Cerebral Palsy

WHAT IS CEREBRAL PALSY?

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the name given to a number of severe neurological disorders that affect the basic movements of the body and muscles. It is considered to be an inability to control motor function, particularly muscle control and coordination via the brain. Though it is not possible to be certain about what causes Cerebral Palsy, we know that it can either occur before or after birth or as a result of brain injury.

Common symptoms will depend upon which part of the brain has been affected by the condition. For example, muscle spasms or full seizures of the body, involuntary movement of limbs and muscles, a disability to walk or move the body independently, impairment of basic communication abilities such as sight, speech and hearing.

Cerebral Palsy can be classified into 3 main types:

• Spastic Cerebral Palsy is characterised by severe stiffness of the limbs and a great difficulty in the movement of the body in general, the muscles are not able to 'relax'.
• Athetoid Cerebral Palsy describes uncontrolled or involuntary movements of the body.
• Ataxic Cerebral Palsy describes an abnormal sense of balance and coordination and also affects the visual sense of depth perception.

Mixed Cerebral Palsy is a combination of all of the three main types.

A child with Cerebral Palsy may have many different problems which are not always related to brain injury, although they are neurological. For example, Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder and Epilepsy are all problems related which can be part of Cerebral Palsy.

However, a common misconception is that those with Cerebral Palsy inevitably have learning difficulties or are mentally disabled. This misunderstanding may have arisen because people with Cerebral Palsy can have problems controlling their facial movements and speech, and it can be difficult to understand them at first. However, just like in the rest of the population, there's a range of intelligence: some do have moderate or even severe learning difficulties, while others are extremely intelligent.

Children with Cerebral Palsy do best when they get special help from an early age as they may have special educational needs: Speech and language therapy helps with speech development and also with eating, drinking, and swallowing. Physiotherapy helps with posture and movement, and tries to prevent progression of disability. Occupational therapy helps children overcome difficulties performing everyday tasks, encouraging them to lead independent lives.

Many children have benefited from an approach known as Conductive Education, which is a learning system designed to enable disabled children and adults to achieve greater independence. Conductive Education helps overcome movement problems and gain some control through special education and rehabilitation. It was developed in Hungary, but British therapists and teachers have used elements of the system for over 20 years and now there are a growing number of British qualified conductor/teachers.

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