BY: J E S S I C A R O L E N

CEREBRAL PALSY

WHAT IS CEREBRAL PALSY?

• CP is a brain disorder that affects muscle tone, movement, and motor skills.

• Cerebral means having to do with the brain

• Palsy means weakness or problems using muscles

CP is one of the most common congenital disorders of childhood

500,000 children and adults in the U.S. have CP

WHAT CAUSES CEREBRAL PALSY?

• CP is caused by brain damage before or during birth.

• This damage can also occur during the first 2 years of a child’s life.

• Infections, maternal health problems, genetic disorders, or something else that interferes with brain development

• In some cases CP can be cause by lack of oxygen to the brain

WHAT CAUSES CEREBRAL PALSY: CONTINUED

• Premature infants have a slightly higher risk of developing CP.

• CP can also occur during early infancy as a result of several conditions, including:• Bleeding in the brain• Brain infections• Head injury • Infections in the mother during pregnancy • Severe jaundice

TYPES OF CEREBRAL PALSY

• Spastic • Dyskineti

c

• Ataxic

• Mixture

SYMPTOMS OF CEREBRAL PALSY

• Symptoms are usually seen before a child is 2 years old and can sometimes begin as early as 3 months.

• Parents may notice their child is delayed in reaching and in developmental stages such as sitting, rolling, crawling, or walking.

• There are several different types of CP so, there may sometimes be a mixture of symptoms.

SYMPTOMS OF SPASTIC CEREBRAL PALSY

• Tightness of muscle. Muscle may not stretch. May tighten up over time. • Abnormal walk• Joints are tight• Muscle weakness or loss of movement

• These symptoms may affect one arm or leg, one side of the body, both legs, or both arms and legs.

SYMPTOMS IN OTHER TYPES OF CEREBRAL PALSY

• Abnormal movements of hands, feet, arms, or legs while awake • Tremors• Unsteady gait• Loss of coordination• Floppy muscles and joints that move around to

much.

OTHER SYMPTOMS OF CEREBRAL PALSY

Other brain and nervous system symptoms

• Decreased intelligence or learning disabilities are common• Speech

problems(dysarthria)• Hearing and vision

problems• Seizures• Pain

Eating and digestive symptoms

• Difficulty sucking or feeding infants, or chewing and swallowing. • Problems swallowing• Vomiting or

constipations

TESTS

• Full neurological exam is critical • In older people, testing cognitive function is

important• Test that may be performed:• Blood tests• CT scan of the head• Electroencephalogram (EEG)• Hearing screen• MRI of the head • Vision testing

TREATMENT FOR CEREBRAL PALSY

• There is no cure for CP• The goal of treatment is to help the person be as

independent as possible

• Treatment requires a team approach including:• Primary care doctor, dentist, social worker, nurses,

occupational, physical, and speech therapists• Other specialist include: neurologist, rehabilitation

physician, pulmonologist, and gastroenterologist

• Physical therapy, occupational therapy, orthopedic help, or other treatments may be needed with daily activities and care

TREATMENT

Self and home care

• Getting enough food and nutrition• Keeping the home

safe• Performing exercises • Practicing proper

bowel care• Protecting joints from

injury

Communication and Learning

• Glasses• Hearing aids• Muscle and bone

braces• Walking aids• Wheelchairs

OTHER TREATMENTS FOR CEREBRAL PALSY

Medication

• Anticonvulsants: prevent or reduce the frequency of seizures• Botulinum: toxin to

help with spasticity and drooling• Muscle relaxants:

reduce tremor and spasticity

Surgery

• Control gastro esophageaul reflux• Cut certain nerves

from spinal cord• Place feeding tubes• Release joint

contractures

MEETING CEREBRAL PALSY NEEDS IN THE CLASSROOM

• Communication aids such as computers with attached voice synthesizers should be explored in order to support a child’s development. • If a child has hearing

problems placing them in the from of the classroom would be best for them.

CLASSROOM SETUP

• Access to the classroom environment is critical to creating an inclusive classroom setting.

• Classroom arrangement:• Moving furniture for students with walkers or wheelchairs

so they can maneuver in and out of learning centers• Make sure items are reachable for all children• Modify classroom activities to meet the needs of your

students

This is essential to creating a supportive and accessible environment for children with CP.

TEACHER EXPECTATION FOR A CHILD WITH CEREBRAL PALSY

• Teacher expectations for a child with cerebral palsy will depend on the child and the child’s IEP.

• Enlist professional to help assess child’s specific educational strengths and needs.

• Children with CP are limited in their ability to communicate. Because of this, they are sometimes deemed to have less intellectual ability than they actually do.

MORE INFO. AND HELP

In Knoxville

• Cerebral Palsy Center• http://www.cpcenter.or

g/helping.html

CCD• http://www.cdc.gov/nc

bddd/cp/facts.html

United Cerebral Palsy

• http://ucp.org

REFERENCES

• http://cerebralpalsyworld.com/cp_education.aspx• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0

001734/#adam_000716.disease.symptoms• http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/special_ed/

disabilities/cp/• http://depts.washington.edu/hscenter/sites/defaul

t/files/03_resources/08_children_special_needs/documents/cerebral_palsy.pdf• http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/brain/cerebra

l_palsy.html#