A normal brief screen before a return to risk

An adolescent reports a head impact during sport and initially feels dazed. A brief sideline score later appears normal, and the athlete wants to return because the team has no substitute. The family asks whether an apparently normal score proves recovery. The clinician considers symptoms, mechanism, neurological findings, relevant danger signs and the risks of another impact. Later recovery planning will need to distinguish school participation, ordinary activity, exercise and contact-risk stages. An athlete can require educational adjustments without needing prolonged complete inactivity. No commercial test score alone supplies a complete diagnosis or clearance. The response must prioritize safe assessment and a qualified staged plan while explaining the reasoning clearly to the athlete and family.