Overview
Children and young adults with cerebral palsy have usually suffered early insults and/or injury to the brain. This affects them in myriad ways: intellect & cognition; motor function; sensory functions including vision, hearing & touch; speech & language functions; emotions & behavior.
Doctors classify CP according to the main type of movement disorder involved. Depending on which areas of the brain are affected.
- There are four main types of CP:
- Spastic Cerebral Palsy
- Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy (also includes athetoid, choreoathetoid, and dystonic cerebral palsies)
- Ataxic Cerebral Palsy
- Mixed Cerebral Palsy
Multi-modal
Assessment
Signs
The signs of CP vary greatly because there are many different types and levels of disability. The main sign that a child might have CP is a delay reaching motor or movement milestones (such as rolling over, sitting, standing, or walking). Following are some other signs of possible CP. It is important to note that some children without CP also might have some of these signs.
- In a Baby Younger Than 6 Months of Age
- His head lags when you pick him up while he’s lying on his back
- He feels stiff
- He feels floppy
- When held cradled in your arms, he seems to overextend his back and neck, constantly acting as if he is pushing away from you
- When you pick him up, his legs get stiff and they cross or scissor
- In a Baby Older Than 6 Months of Age
- She doesn’t roll over in either direction
- She cannot bring her hands together
- She has difficulty bringing her hands to her mouth
- She reaches out with only one hand while keeping the other fisted
- In a Baby Older Than 10 Months of Age
- He crawls in a lopsided manner, pushing off with one hand and leg while dragging the opposite hand and leg
- He scoots around on his buttocks or hops on his knees, but does not crawl on all fours
Multi-modal
Diagnosis
Diagnosis
While the diagnosis is clinical, brain imaging, electrophysiology, blood tests to rule out reversible causes or indeed contributing factors and a thorough pre-rehabilitation assessment including evaluation for co-morbidities (associated conditions) will be required in all instances. At Buddhi Clinic our assessment includes standard outcome indicators for activities of daily life, quality of life, neuro-disability and mental health.
Treatment
Buddhi Clinic addresses these children combining psychological treatments such as cognitive enhancement & behavioral management with motor-sensory treatments: Ayurveda, Acupressure, Reflexology, Yoga & Neurodevelopmental therapy. We work on integrated bodily function: posture, gait, balance & movement.
