Cerebral Palsy in Kids: How Therapy Helps
If your child was just diagnosed with cerebral palsy, or a doctor has raised it as a possibility, you were probably handed a list of therapies before anyone explained what each one does. That is a lot to take in.
Cerebral palsy in kids looks different from one child to the next, so therapy does too. Here is what each kind of therapy works on, in everyday terms.
What Cerebral Palsy Is
The Short Version
Cerebral palsy, often shortened to CP, is a group of conditions that affect how a person moves, balances, and holds their posture. It comes from a difference in, or an injury to, the developing brain. It is the most common motor disability in childhood. The CDC estimates that about 1 in 345 children in the United States has it.
Most CP begins before or during birth, and in most children the specific cause is never found.
There is no cure. The brain difference behind CP also does not get worse over time, although the way it shows up can change as a child grows. Therapy is about helping a child do more of what matters to them.
Types of Cerebral Palsy
Spastic. Stiff, tight muscles. This is the most common type, about 8 in 10 children with CP.
Dyskinetic. Movements that are hard to control.
Ataxic. Trouble with balance and coordination.
Mixed. More than one of the above.
CP can affect one arm, both legs, one side, or the whole body. Two children with the same diagnosis can need very different things.
Early Signs of Cerebral Palsy
Signs usually show up in the first year or two as delays in movement. The CDC lists examples such as:
Under 6 months: feeling very stiff or very floppy, or the head lagging when picked up
Over 6 months: not rolling in either direction, or reaching with one hand while the other stays fisted
Over 10 months: crawling lopsided, pushing with one side and dragging the other
Some children without CP show these too. If you are seeing them, bring it up with your pediatrician. Our guide to gross motor milestones by age can help you describe what you are noticing.
How Physical Therapy Helps
Physical Therapy for Cerebral Palsy
Physical therapy works on the big movements. A PT helps with strength, balance, and stretching muscles that pull tight. The goals are concrete:
Sitting up steadily enough to play with both hands
Getting up off the floor without help
Walking farther, or handling the stairs at school
More than half of children with CP walk on their own. For others, the goal may be moving well with a walker or a wheelchair. Both count as progress. Our parent guide explains more about what pediatric physical therapy is.
How Occupational Therapy Helps
Occupational Therapy for Cerebral Palsy
Occupational therapy works on the tasks that fill a child's day. For a child with CP, that often means using their hands and arms for things like:
Getting dressed and managing zippers and shoes
Holding a spoon, a cup, or a toothbrush
Drawing, cutting, and writing at school
An OT also looks for ways to change the task, not only the child. A different grip, a different chair, or a different way to put on a shirt can turn a daily fight into something your child does alone. Here is more on what pediatric occupational therapy really is.
How Speech Therapy Helps
Speech Therapy for Cerebral Palsy
CP can affect the muscles of the mouth, face, and breathing, which makes speech harder to produce clearly. A speech-language pathologist works on:
Clearer speech, so more people understand your child
Understanding and using language
Other ways to communicate, such as pictures or a speech device. This is called AAC.
AAC does not stop a child from learning to talk. It gives them a way to be understood now.
Some children with CP also have trouble chewing and swallowing, which speech-language pathologists are trained to evaluate. Read more in what pediatric speech therapy is.
Starting Early and Working as a Team
Early Intervention for Babies and Toddlers
In Illinois, children under 3 can get therapy through Early Intervention, usually at home or at daycare. You do not need a confirmed diagnosis to ask for an evaluation. Our post on what Early Intervention is and who qualifies explains how it works.
What Therapy Looks Like Week to Week
Sessions look like play, because that is how kids practice. A good share of the work is showing you what to do between visits, at bath time, at meals, and on the living room floor.
Your child's therapists should also be talking to each other, so the goals line up and your child is not working on six things at once.
Cerebral Palsy in Kids: Finding Support Near Peoria
Where Midwest Children's Therapy Fits
No single therapy plan fits every child with CP. The right one starts with what your child and your family want to be able to do.
Midwest Children's Therapy offers physical, occupational, and speech therapy in one building in East Peoria, for children from birth to 18. Call us at (309) 282-6704 or send us a message with your questions.
