CEREBRAL PALSY Betsy Schirmer SPED 735 University of Kansas

WHAT IS CEREBRAL PALSY?  Cerebral palsy (CP) is a disorder that affects muscle tone, movement, and motor skills. It hinders the ability to move in a coordinated and purposeful way.  CP is usually caused by brain damage that occurs before or during a child's birth, or during the first 3 to 5 years of a child's life.

3 TYPES OF CP  1. Spastic Cerebral Palsy- causes difficulties of movement and stiffness  2. Athetoid Cerebral Palsy- uncontrolled movements that are involuntary  3. Ataxic Cerebral Palsy- causes a problem with depth perception and balance

AFFECTS OF CEREBRAL PALSY  Exact causes are unknown, but many result from a problem during pregnancy where the brain doesn’t develop normally.  Maternal health problems, genetic disorder, and infections are some of the results of CP. These characteristics interfere with normal brain development  Premature babies are at greater risk for CP then babies who are carried full-term

DIAGNOSIS  Can be diagnosed very early in an infant due to low birth weight or other health issues  Doctors sometimes are not able to diagnosis a child with CP until they start seeing developmental delays as the child ages (grasping toys or not sitting up on their own by a certain age)  Persistance of infant reflexes, poor coordinated movements, and abnormal muscle tone are also characteristics of a CP diagnosis

PREVENTION  There are no ways to fully prevent Cerebral Palsy. However, there are ways that are listed below that can aid in preventing CP to a point  1. Maintaining a healthy diet  2. Taking charge of medical conditions  3. Proper prenatal care  4. Taking medications and being aware of the side effects

LOWERING THE RISK OF CEREBRAL PALSY  Never shake a baby(this can lead to brain damage)  Child is properly restrained in car seat and that car seat is installed properly  Home being free of lead exposure  Proper immunizations

HOW CEREBRAL PALSY EFFECTS DEVELOPMENT  There are varying degrees of CP depending on the diagnosis  Some children have severe CP, while others have only mild CP  The severity is due to the extent of damage that has been done to the brain  Seizures, blindness, hearing impairment, behavior problems, and food aspiration are some of the effects of CP

TREATMENT  No cure for Cerebral Palsy  Therapy and a variety of resources can help aid in the treatment of CP  Therapy can help in developmental milestones and in growth  Therapy can also assist a child in learning, speech, movement, and emotional/social development

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY TOOL  Meet Sam who has Cerebral Palsy. He is explaining how he uses technology to aid him in his learning 

RESOURCES FOR CP  United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) 1660 L Street, NW Suite 700 Washington, DC Tel: USA-5UCP ( ) Fax: United Cerebral Palsy (UCP)  March of Dimes 1275 Mamaroneck Avenue White Plains, NY Tel: MODIMES ( ) Fax: Pedal with Pete [For Research on Cerebral Palsy] P.O. Box 274 Kent, OH Tel: PETE (7383) Fax: Cerebral Palsy International Research Foundation 1025 Connecticut Avenue Suite 701 Washington, DC Tel: March of Dimes with Pete [For Research on Cerebral Palsy] Palsy International Research Foundation