By Lucy Meyer I was born with cerebral palsy because I did not get oxygen for five minutes at birth. When I was just a few days old, the doctors told my parents that there was a very good chance that I would never sit up or swallow. The doctors were wrong. I swallow lots... Read More

Many, if not most, treatment plans for children with CP are centered exclusively on the child. While a child’s interests must always be considered, the narrow focus of such plans can overlook crucial factors, like “living environment” and “family dynamic.” Read More

Technically speaking, adaptive seating is defined as “modifications to seating devices to improve sitting posture and/or postural control in mobility-impaired individuals.” In layman’s terms, this means your child may use a special desk or wheelchair that has been personalized to meet their needs. Read More

Respite care. How many parents really take advantage of this short-term break from caring for a family member with cerebral palsy? As a single mother, I was offered this many times, but never took advantage of it. Read More

One in six children in the U.S. lives with a chronic disability. Some will be placed in a residential facility for long-term care. For parents of some children with cerebral palsy, this can be an excruciating and exhausting choice. I know this firsthand. Read More

It should not be surprising that we received a lot of feedback on the community question: “How do you explain your child’s cerebral palsy to other siblings to help them understand?” There are more than six million people with disabilities living in the United States alone, and most of these people have brothers and sisters. Read More

Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) is an irreversible neurosurgery performed on the lower spinal cord to treat spasticity, especially in the lower limbs. A neurosurgeon identifies nerve rootlets in the spinal cord that are sending abnormal messages and cuts them. Read More

Spastic diplegia is a form of cerebral palsy that primarily affects the legs, hips, and pelvis. Arms can also be affected, but to a lesser degree. Considered a less severe form of cerebral palsy, children born with spastic diplegia usually have average to slightly below average intelligence and language skills. Read More

  Did you nominate a teacher in last year’s “Our Favorite CP Teacher” contest? We were flooded with entries and received so many inspiring stories from your favorite teachers and therapists! We’ve compiled the photos into a series of short videos to showcase all of the nominees. View all of the videos in the series... Read More

Variety the Children’s Charity is an organization that strives to enable children with disabilities to live life to the fullest with a focus on mobility, communication, and social inclusion / interaction. Read More