Better Start for Children with Disability Initiative

Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy represents a leading cause of childhood physical disability affecting function and development. This disorder affects the development of movement and posture that is believed to arise from nonprogressive disturbances in the developing fetal or infant brain. Additionally to the typically observed deficits in moto control that negatively affect fluent movement and control, individuals with cerebral palsy often experience epilepsy, secondary musculoskeletal problems (including contractures), disturbances of sensation, cognition, perception, communication, and behavior.

The typical person with Cerebral Palsy will develop a strong relationship with their physiotherapist as a result of many, ongoing treatment interventions and equipment prescriptions, that is usually required for this population. Developmental rehabilitation is required to ensure that all achievable physical milestones are gained throughout the developmental years of a child’s life.

Furthermore, Maintenance therapy is also essential to ensure the absence of physical regression and subsequent loss of the ability to attend to as many personal care and activities of daily living needs as possible.

Prescription of complex manual and power wheelchair seating systems may be required, in addition to splints, pressure care, walking systems and anti tone/ spasticity products and devices.

To achieve maximal quality of life and physical capacity, expert physiotherapy intervention is highly reccommended.

Genetic Disorders

There are numerous genetic disorders that may present with one or many cognitive and/or physical signs and symptoms. Management of these symptoms are essential if these children are to reach their maximal functional capacity in readiness for their adult life. For some children this may represent becoming as functionally capable (eg transfer, personal hygiene etc) as possible whilst using their wheelchair for mobility and for others it may be walking and achieving a normal functional capacity.

Professional intervention with regard to everything from treatment through to the prescription of highly specialised equipment may be the requirement of the day. Ensure that your child gets the most out of life and achieves their absolute potential by accessing professional and expert physiotherapy advice and intervention.

Motor Control & Learning Disorders

 A variety of motor control and learning disorders exist with many requiring professional intervention in order to prevent their effects becoming intrusive or inhibiting to a child’s ability to lead a functionally successful life.

Often these disorders can be managed and the effects of the condition limited, if the appropriate advice and treatment is afforded during the developmental stages of a child’s life. Comorbidities can develop if not closely monitored and these in themselves can contribute further to physical deficit.

Developmental Coordination Disorders

Developmental Coordination Disorders, otherwise referred to as “Developmental Dyspraxia”, is a condition with often multiple and varied causes, however all presenting by way of a disruption of the signals coming from the brain to the muscles, leading to poor coordination and motor control impairment. These children are generally the ones that struggle to ‘keep up’ with their faster-paced and more coordinated friends in the playground and subsequently get left behind when it comes to athletic success. Daily activities such as tying shoe laces, doing up buttons and sometimes simply walking without stumbles and falls can be very difficult for this population.

Physiotherapy intervention can significantly assist with ‘catching up’ on many of the developmental milestones that were either missed or not grasped successfully and subsequently has lead to the ongoing coordination deficits. Although these children take longer to learn and develop, it does not mean however that they can not achieve high levels of physical function and coordination if they are afforded the appropriate level of active intervention.

It is very important that the maximal level of coordination is achieved, to ensure that this population are able to function at the best of their ability during teenage and adult life, otherwise activities that we generally take for granted such as driving a car or riding a bike, may be not possible. A successful and coordinated life will depend entirely on accessing an apporpriate intervention program at a young age.