Supporting Children with Cerebral Palsy

In this memoir, a parent shares her experience of raising a child with a disability, while her child offers a glimpse into what it’s like to live with one.

A child with cerebral palsy is hindered in meeting new people by his shyness, until he discovers the special thing he can do to make people feel like talking to him.

AJ is a little girl with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, but that doesn’t keep her from having a fun and fulfilling life. AJ wants to play with friends, but they aren’t sure how to play with her. AJ advocates for herself and shows other children that being differently-abled is not boring.

Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, Jennifer Keelan grew up battling and overcoming the limitations others set for her. From a lack of cutaway curbs and bus lifts to being denied enrollment at her neighborhood school, Jennifer was continually blocked from living the life she wanted. But after discovering the world of disability rights activism, she knew she had to use her voice to change things.

Andy, who is five and has cerebral palsy, has difficulty opening his mouth at mealtime, until his frustration leads to a discovery.

A true story of five little girls with cerebral palsy or other physical disabilities who were determined to become ballerinas.

This book teaches children about Cerebral Palsy in a way that kids understand and from their perspective. It also uses an ABC format to explain the concepts.

Learn about cerebral palsy from the perspective of Sophie, a girl who has it.

This book provides parents and professionals with information about the development of infants with Cerebral Palsy. As well as includes information about activities to improve development and any assistive technologies that may be helpful.

A basic primer on what cerebral palsy is and is not. To dispel misconceptions, the film defines the four basic types of CP, and the various subtypes of spastic CP. Persons with CP may have other disabling conditions, but such conditions are neither caused by CP, nor more prevalent in the CP population. Susie Rodde, a sensitivity trainer on ADA with a transportation firm, and Dena Schott, a student at Hope University explain how they have met the challenge of living with CP.

This book helps teach parents, caregivers, and teachers how to care for people with Cerebral Palsy including topics of hemiplegia, diplegia, quadriplegia and diagnosis, treatments, and assistive devices. It also provides more resources and recommendations.

Children with complex cerebral palsy (typically, but not always, GMFCS levels IV and V) require skilled management and extensive expertise which can be overwhelming or intimidating for many clinicians. This book explores management of the medical and related comorbidities these children often encounter, including orthopaedic concerns, mobility and equipment needs, cognition and sensory impairment, difficult behaviours, seizures, respiratory complications, nutritional challenges, and bone fragility, among others.

A primer for parents that provides a complete spectrum of information and compassionate advice about cerebral palsy and its effect on their child’s development and education. 

Fundamental to the successful treatment of children with cerebral palsy is the cooperation of parents in home handling. This new edition has been expanded and updated to include new information for therapists, parents, nurses and carers.

A look into the life of Carmen Lebron, a teen, set on living a life of positive impact and free from physical and mental barriers.

Meet Sydney, a girl who likes the same things other kids do riding her bike, playing baseball, and hanging out with her friends. Sydney also has cerebral palsy, which makes walking, talking, and using her hands difficult. Sydney shares her first hand account of life with cerebral palsy in I Have Cerebral Palsy so that others can understand what her life is like. Readers can learn about the different items that make it easier for Sydney to be mobile, eat or write in the fact-filled section about adaptive technology.

Like many young girls, Eva longs to dance. But unlike many would-be dancers, Eva is in a wheelchair. She has cerebral palsy. She doesn’t know what dance looks like for someone who uses a wheelchair. Then Eva learns of a place that has created a class for dancers of all abilities. From her first tentative moments in the studio to her triumphant performance onstage, Eva knows that this is where she belongs. At last her lifelong dream of dancing has become a reality!

This book shares a child’s perspective on Cerebral Palsy and spasticity. It includes strategies aimed to improve function including SDR, PERCs, physical therapy and bracing.

This book tells the story of Sam who has Cerebral Palsy and shares tips about living with a disability.

This book covers the coordination of care and the management team; the types of cerebral palsy; assessment; goal-setting; learning and neural plasticity; global therapeutic approaches as well as more focused (topical) therapies; the mechanisms of deformity, its prevention and treatment; and the transition to adult life. 

This book helps shine some light on the difficulties and the joy siblings of children with special needs experience every day.

While volunteering with her mother at a community center, a seven-year-old girl befriends Suhana, also seven, whose cerebral palsy makes it difficult for her to communicate or control her movements. Includes facts about cerebral palsy.

This book shares the thoughts and concerns of a young mother whose son, Jimmy, was born with Cerebral Palsy.

A boy with cerebral palsy helps out at a raptor rehabilitation center and is inspired himself when an owl that cannot fly finds another purpose in life.

This book explores the mechanisms and timing of possible etiologic events that contribute to fetal and neonatal neurologic injury. The report presents evidence that most cases of cerebral palsy are a result of multifactorial and unpreventable causes that occur during fetal development or in the newborn after delivery, and not a result of an isolated intrapartum hypoxic event. The report contains a set of criteria that may be used to define (or rule out) an acute intrapartum hypoxic event sufficient to cause or suggest cerebral palsy.

Eleven-year-old Melody, a brilliant fifth-grader with cerebral palsy, has a photographic memory. Her head is like a video camera that is always recording, and has no delete option. She’s the smartest kid in the entire school, but no one knows it — her parents and teachers have always believed that she can’t learn, because she can’t talk. Then Melody discovers a technological device that will allow her to speak for the first time, but not everyone is ready to hear what she has to say.

This book contains current research information on pathophysiology. It uses the ICF Model of human functioning to organize information on the motor types of cerebral palsy and general hypotonia.

Potty training is a big milestone for any toddler, but when your child has cerebral palsy, the process can come with additional challenges. Physical, sensory, and communication differences can make this task feel overwhelming, but with the right strategies and patience, your child can achieve potty training success. This comprehensive guide is designed specifically for parents and caregivers of toddlers with cerebral palsy, offering practical, step-by-step strategies to navigate potty training with confidence.

Explains how having cerebral palsy affects Taylor, and how getting a wheelchair makes a big difference in helping him get around, do things by himself, and even play basketball with his twin Tyler.

Sam, who has cerebral palsy, goes back-to-school shopping with her best friends.

This expanded edition presents an overview of fine motor development and how the characteristics of Down syndrome can impact the acquisition and progression of these skills.

Denise Lance’s parents were told that their daughter would never walk, never talk, never write her name. Calvin and Jean Lance never believed their daughter had severe cognitive disabilities, though her physical and speech impairments from cerebral palsy were obvious. They enabled Denise to live a typical, happy childhood, learning and playing alongside her peers without disabilities.

“Parents confronted with their child receiving a diagnosis of developmental delay or disability are often devastated by this unexpected reality. The fear of this unknown, coupled with the historical and cultural stigmas associated with disability, leads to anxiety and isolation. This book is written by parents who share their struggles, practical insights and strategies to empower and educate other parents on this challenging, but not impossible, journey”.

A simple explanation for the complex diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy. Follow the narrator, Effie, as she explores what CP is, why it happens, and how we can be more inclusive of disabilities in general.

A step-by-step, integrated system of yoga poses designed to increase cognitive and motor skills in children with learning and developmental disabilities; specialized breathing exercises and relaxation techniques to improve concentration and reduce hyperactivity; an early intervention program to assure the healthy formative development of infants and toddlers.

This book provides life experiences and knowledge from a clinical therapist who lives with Cerebral Palsy. This book can be helpful for parents and those who have Cerebral Palsy.

This article can be helpful for medical professionals, describing some of the benefits of non-pharmacological and non-surgical treatments of pain in patients with cerebral palsy. It discusses a study and findings on things like physiotherapy/rehab, massages, cranial osteopathy, swimming/aquatics, assistive devices, and more.

This organization seeks to provide physical therapists and other health professionals with multidisciplinary scientific education and research related to cerebral palsy and childhood-onset disabilities.

This organization offers information, videos & podcasts, research trials, and other resources. The topics explain what cerebral palsy is, arm & hand function, communication, early intervention, adults & adolescence, building a care team, early diagnosis, and exercise/sports & recreations.

This organization is helpful for parents, educators, and medical professionals as it provides educational resources, tool kits, and webinars.

This organization offers information on research regarding physical activity in children with Cerebral Palsy. Provides resources like activity schedules, reward charts, weekly activity tracker, games, and videos for age ranges less than 2 years all the way up to 18 years old.

This resource collection has a video, information, and links to other resources (like books and support) for parents on what cerebral palsy and the symptoms and effects.

This resource collection offers multiple links to helpful resources for children with Cerebral Palsy and their families with information ranging from medical to foundations and support groups.

This resource collection provides information for Cerebral Palsy resources available in Illinois, including Equip for Equality, Illinois Healthcare Services, and the Ray Graham Association. 

Anika’s family describes their first experience finding out she is diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy after a stroke in utero. They explain how early intervention has helped Anika’s development.

This video follows Elle and her family, they help explain some of the assistive technology she uses in her daily life. Specifically, the Dynavox and how it helps her to communicate.

This video follows Stella’s experience with Cerebral Palsy and how the diagnosis was not easy for the family at first but from their adaptability they created a nonprofit that builds wheelchair buggies to help other families to have access to the world in a more accessible way. This video may be helpful for parents to understand the diagnosis and how to deal with the emotions that come with it.

This video helps explain a new diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy to parents and kids by answering a lot of common questions. This video discusses mild and severe cases, as well as how “stiff” or “floppy” muscles can make things like “walking, eating, and other everyday activities a challenge”.

This video follows Holly who has Cerebral Palsy and she explains what it is in a way that kids can understand. She shows them parts of her life, like her stair lift, shower chair, physiotherapy, swimming and sports day at school. 

This video shows Pearce who has severe cerebral palsy and how he lives everyday life. The video shows his physical exertion, an interview, his diagnosis, challenges he faces, relationships, caring for others, friends, and his dad.

This video follows Nathaniel who is nonverbal and has cerebral palsy. It shows a journey with assistive technology that helps him communicate and be independent. It is explained how the technology helps him learn and participate in school.

This helpful video explains to both parents and children what the different types of Cerebral Palsy, how it happens, what parts of the brain and body are affected, what Spasticity and dystonia and ataxia is.

This video explains to some of the assistive technology that people with Cerebral Palsy use, like eye trackers/gaze, iPads, and standing wheelchairs. This video can be helpful for parents and educators to know what tools can support people with Cerebral Palsy.

This webpage offers information about the types, signs & symptoms, causes, screening & diagnosis, treatment & intervention services, and other resources.

This webpage offers a lot of basic information and resources for parents and families on what cerebral palsy is, the treatments they offer, and finding care locations.

This webpage offers extensive medical information on what cerebral palsy is, what some of the treatments are, and recent research being done.

This webpage provides helpful information on what cerebral palsy is, what some of the symptoms & causes are, what diagnosis and tests there are, what management and treatments are available, the outlook/prognosis, prevention, what it is like living with it, and answers common questions.

This webpage has a brief description of the care they provide for kids with Cerebral Palsy and offers information on the conditions they treat, what treatments and services they provide, and meeting the care team, which would help parents who are looking for places that provide support.

This webpage is helpful for parents and educators as it provides basic information on what cerebral palsy is, what causes it, and the diagnosis along with other resources.

This webpage of a case study is helpful for professionals or parents who want to learn about a family with a similar situation and how action was taken to support them.

This webpage offers information on the family network for children and adults with Cerebral Palsy specifically in the greater Chicago area.

This webpage offers information and resources for families and people with Cerebral Palsy. Offering support on topics like home & community based-services & independent living, inclusive education & early intervention, employment & workforce support, and assistive technology.