CEREBRAL PALSY (CP)
What is it?
Cerebral Palsy is considered a neurological disorder caused by a non-progressive brain injury or malformation that occurs while the child’s brain is under development. It is a loss or impairment of motor function.
Types of Cerebral Palsy
Spastic Cerebral Palsy: most common. Increase muscle tone. Awkward movements.
There are three types of spastic cerebral palsy:
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Spastic hemiplegia/hemiparesis: one side of the body
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Spastic diplegia/diparesis: Predominantly in the legs
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Spastic quadriplegia/quadriparesis: most severe. Wide spread damage to brain.
Ataxic Cerebral Palsy: affects balance
Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy: Slow and uncontrollable movements of limbs
What does it Affect?
It mainly affects body movement. There is usually trouble with muscle coordination.
When does it happen?
Cerebral palsy is caused by brain damage usually before, during, or after birth. There are some cases where it develops later on in life.
How common is it within schoolchildren?
In every 100 children, two to three of those children will have cerebral palsy. About 500,000 people in the US have cerebral palsy. It is one of the most common congenital childhood disorders.
Treatment?
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CP cannot be cured but there are many steps to help a child with cerebral palsy in getting the most of out of life. Some of these things include:
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physical therapy to maintain and improve muscles strength
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occupation therapy to help with day to day activities
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recreation therapy to help those who want to participate in sports or other physical activities
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speech and language therapy to improve and maintain their ability to speak clearly or finding a different way of communicating.
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Medications that can help with muscle spasms
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In some cases: surgeries
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Instructional Strategies
Have space around classroom for easy movement
Sometimes testing would be better with verbal answers rather than written
Be compassionate and show that you care for the child
Encourage independence
Be helpful with assistive devices
Stop bullying right when it happens
Have different activities for more movement
Provide extra time
Know the needs of every student
Inspire your students
Provide emotional support
Have extra fidgets for students to play with to keep them focused.
Links for Teacher Support
Latest Research
The national institute of health is beginning a study called “All of Us” where they will gather people with cerebral palsy and use them over time to examine their health and improvements. They are looking to find what treatments will work best for which patients. This research was just announced on March 23, 2018 and is launching very soon.
“One-Million Person Study.” Cerebral Palsy Research Network, 23 Mar. 2018, cprn.org/.
Researches are looking for a cure in stem cell research. They are testing it out on some patients. They are finding that stem cells can become brain cells which would replace the damaged brain cells in those with CP. The goal is to repair the damaged cells before they cause permanent damage or are useless cells. Stem cell therapy may not be a cure in the end, but it can possibly help people with CP to have a more manageable life.
“Cerebral Palsy Cure.” Cerebral Palsy Guide, Cerebral Palsy Guide, 2018, www.cerebralpalsyguide.com/treatment/cure/.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NICHD) are part of a lot of research concerning CP. One of the researches they are looking at is genetic disorders. Genetic disorders can be responsible for brain abnormalities which can cause cerebral palsy. They spend a lot of research finding new causes and to discover new drugs to help control the effects of cerebral palsy.
Extra Advice!
Students with CP should be moved around. Because of their muscles can tighten, they should be put in different positions to increase mobility.
All students, no matter disability or not, want to feel included.