Cerebral palsy, often abbreviated CP, is caused by a child's brain being damaged sometime before the age of 2. The injury may have occurred on the fetus, during childbirth or after and affects the individual's ability to move. The effects of the injury persist throughout life, but treatment, preventive measures and compensatory aids can reduce the activity impairment.
Challenges in everyday life
The degree of difficulty an individual has varies. Common symptoms are spasticity in certain muscle groups and involuntary movements in the body. It can be difficult to keep your head up, to sit, to walk, to use your hands, to eat and to speak. Impaired hearing, vision and epilepsy may occur.
Some individuals have their cerebral palsy in combination with diagnoses such as adhd, Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability. These additional diagnoses can, for example, cause difficulties with concentration, attention and impulse control.
Communication training and communication aids
Some individuals need support to interact and communicate with others. Some need to practice spoken language, while others need to practice using hand signs or communication aids with symbols and images.
Assistance and aids for environmental control
An individual with CP often has assistants and support persons around them. Children often attend ordinary school, but sometimes in adapted school / school for special needs. Some individuals live in their own homes and enter working life, while others with greater difficulties stay in supported living.
It is important to feel as independent as possible. Personal aids for communication and environmental control can contribute to increased participation in social situations, increased independence, self-esteem and integrity. If the individual has cognitive impairments, assistive devices for cognitive support can provide predictability and a sense of control in everyday life and provide an increased quality of life.
