Cerebral Palsy

(CP) Code 44
Definition:
Cerebral Palsy (CP) refers to a group of disorders that result from
injury to the developing brain, and can affect movement and muscle
coordination.
o Depending on which areas of the brain are affected the way in
which they affect a person dictates what type of CP they have
o Types of CP include
Spastic
Athetoid
Ataxic
Mixed
. CP has a range of severity in addition to varying types of CP.
o Mild <-> Moderate (code 58) <-> Severe (code 44)
o And no CP
How the body is affected by both the type and severity of CP has its
own terminology
o Hemiplegia (leg and arm on one side of the body)
o Diplegia (both legs and arms, legs more than the arms)
o Quadriplegia (both legs and arms, trunk, mouth, and face)
CP is not progressive, the damage to the brain is permanent. As a
result of therapy and management or compensation by the person
with CP the affects may appear to change over time.
Some of the possible physical effects of CP include:
o Increased or Decreased muscle tone
o Seizures
o Vision and Hearing complications
o often a variety of Learning Disabilities
o Vulnerability to mental health issues
Depression, Anxiety, behavioural issues, etc.
1 in 400 individuals in Canada are diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (CP).
That is 85, 000 children and adults in Canada.
CP is the most common physical disability in children.

Observable Behaviors:
Because CP varies where in the brain and how it may affect the brain,
combined with varying degrees of severity, AND the individual way a person
may mentally behave towards having a physical disability all lead to a very
individualistic and contextually specific set of observable behaviours and
characteristics.
Some common characteristics may include (but are not limited to):
Muscle tightness or spasms
Involuntary movement
Difficulty with gross motor skills such as walking or running
Difficulty with fine motor skills such as writing or doing up buttons
Difficulty with perceptions and sensations
Cognitive disorders
Speech disorders
Language disorders,
Visual and hearing impairments
Learning disabilities
Each type of CP has unique types of characteristics outlined in the table below

Teaching Strategies: I will be noting teaching strategies that have a

focus on PE
There are ways to possibly aid students with CP in the classroom, some
would be:
Learn as much as possible about CP, de-mystifying the condition can
help in aiding the student. And having the knowledge to avoid creating
a non-inclusive learning environment; It may be helpful to educate all
your students on what CP is to promote understanding and inclusion.
o CP has multiple spectrum factors, therefore one should
DEFINETLY know where their students with CP are on these
spectrums and classification. This will aid the teacher in pre
planning lessons knowing how to modify equipment or the game
as a whole, thus benefiting the student with CP by creating a
positive environment that is specifically tailored for the student.
The Ontarios Teachers Federation classifies their teaching
strategies For CP specifically they offer strategies in areas
of:
Articulation Skills
Assistive Technology
Fine Motor Skills
Gross Motor Skills
Mobility Skills
Personal Care
Self-Esteem
ETC.
They go even further and differentiate into
three areas of implementation that I find
incredibly handy:
Instructional
Environmental
Assessment
http://www.teachspeced.ca/cerebralpalsy
Set a Meeting with the Student with CP, their guardians, and the
schools principal / super. In this meeting it is imperative to develop or
learn pre-existing accommodations for the student
Provide extra time for transition between classes/locations in the
school

 Provide a choice of assessment activities for the student to utilize their

strengths
Provide breaks to combat fatigue
Use visuals

Resources:

Learn Alberta
o http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/inmdict/html/cerebral_palsy.ht
mlEducation
Ontario Teachers Federation
o http://www.teachspeced.ca/cerebral-palsy?q=node/713
Cerebral Palsy Association in Alberta
o http://www.cerebralpalsysource.com/Education_and_Patients/teac
hing_cp/index.html
Teagans story (to show kids an informational video)
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFNDSFWBYTM