Cerebral Palsy Specialists

Fact Checked

Cerebral palsy treatment requires a full team of specialists, including neurologists, pediatricians, therapists, dieticians, behavior specialists, educators, dieticians, and more. Every child and their condition is unique. Work with your child’s pediatrician to determine which specialists are needed.

What Kinds of Doctors Treat Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy is a neurological and motor condition of childhood that persists into adulthood. Cerebral palsy treatment begins with pediatricians and neurologists. Developmental pediatricians, who specialize in how children develop, are also vital.

In addition to these core members of a treatment team, children with cerebral palsy can also benefit from various therapists, speech-language pathologists, dietitians, educational specialists, and many other medical and non-medical professionals.

Pediatricians and Cerebral Palsy

A child’s pediatrician is often the primary healthcare provider for cerebral palsy. Pediatricians are responsible for wellness visits and observing signs in the child that necessitate additional medical care, such as any physical or developmental disabilities.

Along with watching for developmental disabilities, a pediatrician will typically watch for signs of nutrition and behavioral issues and make referrals to the appropriate healthcare professionals.

Many children benefit from working with a pediatrician specializing in behavior and development. Often called developmental pediatricians, these specialists evaluate and treat children with all kinds of developmental issues, including those associated with cerebral palsy.

Cerebral Palsy Therapists

There are a variety of therapists who specialize in different types of therapies. These include, in part, physical therapists and occupational therapists.

Physical Therapists

A physical therapist helps children with muscle tone, balance, coordination, movement, balance, strength, and flexibility.[1] A physical therapist can also help children with pain management and overall health.

The ultimate goal of physical therapy is to help the child overcome physical limitations while expanding the range of joint motion and increasing capabilities to lead a more independent life.

Children with all types of cerebral palsy can potentially benefit from cerebral palsy. A physical therapist will typically create a specialized plan for each child and base activities on the severity and the type of cerebral palsy the child has.

Occupational Therapists

An occupational therapist can also be included in a child’s treatment plan and is often recommended by pediatricians. Occupational therapists help children develop skills that can assist them in being more independent, such as bathing, eating, brushing their teeth, and performing other day-to-day activities.

Occupational therapy for cerebral palsy includes developing skills a child needs for the standard activities of daily living.[2]

Keep in mind that both physical therapy and occupational therapy sessions vary depending on the severity of the child’s cerebral palsy.

Children with severe cerebral palsy who aren’t able to do basic tasks on their own may benefit from occupational therapy. The occupational therapist can teach the child how to communicate with family members through different means, such as finger movements and eye movements on electronic devices.

Cerebral Palsy Behavioral Specialists

Behavioral and learning specialists are trained to evaluate and help with behavioral and emotional issues.

Children with cerebral palsy may face several delays in learning and behavior. Emotional outbursts and difficulties in expressing proper responses to stress are common among many children with CP.

Learning disabilities, seizures, communication difficulties, a stressful environment, and comorbid conditions all contribute to an increased chance that a child will have behavioral problems.

The most common ways in which behavior specialists assist children include:

• How to manage emotions and emotional outbursts
• Coping skills
• Anxiety reduction
• Depression treatment
• How to resolve conflicts
• How to delay gratification
• How to develop friendships

Cerebral Palsy Speech-Language Pathologists

Communication skills are an important part of living with cerebral palsy, and speech specialists work to improve the child’s communication with family and peers.

Speech specialists, also known as speech-language therapists or speech-language pathologists, work with conditions that affect a child’s ability to communicate effectively, such as aphasia, dysphasia, stuttering, and pitch issues.

Speech specialists can also work with non-verbal children and focus on signs, gestures, symbols, and touching. Some specialists teach non-verbal children how to effectively use a picture board for communication.

Studies indicate that speech and language therapy can be the most helpful when issues are found early in life.

“If we identify children with cerebral palsy as young as 24 to 30 months who are very likely to have significant language problems later in life, we may be able to change or improve the course of their development through very early speech-language therapy,” lead author of a study carried out on speech therapy, Katherine Hustad, said.

The study, published in the Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology journal, indicates that the language comprehension skills of children with CP can help predict language skills that will be used later in life.

In turn, “appropriate speech and language intervention” can potentially help.[3]

Neurologists and Cerebral Palsy

Neurology specialists, also known as neurologists, assist in determining brain damage and whether the child’s brain is sending correct signals to the body. Neurologists also use imaging tests to determine the type of cerebral palsy a child has and how severe it is.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, neurologists can determine the type of treatment a child needs. Common treatments include baclofen, electrical stimulation, and selective rhizotomy (SDR). [4]

Educational Specialists

When children with cerebral palsy start school, they are often entitled to special education assistance.

Children who qualify for special education assistance receive an individual education plan, or IEP. The IEP utilizes a team-based approach to determine optimal services. The IEP team usually meets every year to monitor progress

Special education provides services to school-aged children, including:

• Learning disability assistance
• Wheelchair ramps at school
• School counseling and therapy
• Assistive technology

For more information on your child’s special education rights, speak with your child’s guidance counselor or principal. Make sure to request details on each type of service offered at your child’s school, along with the qualifications needed.

Other Cerebral Palsy Specialists

Depending on the child’s individual needs, other specialists may be needed for overall treatment goals, which can include the following:

• Dieticians
• Radiologists
• Play therapy or recreation specialists
• Rehabilitation medicine specialists
• Orthopedic surgeons
• Urologists
• Geneticists
• Aqua therapists
• Massage therapists
• Hippotherapists (horse therapy)
• Art therapists

How to Find Cerebral Palsy Specialists

To help build your child’s treatment team, remember to start with your child’s primary doctor. A pediatrician can usually provide you with information about specialists within your area.

In addition, a pediatrician may be able to tell you which specialists are covered by your insurance provider or which specialists are within your price range.