Cerebral Palsy

The Cerebral Palsy (CP) clinic provides a comprehensive evaluation for children, adolescents and and young adults from birth to age 22 who are suspected of having cerebral palsy or have been diagnosed with CP.

Cerebral palsy, a disorder of posture and movement, is a disability caused by brain damage or infection. A child with CP may have unusual muscle movements, be stiff, or jumpy, and/or have very relaxed, floppy muscles. The muscle problems make it difficult to do what other children the same age can do.

Babies with CP may be slower in sitting, crawling and walking. Children with CP may not gain weight easily related to difficulty with facial/mouth muscles. They may have speech difficulty or learning problems.
 

Team-centered care

A care team (family, doctor, school, and other specialists) will assist you with a strength-focused treatment plan, helping your child to be as independent as possible. This information can be very important for early intervention, school and home programming.

Assessments, recommendations and referrals are made in the following areas:

• Orthopedics-bone, muscle problems
• Social/Emotional development
• Nutrition
• Sensory and motor skills
• Neurological concerns

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On the web

For more information, go to the American Academy of Family Physicians website.