Cerebral Palsy

Jo Ann LancasterMakayla MooreMargaret Haskins

Cerebral PalsyCerebral Palsy*Cerebral Palsy is a term used for a group of disorders affecting body movement, posture and balance

•It is a neurological condition resulting from damage to the brain. The damage usually occurs during birth or in infancy

•There are several types of cerebral palsy:*Spastic- characterized by stiff muscles and jerky

movements *Spastic cerebral palsy is characterized by the part of

the body affected.diplegia-both legshemiplegia-one side of the bodyquadriplegia-the whole body

Spastic accounts for 70-80% cases of CP

Dyskinetic-affects coordination and movementsThere are two types:

*Athetoid-can affect any part of the body. Movement is slow and writhing

This type accounts for about 10-20% of cases

*Ataxic-is seen in about 5-10% of cases. It affects balance and coordination

What are the causes?Cerebral Palsy results from damage to certain areas of the brain. This damage usually occurs when the brain is just beginning to form, during childbirth or in infancy.

Risk Factors

Medical problems in mother during pregnancy

Birth defects-especially ones that affect the brain

Complications during child birth/premature birth

Hypoxia-lack of oxygen reaching the brain before, during or after birth

Use of drugs or alcohol during pregnancy

Brain damage- usually seen in infancy or teen and young adult years

Cerebral Palsy Characteristics: Characteristics of CP are going to vary from child to child, depending on the severity of

the disability.

oAwkwardness in movements and hand control.oLoss of complete muscle controloSpeaking disabilitiesoHearing impairment/vision problemsoInability to do every day routinesoMuscle spasms may occur due to nervous problems, or due to the lack of communication between the brain and the body.oDifficulty in understanding things

All of these characteristics play a role in affecting other major daily routines,

such as, breathing problems, bowel control, poor bladder, and irregularity

in blood circulation.

Adaptive Technology-* Wheel Chair- sometimes used when a

person is unable to walk*Walkers-to help maintain balance*Braces*Special grips-can be used on eating

utensils, pencils and other small objects to make them easier to hold

*Communication DevicesEye gazePicturesVoice output devicesComputers

*Glasses and eye patches

Exceptionality in Classroom and Accommodations

Children in diapers. You have to take time to keep them changed and clean.

Children in wheelchairs. You have to have extra help to wheel them where they need to go. Ex. to the nurse, lunch room etc..

Children that need special grips on their eating utensils. So you may have to help them.

Children may need special voice output devices. You may have to help them get it set-up.

Some children may have to have pictures just to communicate.

As teachers, we can use any help we can learning about the different disabilities our students have and ways we can improve the way they learn. Listed below are a couple of great websites that would be very helpful for Cerebral Palsy in the classroom:

http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/special_ed/disabilities/cp/

This website gives you an overview of Cerebral Palsy and some tips on teaching in the classroom. It also lists more links for information on the disability.

http://www.tahperd.org/LINKS/links_pdfs/APE%20factsheets/Cerebral_Palsy.pdf

This website lists a lot of characteristics and what the teacher can expect from a child with Cerebral Palsy. It also lists several tips for teaching in the classroom.

Works Citied“Cerebral palsy,”medicinehealth.WebMD.Inc,2011. Web 25

March.2011

“Adaptive Technology," origins of cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy,2011.Web 25 March.2011

http://www.cerebralpalsytreating.com/cerebral-palsy-characteristics.html