Maybe you know someone with cerebral palsy (CP), or maybe you know someone who knows someone with cerebral palsy. CP is the most common childhood movement disorder worldwide, affecting about 1–4 out of every 1,000 infants at birth according to the CDC. Today, about 764,000 people in the United States have cerebral palsy.
What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy is a group of neurological symptoms, including movement, balance, and posture disorders. It may involve other systems and functions as well, including vision, hearing, and cognitive ability. CP is not degenerative, but its presentation can change over time and often requires life-long, specialized care.
What Can We Do to Support Someone with CP?
Over the years, as the parent of a beautiful daughter with cerebral palsy, doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals have often asked me during or at the end of appointments, “Do you have any other questions?” or “Is there any other way I can be helpful?”
In fact, there are many things both medical and non-medical people, including friends, family, and complete strangers, can do. Here are just a few suggestions:
- When you see a person who looks, communicates, or moves differently than you do — maybe at the grocery store, movie theater, playground, or restaurant — be kind. Be patient. For someone with CP, it can take longer and be more complicated to move or carry out even simple motor tasks.
- Talk directly to someone with CP, like you would to anyone else. Make eye contact. Smile. Don’t ask the individual’s parent or companion what she wants to eat or what he would like to wear. If the person with the disability is unable to respond, the companion will jump in to help.
- Don’t stare, but don’t be afraid to ask questions, as long as you do it in a respectful way. It’s natural to be curious. Knowledge is power — and it is reassuring.
- If you see a parent struggling with a child or adolescent who is having trouble moving, maybe at an airport or getting on or off a bus, don’t look away; offer to help. Even if they don’t take you up on your offer, a few kind words may make their day.
- Look for ways you can connect, even with someone who may not be able to see, or to hear, or to speak. Find out what you might have in common, despite the obvious differences. Look beneath the surface.
- Remember that kids are just kids before they are kids with disabilities. They love YouTube, junk food, video games, and music. They would much rather go swimming, skiing, or just eat ice cream and pizza than spend hours and hours in physical, occupational, and speech therapy sessions.
Not too long ago, someone asked me, “What do you think people with cerebral palsy want the most?”
Here is my answer: “Love, friendship, fun, good health, a good education, independence, to be heard, to be understood, and to contribute to this world in a meaningful way. In other words, exactly what you want.”
There is no cure for CP, but with medical, therapeutic, and technological interventions — and especially with adequate social and emotional support — all these things are possible.
The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and should not be attributed to Counslr, Inc., its partners, its employees, or any other mental health professionals Counslr employs. You should review this information and any questions regarding your specific circumstances with a medical professional. The content provided here is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as counseling, therapy, or professional medical advice.
Maybe you know someone with cerebral palsy (CP), or maybe you know someone who knows someone with cerebral palsy. CP is the most common childhood movement disorder worldwide, affecting about 1–4 out of every 1,000 infants at birth according to the CDC. Today, about 764,000 people in the United States have cerebral palsy.
What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy is a group of neurological symptoms, including movement, balance, and posture disorders. It may involve other systems and functions as well, including vision, hearing, and cognitive ability. CP is not degenerative, but its presentation can change over time and often requires life-long, specialized care.
What Can We Do to Support Someone with CP?
Over the years, as the parent of a beautiful daughter with cerebral palsy, doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals have often asked me during or at the end of appointments, “Do you have any other questions?” or “Is there any other way I can be helpful?”
In fact, there are many things both medical and non-medical people, including friends, family, and complete strangers, can do. Here are just a few suggestions:
- When you see a person who looks, communicates, or moves differently than you do — maybe at the grocery store, movie theater, playground, or restaurant — be kind. Be patient. For someone with CP, it can take longer and be more complicated to move or carry out even simple motor tasks.
- Talk directly to someone with CP, like you would to anyone else. Make eye contact. Smile. Don’t ask the individual’s parent or companion what she wants to eat or what he would like to wear. If the person with the disability is unable to respond, the companion will jump in to help.
- Don’t stare, but don’t be afraid to ask questions, as long as you do it in a respectful way. It’s natural to be curious. Knowledge is power — and it is reassuring.
- If you see a parent struggling with a child or adolescent who is having trouble moving, maybe at an airport or getting on or off a bus, don’t look away; offer to help. Even if they don’t take you up on your offer, a few kind words may make their day.
- Look for ways you can connect, even with someone who may not be able to see, or to hear, or to speak. Find out what you might have in common, despite the obvious differences. Look beneath the surface.
- Remember that kids are just kids before they are kids with disabilities. They love YouTube, junk food, video games, and music. They would much rather go swimming, skiing, or just eat ice cream and pizza than spend hours and hours in physical, occupational, and speech therapy sessions.
Not too long ago, someone asked me, “What do you think people with cerebral palsy want the most?”
Here is my answer: “Love, friendship, fun, good health, a good education, independence, to be heard, to be understood, and to contribute to this world in a meaningful way. In other words, exactly what you want.”
There is no cure for CP, but with medical, therapeutic, and technological interventions — and especially with adequate social and emotional support — all these things are possible.
The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and should not be attributed to Counslr, Inc., its partners, its employees, or any other mental health professionals Counslr employs. You should review this information and any questions regarding your specific circumstances with a medical professional. The content provided here is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as counseling, therapy, or professional medical advice.
Do You Know Someone with Cerebral Palsy?
Maybe you know someone with cerebral palsy (CP), or maybe you know someone who knows someone with cerebral palsy. CP is the most common childhood movement disorder worldwide, affecting about 1–4 out of every 1,000 infants at birth according to the CDC. Today, about 764,000 people in the United States have cerebral palsy.
What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy is a group of neurological symptoms, including movement, balance, and posture disorders. It may involve other systems and functions as well, including vision, hearing, and cognitive ability. CP is not degenerative, but its presentation can change over time and often requires life-long, specialized care.
What Can We Do to Support Someone with CP?
Over the years, as the parent of a beautiful daughter with cerebral palsy, doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals have often asked me during or at the end of appointments, “Do you have any other questions?” or “Is there any other way I can be helpful?”
In fact, there are many things both medical and non-medical people, including friends, family, and complete strangers, can do. Here are just a few suggestions:
- When you see a person who looks, communicates, or moves differently than you do — maybe at the grocery store, movie theater, playground, or restaurant — be kind. Be patient. For someone with CP, it can take longer and be more complicated to move or carry out even simple motor tasks.
- Talk directly to someone with CP, like you would to anyone else. Make eye contact. Smile. Don’t ask the individual’s parent or companion what she wants to eat or what he would like to wear. If the person with the disability is unable to respond, the companion will jump in to help.
- Don’t stare, but don’t be afraid to ask questions, as long as you do it in a respectful way. It’s natural to be curious. Knowledge is power — and it is reassuring.
- If you see a parent struggling with a child or adolescent who is having trouble moving, maybe at an airport or getting on or off a bus, don’t look away; offer to help. Even if they don’t take you up on your offer, a few kind words may make their day.
- Look for ways you can connect, even with someone who may not be able to see, or to hear, or to speak. Find out what you might have in common, despite the obvious differences. Look beneath the surface.
- Remember that kids are just kids before they are kids with disabilities. They love YouTube, junk food, video games, and music. They would much rather go swimming, skiing, or just eat ice cream and pizza than spend hours and hours in physical, occupational, and speech therapy sessions.
Not too long ago, someone asked me, “What do you think people with cerebral palsy want the most?”
Here is my answer: “Love, friendship, fun, good health, a good education, independence, to be heard, to be understood, and to contribute to this world in a meaningful way. In other words, exactly what you want.”
There is no cure for CP, but with medical, therapeutic, and technological interventions — and especially with adequate social and emotional support — all these things are possible.
The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and should not be attributed to Counslr, Inc., its partners, its employees, or any other mental health professionals Counslr employs. You should review this information and any questions regarding your specific circumstances with a medical professional. The content provided here is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as counseling, therapy, or professional medical advice.
