What is Cerebral Palsy?
The term cerebral means brain and palsy refers to a disorder of movement or posture. If someone has cerebral palsy it resulted from an injury to their brain, and their muscles do not react in the normal way. Children with C.P. do not be able to walk, talk, eat or play like other children. This damage to one or more areas of the brain can occur during fetal development, labor and birth or during infancy.
Cerebral palsy is not curable, nor is it progressive – it doesn’t improve or deteriorate with age. Nor is it contagious. While it can’t be cured in the conventional sense, education and various types of therapy can help people with C.P. lead productive lives.
Since cerebral palsy is characterized by the inability to fully control one’s muscles, one or more of the following can occur:
- seizures
- impairment of sight hearing
- speech impediment
- difficulty in mobility
- involuntary movements
- muscle spasm or tightness
Complete Cerebral Palsy Form for full benefits information.
