How to Educate Children With Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that impairs impairment motor skills and physical health, can be a profound challenge when it comes time to educate a child. Success will depend upon the degree of impairment and whether any mental abilities have been compromised. As with many disorders, early intervention is the key to educating children with this life-threatening condition.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Employ a program of early intervention to prepare a child with cerebral palsy for further education. Extensive physical therapy should be implemented while the child is still of preschool age, and further attention must be given to developing language and communication skills. This will give a child with cerebral palsy a head start by the time he is old enough to attend kindergarten.
2. Decide upon the best plan to educate a child with cerebral palsy. Integrating a child with cerebral palsy into a mainstream school population is only realistic if the symptoms of the disorder are relatively mild. It may be impossible for public school to administer an individualized education program (IEP) for a child with severe physical and mental impairment from cerebral palsy.
3. Ask a developmental specialist in the school district to discuss an appropriate program to educate a child with cerebral palsy. A developmental specialist will be able to assess the child's needs and inform the parents of their options. In many cases, the specialist may enroll children with cerebral palsy into special programs or help find funding to educate the child.
4. Concentrate on speech and communication therapy when you educate children with cerebral palsy. This will form the foundation for a more progressive study plan and will help the child to participate actively in her education. This type of therapy may be even more helpful in cases where vision and hearing have been affected.
5. Use behavior modification to help children with cerebral palsy concentrate on their studies. In most cases, a child with cerebral palsy may be constantly distracted by impaired motor skills and numerous physical ailments. A proper academic approach should reward the child for focusing beyond these challenges and completing assignments on time.

Tips & Warnings

• The costs involved with caring and educating a child with cerebral palsy can be prohibitive. A developmental therapist may be able to help a parent obtain funding for the child's education.