Cerebral Palsy/Physical Development

This section of the website contains information on the various aspects of the physical care of a child with Hydranencephaly. It is divided into 5 sections and a Glossary of terms used:

Overview of Cerebral Palsy
Because a child with Hydranencephaly is missing much of their brain their motor function will be similar to someone with severe brain damage. The effects of brain damage that interfere with motor development is often called Cerebral Palsy. I often find it simpler to just say that Kayda has cp. Hydra....is too complicated to explain sometimes. Children with cp may have a variety of orthopedic and other problems. At a very early age your child will be assigned a physical therapist and probably an occupational therapist who will help you learn how to maximize your child's development. The physical therapist works with maintaining range in joints by positioning and stretching. Foot, hand and other splints or braces are often used to maintain range. As your child develops you will probably be introduced to a number of odd looking pieces of equipment such as standing frames or walkers, side lyers, feeding seats etc. They all have a specific purpose. An Occupational therapist will help with choosing equipment. He/she also works on hand use, feeding issues, equipment needs etc. In many ways their roles overlap and complement each other. At first an Early Intervention specialist may also be involved. All these people will help you learn to help your child. They'll help find out what type of toy your child might be most interested in, give suggestions on bathing, what type of recreation would be best for your child etc.

For an overview of what Cerebral Palsy is please see:
Cerebral Palsy a multi media tutorial from the University of Virginia
http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/pediatrics/patients/Tutorials/cp.cfm

Other pages in this section:
Cerebral Palsy
Orthopedic Considerations
Medical Treatments for Spasticity
Orthopedic Surgery links and resources
Orthopedic Surgery Personal Experiences
Therapy for children with Hydranencephaly
Range of Motion Therapy
Other Types of Therapy
Principals of Positioning
Positioning: Orthotics and Splints
Orthotics and Splints Experiences
Equipment
Wheelchairs
Alternate Positioning
Standers
Personal Care: Practical Information
Practical Care: Transportation
Practical Care: Carrying and Lifting
Sleeping Medications
Glossary