Therapy is a foundation of cerebral palsy treatment. The skills that a baby needs to explore the world are very different from those that a child needs in the classroom, or a young adult needs to become independent. Cerebral palsy therapy should be tailored to reflect these changing demands.

After your baby is diagnosed with CP, you will need to consult with a Doctor and therapists to help you to develop a home based program to work on your baby's movement skills. You will be trained in special exercises and handling techniques. The therapy program is extremely time consuming. Therefore we recommend that both parents, and other caretakers help with the physical therapy program.

The long term benefits of therapy are still being studied. However, it is generally recognized that children who receive good treatment have fewer movement limitations, better postures, better muscle development, and better abilities in toileting, feeding, and dressing themselves.

Speech and Language Therapy - Speech therapists work with children on communication skills. Communication skills may mean talking, using sign language, or using a communication aid. Children who are able to talk may work with a speech therapist to make their easier to understand. The child may also work on building his or her language skills by learning new words, learning to speak in sentences, or improving his or her listening skills. Children who are not able to talk because of difficulty controlling the muscles needed for speech may learn sign language or use some kind of communication aid. A communication aid might be an alphabet board that the child can use to spell out his or her message; or a computer with voice synthesizers.

Occupational Therapy - Occupational therapists usually work with children to help the child use his or her arms, hands, and upper body. The occupational therapist may teach the child how to write, draw, cut with scissors, brush his or her hair, dress, or control his or her wheelchair. Occupational therapists also help children find the right special equipment to make daily life easier.

Physical Therapy - Physical therapy programs use specific sets of exercises to work toward two important goals: preventing the weakening or deterioration of muscles that can follow lack of use (called disuse atrophy) and avoiding contracture. (Muscles that become fixed in a rigid, abnormal position).

Contracture is one of the most common and serious complications of cerebral palsy. Normally, through running, walking and other daily activities; a child whose bones are growing stretches the body's muscles and tendons. This ensures that the child's muscles will grow at the same rate. However, in children with cerebral palsy, spasticity prevents this stretching. As a result, the CP child's muscles do not grow fast enough to keep pace with the lengthening bones. The resulting contracture can disrupt balance and trigger loss of previous abilities. Physical therapy alone, or in combination with special braces (sometimes called orthotic devices), works to prevent this complication by stretching spastic muscles. For example, if a child has spastic hamstrings (tendons located behind the knee), the therapist and parents should encourage the child to sit with his or her legs extended.

As the child with cerebral palsy approaches school age, the emphasis of therapy shifts away from early motor development. Efforts now focus on preparing the child for the classroom, helping the child master activities of daily living, and maximizing the child's ability to communicate.

Physical therapy can now help the child with cerebral palsy prepare for the classroom by improving his or her ability to sit, move independently or in a wheelchair, or perform precise tasks, such as writing.

Behavioral Therapy - Behavioral therapy uses psychological theory and techniques. For example, behavioral therapy might include hiding a toy inside a box to reward a child for learning to reach into the box with his weaker hand. In other cases, therapists may to discourage destructive behaviors, such as hair-pulling or biting, by selectively presenting a child with rewards and praise during other, more positive activities.

Recreational Therapy - Recreational therapists help children with CP to have fun. They work with children to develop skills that will enable the child to compete in sports, dance, swimming, horseback riding, art or almost any other hobby.