Cerebral palsy looks different for every person living with it. Some infants with CP are easily identified-- some may even be suspected of having CP at birth. Others may not show clear signs until they're two years old.
The signs a healthcare provider will look for are issues with muscle tone, gross and fine motor developmental delays, and difficulties with control, coordination, balance, reflexes, and posture. People with CP may also have trouble swallowing, eating, and speaking.
The video below has a great deal more information on looking for signs of CP--
In addition to individual differences, CP is also divided into categories, which will each present differently. Athetoid, or dyskinetic, cerebral palsy affects 25% of people with CP. It is characterized by difficulty controlling and coordinating limb movements. The child below is showing early typical signs of athetoid CP.
A more severe example is Emma, in the video bellow Her mother explains that in addition to living with quadriplegic athetoid CP, meaning she has difficulty controlling both arms and both legs, Emma also has intermittent spastic CP, which in her case makes it difficult for her to speak or form sounds.
Signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy vary widely-- but a common thread is a sense among parents of children with CP that something is different about their child. The intuitions of caregivers have led to many early diagnoses of CP, which make a huge difference in providing effective treatment.
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