If you don’t have a child with disabilities, then cerebral palsy may seem like a tragedy to you. Well it isn’t. Do I wish she didn’t have it? Of course I do. We all have our weaknesses, and while Tilly’s may be more involved and more obvious, they’re now part of who she is.
We consider Matilda to have moderate CP at this stage in her development, but she is still much more than her cerebral palsy. She is a happy, inquisitive, social little girl who loves her cousins and friends. Tilly loves watching the Wiggles and Elmo, playing on the swing at the park, big cuddles and she is smiling all the while.
So what is Cerebral palsy? (CP) is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious diseases that cause physical disability in human development. Simply stated, “Cerebral” refers to the brain, and “palsy” refers to muscle weakness. Even though someone who has CP has problems moving his or her muscles, this is not because there is something wrong with the muscles or nerves themselves but these difficulties are caused because of problems in the brain itself. The child might have had an injury to the brain, or had a brain that did not develop properly. These problems can affect the way the brain controls movement and posture and more often, have no impact on the person’s level of intelligence.
Although cerebral palsy cannot be cured, treatment will often improve a child’s capabilities. Many children with cerebral palsy go on to enjoy productive adult lives if their disabilities are properly managed. In general, the earlier that treatment begins the better chance the child has to learn new ways to accomplish the tasks that challenge them.
Having cerebral palsy basically means your brain doesn’t send the right signals to your muscles. Cerebral palsy is the second-most expensive developmental disability to manage over the course of a person’s lifetime.
People with Cerebral Palsy need equipment and devices that help them move more easily, improve their communication at school and in community with family and friends. These are devices that assist a child to overcome physical and communication limitations. There are a number of devices that help children stand straight and walk, such as postural supports or seating systems, open front-walkers. It can also include more high tech equipment like customized wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs that let children move more freely.
As individuals mature, they may require support services such as personal assistance services, continuing therapy, educational and vocational training, independent living services, counselling, transportation, recreation/leisure programs, and employment opportunities, all essential in developing into an adult. People with cerebral palsy can go to school, have jobs, get married, raise families, and live in homes of their own. Most important of all is people with cerebral palsy get given the opportunity to obtain independence and full inclusion in our society.
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