion guideline for the American Academy of Neurology, applauds Gioia’s public health approach. “When you’re providing clinical care to patients one on one, there’s a limit to how big an effect you can have,” says Giza, an associate professor of pediatric neurology and neurosurgery at n ov e M b e r 2 0 1 1 • M o n i to r o n p s yc h o l o g y Mattel Children’s Hospital at the University of California Los Angeles. “When you reach out to policymakers, educate the general public and educate other professionals, there’s a ripple in a pond kind of effect. Your effort can spread to thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people.” People often ask Gioia if he’d like to see young people’s participation in football and other potentially dangerous sports banned. Not at all, says Gioia, calling himself a proponent of “reasonable protection” rather than overprotection. Besides, he laughs, “you don’t want to know what the world would be like if we cut out these activities!” n Rebecca A. Clay is a writer in Washington, D.C. For a video about Dr. Gioia’s research, go to www.childrenssnational.org/ConcussionExpert. Responding to head injury Even what seems like a minor bump to the head can be serious, warns psychologist Gerard A. Gioia, PhD, of Children’s National Medical Center. If there’s any chance a child has a concussion, he wants you to take action: • Look for signs of concussion, such as changes in the child’s behavior, thinking or physical functioning. • Record information — including the injury’s cause; any loss of consciousness, memory loss or seizures; and previous concussions — to help with evaluation. • Seek immediate help from a health-care professional who can determine how serious the injury is. • Keep the child off the playing field until you get an OK from a health-care professional. —R.A. ClAy 57 http://www.childrensnational.org/ConcussionExpert

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - November 2011

Monitor on Psychology - November 2011
Letters
President’s Column
Contents
Guest Column
‘Grand Challenges’ offers blueprint for mental health research
Documentary seeks to reach parents of LGBT kids
Treating veterans will cost at least $5 billion by 2020
Selfless volunteering might lengthen your life
Combat and stress up among U.S. military in Afghanistan
South Africa to host international psychology conference
Study uncovers a reason behind sex differences in mental illness
Navy psychologist gives a voice to combat trauma
In Brief
Psychologist suicide
On Your Behalf
Journey back to Heart Mountain
Psychology is key to pain management, report finds
ACT goes international
Judicial Notebook
Random Sample
Time Capsule
Questionnaire
Science Watch
Behavior change in 15-minute sessions?
Health-care reform 2.0
Perspective on Practice
Giving a heads up on concussion
Practice Profile
Searching for meaning
Inspiring young researchers
Aging, with grace
Public Interest
Thank you!
APA News
Division Spotlight
American Psychological Foundation
The man who gave Head Start a start
Personalities

Monitor on Psychology - November 2011