Cerebral palsy is caused by the incorrect development of the parts of the brain which control things like movement, balance and coordination. Quite often the symptoms will be evident at birth but they can develop slightly later on in life. There are different classifications including spastic, ataxic and athetoid which affect muscles, coordination and writing movements respectively. Speech and language development can also be major issues for people with CP.
Although many children with CP live fulfilled lives this does not come easily. Some people undergo dozens of operations over the course of their lives and may live with constant pain. They may also have severe learning disabilities but this can be managed with extra help at school. However, my cousin attends a mainstream school and although she was very fortunate to survive birth and still suffers now she makes progress and her life was well worth saving. She is an example of how a positive thing can come from a sometimes terrible condition.
A brief summary of CP but hopefully an enlightening one. Surprisingly got views on my last post even though it was just an introduction, feel free to comment your views or ask questions.
