# data[].attributes.body
- is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sensation, vision, hearing, and speaking.

# data[].attributes.body
This website offers a helping hand on research with specific questions on if anything could be done or if there are any Clinical trials with the Special Need

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Cerebral Palsy Foundation is committed to sharing the most up to date Cerebral Palsy clinical trial and research study information with you on an ongoing basis. Every month we’ll highlight new or innovative clinical trials around the United States and the world that may be a fit for you or your family member. Check back often for what’s new and exciting in the world of cerebral palsy research.

# data[].attributes.body
This Website can tell you all about the symptoms that your child with the Special need can have which can consist of the most known ones to ones that you would probably never know.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The symptoms of cerebral palsy are not usually obvious just after a baby is born. They normally become noticeable from an early age.
Speak to your health visitor or a GP if you have any concerns about your child's health or development.

Movement and development problems

The main symptoms of cerebral palsy are problems with movement, co-ordination and development.

Possible signs in a child include:

delays in reaching development milestones - for example, not sitting by 8 months or not walking by 18 months

seeming too stiff or too floppy (hypotonia)

weak arms or legs

fidgety, jerky or clumsy movements

random, uncontrolled movements

muscle spasms

shaking hands (tremors)

walking on tiptoes

The severity of symptoms varies significantly from child to child.

The parts of the body affected can also vary. Sometimes only 1 side of the body is affected, sometimes the whole body is affected, and sometimes mainly the legs are affected.

Other symptoms

People with cerebral palsy can also have a range of other problems, including:

Types of cerebral palsy

Your doctors may refer to your or your child's condition as a particular type of cerebral palsy, based on the symptoms you or your child has.

There are 4 main types of cerebral palsy:

spastic cerebral palsy - the muscles are stiff and tight (especially when trying to move them quickly), making it difficult to move and reducing the range of movement that's possible

dyskinetic cerebral palsy - the muscles switch between stiffness and floppiness, causing random, uncontrolled body movements or spasms

ataxic cerebral palsy - when a person has balance and co-ordination problems, resulting in shaky or clumsy movements and sometimes tremors

mixed cerebral palsy - when a person has symptoms of more than one type of cerebral palsy

You may also hear terms such as hemiplegia or diplegia. These refer to the parts of the body affected by cerebral palsy.

Hemiplegia means 1 side of the body is affected, diplegia is where 2 limbs are affected, monoplegia is where 1 limb is affected, and quadriplegia is where all 4 limbs (and usually the whole body) are affected.

Page last reviewed: 31 May 2023
Next review due: 31 May 2026

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Read about the symptoms of cerebral palsy. The main symptoms are movement and development problems, but other symptoms include drooling, difficulty feeding and communicating, and learning disability.

# data[].attributes.body
The website above can tell you what you might need in order to go through a screening process to check to see if someone had Cerebral Palsy. It also holds numbers to ask better help if you have any more questions about the screening process for different ages.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Diagnosing cerebral palsy (CP) at an early age is important to the well-being of children and their families. Diagnosing CP can take several steps:

Developmental Monitoring

Developmental Screening

Developmental and Medical Evaluations

Developmental Monitoring

Developmental monitoring (also called surveillance) means tracking a child's growth and development over time. At each well-child office visit, the doctor monitors the child's development. The doctor does this by asking parents if they have any concerns about their child's development, taking or updating the child's developmental history, and watching the child during the exam to see how he or she moves.

It is important for doctors to monitor the development of all children, but especially those who are at a higher risk for developmental problems due to preterm birth or low birthweight.

If any concerns about the child's development are raised during monitoring, then a developmental screening test should be given as soon as possible.

Developmental Screening

During developmental screening a short test is given to see if the child has specific developmental delays, such as motor or movement delays. Some developmental screening tests are in the form of interviews or questionnaires completed by parents, others are tests that the doctor gives to the child. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children be screened for developmental delays during regular well-child office visits at:

When a child is 9 months of age, many issues involving movement can be seen easily. However, mild movement delays that were not found at the 9-month screening might be easier to see when the child is 18 months of age. By the time the child is 30 months of age, most movement delays can be found.

A developmental screening test also can be given whenever the child's parents or doctor or others involved in the care of the child have concerns about the child's development. If the results of the screening test are cause for concern, then the doctor will make referrals for:

Developmental and medical evaluations

AND

Developmental and Medical Evaluations

The goal of a developmental evaluation is to diagnose the specific type of disorder that affects a child. To evaluate movement or motor delays, the doctor will look closely at the child's motor skills, muscle tone, reflexes, and posture, and take a careful medical history from the parents. The doctor will try to rule out other disorders that could cause similar problems.

Because many children with CP also have related developmental conditions such as intellectual disability; seizures; or vision, hearing, or speech problems, it is important to evaluate the child to find these disorders as well.

The developmental evaluation can be performed by the primary care doctor or by a specialist. Specialists who can do this type of developmental evaluation include:

Developmental pediatricians or neurodevelopment pediatricians (doctors with special training in child development and in evaluating with children with developmental problems).

Child neurologists (doctors with special training in childhood diseases of the brain, spine, and nerves).

Pediatric physiatrists or pediatric rehabilitation doctors (doctors with special training in physical medicine and rehabilitation for children).

In addition to the developmental evaluation, additional tests can be done to look for a cause of CP. Specialists might suggest brain imaging tests, such as x-ray computed tomography (CT scan) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An electroencephalogram (EEG), genetic testing, or metabolic testing, or a combination of these, also might be done.

CP generally is diagnosed during the first or second year after birth. But if a child's symptoms are mild, it is sometimes difficult to make a diagnosis until the child is a few years older.
Visit the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Cerebral Palsy Information Page to learn more about how CP is diagnosed external icon
If You're Concerned

If you think your child is not meeting movement milestones or might have CP, contact your doctor or nurse and share your concerns.

If you or your doctor is still concerned, ask for a referral to a specialist who can do a more in-depth evaluation of your child and assist in making a diagnosis.

At the same time, call your state's public early childhood system to request a free evaluation to find out if your child qualifies for intervention services. This is sometimes called a Child Find evaluation. You do not need to wait for a doctor's referral or a medical diagnosis to make this call.

Where to call for a free evaluation from the state depends on your child's age:

If your child is not yet 3 years old, contact your local early intervention system.
You can find the right contact information for your state by calling the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) at 919-962-2001 or visit theECTA websiteexternal icon .

If your child is 3 years of age or older, contact your local public school system.
Even if your child is not yet old enough for kindergarten or enrolled in a public school, call your local elementary school or board of education and ask to speak with someone who can help you have your child evaluated.
If you're not sure who to contact, call the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) at 919-962-2001 or visit theECTA websiteexternal icon .

Learn more about early intervention

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
data and statistics about cerebral palsy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Screening and Diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy | CDC

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Diagnosing cerebral palsy (CP) at an early age is important to the well-being of children and their families. Diagnosing CP can take several steps: Developmental Monitoring Developmental Screening Developmental and Medical Evaluations Developmental monitoring (also called surveillance) means tracking a child's growth and development over time.

# data[].attributes.body
This website is a list of Possible treatments on Cerebral Palsy could help manage it because there is no official cure for it. the treatments can be drugs or surgical to help treat it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Treating Cerebral Palsy is almost as complex as the condition is, and there’s no cookie-cutter approach because each individual is affected differently. Although the brain injury that causes Cerebral Palsy cannot be healed, the resulting physical impairment can be managed with a wide range of treatments and therapies. Although there is no universal protocol developed for all cases, a person’s form of Cerebral Palsy, extent of impairment, and severity level help to determine care.