Children with cerebral palsy need more attention than other children! It is important to realize that these children need special care in movement, interaction and communication.
The degree of severity for each child varies and the main focus should be on symptom management through proper treatment for children with severe CP.
The condition is not curable and the aim of cerebral palsy treatment is to help the child towards living an independent life.
Children with cerebral palsy need a long term treatment to reach their maximum potential and for this, the first task should be to increase their self confidence.
Usually these children suffer from speech difficulties, muscle spasms and muscle imbalance apart from experiencing emotional and psychological distress and other cerebral palsy symptoms.
A dedicated team is required with experienced medical practitioners for caring these children with severe cerebral palsy.
The members of the team should be knowledgeable professionals with various specialties.
First of all a physician who is trained in development of disabled children is required.
Then the physician will correlate with other members of the team and follow the child's progress during the treatment.
Some ways to care for children with severe cerebral palsy include: Physical therapy is a training given to a child's body and muscles to coordinate at an early age itself, so that it does not lead to dependence later on.
Therapies given in early age can prevent the child from becoming fixed, rigid and immobile.
Special programs are designed and implemented by the physical therapist to improve movement and strength of the child.
If the parents are finding it difficult to take care of children along with their day-to-day living and work, they can learn skills from an occupational therapist.
Children with severe CP will usually have trouble in communicating, here a speech and language pathologist's assistance will be required.
The therapist will concentrate on building the child's ability to speak and also helps in improving the child's ability to eat.
Daily living therapy is a type of therapy which improves the skills of the child to perform his day to day activities like dressing and feeding.
Cerebral palsy affects the muscles which coordinate the eye movement.
Therefore the hearing and vision therapy gives hearing aids and help the child to interact in their world in a better way.
Social workers can also help these children by arranging special programs with community assistance and educational program for the child and their family.
Additional assistance to increase the child's ability is done through behavioral therapy.
This therapy involves techniques and cerebral palsy exercises to reinforce the positive behavior and discourage the negative behavior.
Despite the age and the form of therapy that is being practiced, the treatment will not end at any time in a day.
Caring for children with severe cerebral palsy is a full-time job.
The family members are also the key team members in the treatment.
Many daily activities which were not possible for the kids to do are now easily being done with the help of all these therapies that are taken care by the parents or the caregivers.