Cerebral Palsy Success Stories
Cerebral Palsy is a disease that often times sees stories that end in happy endings. Due to the patients that show a high level of development thanks
to multiple types of therapies, the success stories are endless. Getting children and adults into programs where they have the opportunity to develop
and focus on specific areas have lead to stories such as this one. A young boy who was born with Cerebral Palsy athetoid symptoms entered into a
therapy program that was focusing on increasing the young boys ability to communication through non-verbal cues. This particular child had been
unable to speak or use sign language, and had only been communicating through pointing and hand gestures. Within eight months of speech and
communication therapy he has been able to learn multiple words and can even put them together to communicate complex thoughts. While working on
exercises that helped to develop his knowledge of numbers and colors this child was also able to start using sounds effectively in his communication
process. There are multiple technologies that have been used to further his development. Computer systems that help to enhance his communication
capabilities have also been instrumental in developing these skills.
Physical therapy sessions that focus on building muscle control and improving flexibility have been shown to help in the mobility of Cerebral Palsy
sufferers. One testament to this is the story of a teenage boy who had used a wheelchair his entire life. Though an organization in his area, he heard
about the opportunity to take up curling. This allowed him to be involved in a group sport all while still using his wheelchair. This gave him a huge
sense of accomplishment and helped him to feel included in his social settings. This young man also suffered with difficulty in communication. He has
since been able to speak up to large groups and urge others to get involved with wheelchair curling. Being involved in a group activity helped him to
realize the support he had and g