Posted: January 18, 2015
The seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks and months after a Cerebral Palsy diagnosis can be an exhausting and trying experience for parents. The initial impact of hearing the Cerebral Palsy diagnosis can be quickly replaced with a wide range of emotions, as well as innumerable questions. With CP, parents are best served looking for answers to the ‘What’ and ‘How’ of their child’s Cerebral Palsy due to the impact early intervention treatment can have.
First, the ‘What:’ Cerebral Palsy, as you may already know, is a collective term used to describe birth injuries or malformations that impact the brain and its development. Sometimes taking place before, during or after delivery, the circumstances leading to a Cerebral Palsy diagnosis can be caused by a wide variety of factors. Not all CP is the same, with varying degrees of severity and forms leading to much different ranges of ability for the child as they proceed through life.
Despite the fact Cerebral Palsy can be caused during a very limited time frame (approximately 9-12 months), determining the ‘How’ is still quite difficult. Because Cerebral Palsy can be genetic, caused by circumstances outside the control of anyone, or due to improper actions from a medical professional during labor and delivery, there is a gamut of information to navigate. Because getting answers for this can be very important, not only for understanding if future pregnancies may be at risk or learning about treatments required for your child, the period of time after receiving a Cerebral Palsy diagnosis can be critical.
While many of these ideas can be overwhelming for parents still reeling from a Cerebral Palsy diagnosis for their child, MyChild does have resources available to help. Our organization has a wide variety of information available, including kits that can help to educate and empower parents coming to grips with their child’s diagnosis.
Here, for example, are just a few of the Cerebral Palsy kits we have available:
- The Cerebral Palsy Diagnosis Guide
- Cerebral Palsy Risk Factor Checklist
- Cerebral Palsy Starter Kit
- Introduction to Cerebral Palsy Treatment
- Cerebral Palsy Diagnosis Checklist
These kits represent just some of of the help we provide every day for parents, which can begin soon after receiving a Cerebral Palsy diagnosis and all the way to your child’s transition to adulthood. We also have information on how to find support groups in your area, how to request governmental assistance and much, much more.
While you may be left with numerous questions after receiving your child’s diagnosis, the most important thing to understand is that you are not alone. Our organization is dedicated to providing information as simply and easily as possible to parents, and that there are countless people and families who have experienced the very same emotions and challenges that you’re now facing. We’ve now helped over 60,000 families or individuals dealing with Cerebral Palsy, and we’re looking forward to helping you, too. The information and resources we offer is always provided free of charge, via e-mail, to ensure your access is simple, easy and immediate.
For more information about Cerebral Palsy and/or to connect with other families who have been touched by CP, please feel free to contact us online, check out our Facebook Page or give our compassionate call center representatives a call at (800) 692-4453.
We’re here for you!
