Ontario passes ground-breaking concussion safety legislation
On March 6, 2018, the Ontario government passed Rowan's Law (Concussion Safety), 2017 positioning the province as a national leader in concussion management and prevention by establishing mandatory requirements that call for:
- Annual review of concussion awareness resources that prevents, identifies and manages concussions that coaches and educators would be required to review before registering in a sport
- Removal-from-sport and return-to-sport protocols, to ensure that an athlete is immediately removed from sport if they are suspected of having sustained a concussion, giving them the time needed to heal properly
- A concussion code of conduct that would set out rules of behaviour to minimize concussions while playing sport.
View the government news release.
Rowan's Law provides a legislative complement to efforts to ensure sport safety and effective concussion management and remove-from and return-to sport and activity. For example, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care hosts a Concussion Web Portal which includes resources for athletes, parents, coaches, educators, and health providers on concussion identification and management.
Implications for Occupational Therapists
Occupational therapists have important skills and services to support rehabilitation and return to activity after concussion. As health professionals, however, OTs advocate for prevention and safety management.
Learn more about the roles of OTs in concussion management, view health provider resources to support your occupational therapy practice or view OSOT's archived webinar, Pediatric Concussion: Role of the Occupational Therapist, presented by Nick Reed and Carol DeMatteo. (see order form)