Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a brain condition that affects certain motor skills, like muscle control, movement and balance. It can be caused by problems with brain development before birth or by injury to the brain during birth. The condition is slightly more common in boys than in girls and often cannot be diagnosed until a child is about 2 years old. Babies who are born before their due date or at a low birth weight are more likely to have CP.
Symptoms from CP vary from person to person. Some need more help than others. The disease does not worsen over time, though symptoms may change. There is no cure, but treatments are available to improve day-to-day life for people with CP.
Learn more about cerebral palsy from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Types of CP
- Spastic: People with spastic CP have more muscle tone than normal in their arms, torso or legs. This causes their muscles to be stiff, which can make movement difficult or cause spasms. Sometimes, only one side of the body is affected. In severe cases, a person may have seizures, be unable to walk, or have other disabilities, like problems with vision, hearing or speech.
- Dyskinetic: People with dyskinetic CP have problems controlling the movement of their hands, arms, feet and legs. This causes sudden, uncontrolled movements. In some cases, the muscles in the face or tongue are also affected.
- Ataxic: People with ataxic CP have less muscle tone than normal. This means the muscles are too weak and relaxed, which affects balance and coordination. This can cause unsteady walking and trouble with everyday tasks, like getting dressed, writing or reaching for something.
Watch for symptoms
Cerebral palsy affects every child differently. Symptoms can range from mild to severe. Most children are diagnosed between 18-24 months old. It is important to watch for symptoms if your child is at risk. Symptoms include:
- Overly passive or grouchy moods
- Poor feeding as a baby
- Weak muscles in the face, tongue, arms, legs, hands, or feet
- Poor head control
- Frequent clenching of fists
- Delayed motor skills
- Trouble swallowing that causes drooling
- Poor posture
- Unbalanced or delayed walking
- Legs spread far apart when walking
Coping with your child’s condition
As a parent or caregiver of a child with cerebral palsy, you may have strong emotions. Give yourself and your child time to process the condition and what it means for your family. Here are some tips:
- Learn everything you can about CP
- Educate others on how CP affects your child
- Find a CP doctor who listens and who you trust
- Help your child to stay active
- Feed your child healthy foods
- Find social activities for your child
- Seek out support groups or organizations for CP
- Think about talk therapy or counseling
- Make sure your child has the support they need at school
- Not sure where to start? Ask your child’s Care Manager for a referral to the CMS Health Plan School Liaison program.
CP is permanent and cannot be cured. But there are treatments to reduce pain, make it easier to move, and prevent complications. Treatment of CP depends on a person’s needs. Most patients work with a team of people to learn how to manage their condition. Treatments may include:
- Supportive services: Physical, occupational or speech therapy.
- Medicines: Prescribed to help manage symptoms, such as muscle spasms or pain.
- Mobility aids: A walker or leg braces can help with balance and walking. Some people may not walk at all and need a wheelchair.
- Surgery: Many children with cerebral palsy will need tendon release surgery later in life. This is done to reduce pain and severe muscle stiffness.
CMS Health Plan can connect you and your child to services and supports for people with cerebral palsy. Here are some examples of benefits your child may qualify for:
Benefits
Child Health Services Targeted Case Management: Services provided to children (ages 0–3 years old) to help them get healthcare and other services. Your child must be enrolled in the DOH Early Steps program.
Durable Medical Equipment: Medical equipment and supplies used to manage and treat a condition, illness or injury. Covered as medically necessary and appropriate. Prior authorization is required for custom and power-operated wheelchairs, hospital beds and scooters. Call your child’s Care Manager for details.
- Early Intervention Services: Services to children ages 0–36 months who have developmental delays and other conditions. We cover as medically necessary:
- One initial evaluation per lifetime, completed by a team
- Up to 3 screenings per year
- Up to 3 follow-up evaluations per year
- Up to 2 training or support sessions per week
- Evaluation and Management Services: Services for doctor’s visits to stay healthy and prevent or treat illness. Well Child Visits are provided based on age and developmental needs.
- Family, Group and Individual Therapy Services: Covered as medically necessary.
- Home Health Services: Medical assistance provided in your home to help your child manage or recover from a medical condition. We cover up to 3 visits per day when medically necessary. Prior authorization required.
- Medication Management Services: Services to help you and your child to understand and make the best choices for taking medication. Covered as medically necessary.
- Private Duty Nursing: In-home nursing services for members 0-20 years old who need constant care. Covered as medically necessary, up to 24 hours a day. Prior authorization required.
- Respite Care: Temporary rest from caregiving. Up to 200 hours of in-home care and 10 days of out-of-home care. Contact your child’s Care Manager about eligibility.
- The Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD): Offers a wide range of free social, medical and residential services including medical care, counseling and physical therapy. To be eligible for services, a person must have a developmental disability diagnosed before 18.
- Best Buddies Florida: A nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). For individuals within this community, Best Buddies helps them form meaningful friendships with their peers, secure successful jobs, live independently, improve public speaking, self-advocacy and communications skills, and feel valued by society. Best Buddies serves people with cerebral palsy.
- Cerebral Palsy Foundation: A nonprofit focused on creating positive change for people with cerebral palsy through research, innovation and collaboration. Access videos, fact sheets, insights from medical experts and more.
- Tobii Dynavox: An organization that works to help people with communication and mobility challenges to live richer, more meaningful lives through providing them with helpful assistive technology devices at a reduced cost.
- The Giving Angels Foundation: Awards grants to low-income families to enhance the everyday life of children under the age of 21 with any type of physical disability or illness like cerebral palsy. Funds are awarded on a case-by-case basis. Families who wish to receive assistance must complete an application and demonstrate financial need.
- Hope Florida: A state program from the Department of Children and Families that helps people with unique needs become self-sufficient. Call 1-833-GET HOPE (1-833-438-4673) to connect with a Hope Navigator who can help your child identify their long-term goals and a plan to achieve them.
- Visit the Krames Health Library to access thousands of health sheets on medications, conditions and more. Visit Sunshine Health Connects to find programs and supports in your area that can help with food shelter, education, jobs and more.
Contact your child’s Care Manager for more information about any of these resources. You can also call Member Services at 1-866-799-5321 (TTY 1-800-955-8770), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern.