“Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that can involve brain and nervous system functions such as movement, learning, hearing, seeing and thinking.” (Hoch, 2009) Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy may develop differently than those without. Their muscles may appear tight without the ability to stretch. They may have an abnormal walk where their “arms are tucked in toward the sides, their knees are crossed or touching, their legs make “scissors” movements and they may walk on their toes.” (Hoch, 2009) These symptoms may affect your child’s abilities to perform physical activities and they may have to utilze a wheelchair as their means of mobility. However, that does not mean they are limited. Throughout this website, a variety of options will be available to you, so that you may keep your child involved physically. They are not restrained and should not be held back from exploring a variety of physical activity. Throughout this website you will learn that there are ways to promote normal movement in your child.
Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy may have a linked learning disability or problems with their speech. It is important to continue to promote your child’s learning ABILITIES. With the technology that has developed today, there are numerous ways your child can still learn and engage in learning activities. Whether it may be a problem with their verbal communication or lack of voluntary control of their limbs, (making it difficult to write or type) adaptive devices have been made to compensate for these areas. As you further navigate to the “education” page, you will discover just of a few of these devices.
It is also important for you as a parent or caregiver to be aware of your child's rights' in the classroom. In 2004, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was revised and made into the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act." (Santrock, 2008) This law was made for children with disabilities to be ensured of a proper education. This law is written out and has a plan that states the needs for your child in the classroom, whether it be with his/her peers (also known as inclusion) or if they need to be pulled out of the classroom for more individualized attention. "Many legal changes regarding children with disabilities have been extremely positive. Compared with several decades ago, far more children today are receiving competent, specialized services." (Santrock, 2008)
It is also important for you as a parent or caregiver to be aware of your child's rights' in the classroom. In 2004, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was revised and made into the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act." (Santrock, 2008) This law was made for children with disabilities to be ensured of a proper education. This law is written out and has a plan that states the needs for your child in the classroom, whether it be with his/her peers (also known as inclusion) or if they need to be pulled out of the classroom for more individualized attention. "Many legal changes regarding children with disabilities have been extremely positive. Compared with several decades ago, far more children today are receiving competent, specialized services." (Santrock, 2008)
Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy may also have a difficult time eating. Problems may occur with chewing, swallowing, and/or their voluntary control of their mouths. It is important to consult with a health care provider to assess your child’s specific feeding/eating skills and needs. Under the "everyday activities" page, there are numerous adaptive devices to compensate for your child’s individual needs. It is also equally important for your child to be in an appropriate sitting posture, if needed, you may have to physically support them, or they may need you to place your hand over theirs while bringing the utensils to their mouths. Normalizing your child’s tone is important to do before they start eating. You can do this by “your holding or positioning style.” (Geralis, 1998) If your child has further problems with controlling his/her jaw movements you may need to provide more support by holding his/her head or closing his/her jaw. (Geralis, 1998) Your child may also have problems with being overly sensitive around his/her mouth and may react to touch in an unpleasant way or they may react in the opposite way and not realize that something is touching his/her mouth. It is important to get a thorough medical opinion to decide which symptoms your child has. Some tips on feeding for your child who “overreacts” to touch “it is best to begin touching him (with your hand or toy) outside the mouth and slowly work up to touching him inside the mouth.” (Geralis, 1998) The more firm the pressure, the better. For a child that doesn’t react to touch and is “under-sensitive” try “to bombard him with input from different types of touch and texture; you may also find that placing a mirror in front of your child during mealtimes helps his feeding skills.” (Geralis, 1998)