Cerebral Palsy

Also known as: CP, Little’s disease, spastic paralysis, spastic hemiplegia, spastic diplegia and spastic quadriplegia

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurological disorder, often as a consequence of events in the early years of life, which affect the neurological function at various levels. Children may have difficulty in moving in a coordinated manner, learning and behavioral problems or seizures.

Causes of Cerebral Palsy

For many cases of cerebral palsy, the cause is not known. Others can be linked to issues during pregnancy that resulted in brain damage or abnormal brain development. Babies born prematurely, particularly those of low birth weight are more likely to have CP than full term babies.

Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy

Symptoms can include stiff muscles, lack of muscle coordination, tremors, slow or decreased movements, trouble walking or moving, drooling, difficulty swallowing, problems with speech and eating, delays in speech, seizures, hearing and vision problems and many other developmental problems.

Care Options for Cerebral Palsy

There is no cure for cerebral palsy. Treatment is focused on therapy to help the child develop physically and mentally as well as possible. Medication or surgery can also be a possibility for specific symptoms and complications such as spasticity and seizures.

Reviewed by: Migvis Monduy, MD

This page was last updated on: August 21, 2025 02:14 PM

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Learning Disorders and Disabilities

Learning disabilities and disorders are brain based processing difficulties which interfere with learning skills like reading, writing and doing mathematics. Children with learning disorders usually have normal intellectual ability.

Spasticity and Contractures

Spasticity and contractures are conditions in which muscle imbalance across a joint leads to abnormal positioning and tightness. Spasticity refers to involuntary tightening or stiffening of muscles. The term contracture refers to abnormal positioning of a joint.

Seizures

A seizure is a sudden abnormal burst of electrical activity in one or more parts of the brain that interrupt the normal brain signals and result in a wide variety of symptoms such as loss of conciousness and uncontrollable muscle spasms.

Speech Disorders

Any abnormality of a child’s ability to speak clearly and normally can be classified as a speech disorder.

Physical Therapy (PT) Evaluation and Treatment

Physical therapy is a form of therapy that helps people rehabilitate through exercises, stretching and orthopedics in order to regain the mobility and function of their bodies.

Occupational Therapy (OT) Evaluation and Treatment

Occupational therapy is a form of therapy that helps people rehabilitate through exercises and other means in order to perform their ordinary, daily tasks or work-related functions.

Single-Event Multilevel Surgery

Single-event multilevel surgery, or SEMLS, is a surgical procedure that aims to correct many of the issues related to neuromuscular disorders with just one orthopedic surgical procedure.