For parents of children with cerebral palsy, it’s always a very important and difficult decision to make when placing a child in the educational framework.  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 10,000 children are diagnosed with cerebral palsy each year; the good news for parents is that cerebral palsy symptoms are often noticed between birth and three years of age, allowing parents a decent amount of time to figure out the right educational answers.

 
Children with cerebral palsy often receive a large basket of extra assistance which includes occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy and other techniques.  They can be educated either in a general education setting with addition help on the side, or in a special education classroom.  While focusing on strengthening skills with the child, educators also focus for cerebral palsy children on life skills. These include self-care skills that enable the child to be more independent as she grows.

Certainly, just as no two children are the same in their educational needs, no two children with cerebral palsy are. This means that the professional team needs to consult with each other and to overlap services to best provide for the cerebral palsy child’s needs.  A child with fine motor skills issues may also have speech issues, sensory needs and beyond.

Similarly, the classroom where the child learns needs to be physically arranged to suit the child.  The child needs to be able to move about freely and without hindrance.  The child may need to be seated near the front of the room, and may need FM audio amplification systems, modified writing paper, oral assessments and other modifications that the school team can identify.

Parents of the cerebral palsy child should search for the best fit for their child before starting the educational process.  They should consult with any therapists the child is already working with, with the educational school choices in the area, and with doctors to find the right fit and the best location for the child’s needs.