Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy refers to a group of disorders that affect muscle movement and coordination. In many cases, vision, hearing, and sensation are also affected.

While they vary from person-to person, common signs include:

• Delays in reaching motor skill milestones, such as rolling over, sitting up alone, or crawling
• Variations in muscle tone, such as being too floppy
or too stiff
• Delays in speech development and difficulty speaking
• Spasticity, or stiff muscles and exaggerated reflexes
• Ataxia, or a lack of muscle coordination
• Tremors or involuntary movements
• Excessive drooling and problems with swallowing
• Difficulty walking
• Favoring one side of the body, such as reaching
with one hand
• Neurological problems, such as seizures, intellectual
disabilities, and blindness

Most children are born with CP, but they may not show signs of a disorder until months or years later. Symptoms usually appear before a child reaches age 3 or 4.