Cerebral Palsy (Children)
Questions families ask
What parents ask in the first conversation.
Is my child too young, or too old?
Blocks are run for children from around two years upwards. Younger than that, the work is usually better done as a parent-coaching programme at home. Older children and teenagers benefit too, and the goals shift towards independence, school and participation.
My child has had botulinum toxin. Does that change the timing?
It can improve it. Botulinum toxin combined with therapy is supported by the evidence, and a block timed into the weeks after injection often achieves more than one timed randomly. Tell us the injection date and we will plan around it.
What if my child will not cooperate with a stranger?
Common and expected. The first days are partly about the child accepting the therapist, and the parent stays in the room. A child who spends two days refusing and then works for three weeks has not lost anything.
Can siblings come?
A bed for one parent is provided in the child's room. If other family members are travelling, ask the international office about their accommodation before booking flights.
What language will the therapy be in?
Interpreting is arranged where it is needed. With young children the parent is also part of the communication chain, which is one more reason the parent is in the room rather than in a waiting area.
Sources
- State of the Evidence Traffic Lights 2019: Systematic Review of Interventions for Preventing and Treating Children with Cerebral Palsy — Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports (2020)
- A systematic review of interventions for children with cerebral palsy: state of the evidence — Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology (2013)
- Traffic Lights Model for Cerebral Palsy Interventions — CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research (2020)
- Locomotion skills in adults with cerebral palsy — Clinical Rehabilitation (2004)
