Cerebral Palsy
By: Kayla Foerster, Samantha Blodgett
What is it?
Cerebral Palsy is a disorder that affects the persons muscle tone,movement and motor skills. Cerebral Palsy is caused from the brain being damage before or during the child's birth. Cerebral can not be cured but there are many treatments so the child or adult can be helped with improving their speech or muscles. Cerebral palsy is one of the most common existing before or during birth in children.
Symptoms Of Cerebral Palsy
- Increased sensitivity to touch
- Muscle tightness or spasm
- Hearing impairment
- Vision impairment
- Drooling
- Greater incidents of choking
- More pronounced in either the arms or legs
- Abnormal walking
- Loss of Coordination
- Slower in growth
Characteristics
Physical:
- Lack of coordination
- Difficulty with Fine/Gross motor skills
- Develop slower and don't have their developmental milestones until later in life
- Walking
Emotional:
- 3/4 people with cerebral palsy are more likely to fall into depression.
- Adults with cerebral palsy develop anxiety as they age due to fear on how cerebral palsy limits their age.
- Low self-esteem due to precieved limitations and loss of bodily control.
Social:
- Have fewer romantic relationships with peers
- Harder for them to communicate with others
Intellectual:
- They may be extremely bright, but unable to speak or move properly
Cognitive:
- The more severe the brain damage, the greater risk of Cognitive impairments
- Problems in solving problems
- Harder to exercise self-control
Classroom Modifications
- Make sure floor is clean and free of rugs or elevated surfaces that may cause child to trip
- Allow extra time to finish assignments
- Work on verbal communication using role play
- Assign classmate buddies
- Work on other means of communication, such as alternate to raising hand
- Only offer help to student if asked
Cerebral Palsy - Know the Facts