Pull a hamstring and you can still pull off a reading assignment. Get a sprained ankle and you can still study algebra. In fact, most sports-related injuries won’t affect a young athlete’s academic work. But concussions are another story.
Concussions are brain injuries and they do affect academic performance.

Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries affect the organ responsible for reading, writing and ‘rithmatic; the brain. Health care professionals, and particularly school nurses, should embrace the concept of “Return to learn” before “Return to play”.
Obviously, no one expects a student with a high-grade ankle sprain to run a marathon. So why would anyone expect a student with a concussion to function normally in class? Teenagers are more susceptible to concussion than adults. They are also generally slower when it comes to resolving the concussion.
Every concussion is different. The brain controls everything and the specific area of the brain that is injured will dictate what kind of symptoms will be manifested.
After an initial period of brain rest, students should slowly and incrementally return to normal academics as appropriate. Some concussions resolve in two weeks, while others take two to six months.
It is easy to reduce stimulation to an injured extremity by splinting or immobilizing it. But how do we splint the brain? Brain rest is the concussion version of splinting. That means no video screens; TV, video games, the Internet and even texting and messaging on a smart phone. No bright lights or loud noises. No physical exertion. No reading. No schoolwork.
Lots of rest and sleep are the means by which the brain heals. And while it may mean a young athlete is bored to the max, a period of brain rest for 48 to 72 hours following a concussion is recommended.