Cerebral Palsy and School Performance

Stephen F Austin State University, Baker Pattillo Student Center

The purpose of this paper is to inform the audience about the disability of Cerebral Palsy and what schools are doing to accommodate and/or provide appropriate interventions for academics and psychological health for best success. Schools may lack in awareness of chronic health accommodations and creation of interventions for improvement, leading to an increase in concern and distress of parents and children. Those with chronic health conditions, like Cerebral Palsy undergo many social-emotional difficulties that others might not think about. When entering a school, starting school, or transitioning back to school as an individual with a chronic health condition, it is important to consider all social, emotional, behavioral, physical, mental, and academic needs. For children, it is also important to ensure the child’s parent(s) or guardian(s) have the needs to support their child while they are going to school. These accommodations might be supplying local resources for reliable transportation, doctors that are closer to a certain part of town, or counseling support. The focus of this paper includes information on school functioning with Cerebral Palsy, social and psychological needs of students with Cerebral Palsy, description and diagnostic criteria of Cerebral Palsy, effective academic and psychological interventions, how Cerebral Palsy affects the family dynamic, assessment tools used to identify students with Cerebral Palsy, and legal and ethical considerations. The conclusion of this paper will help determine appropriate and adequate accommodations and interventions for students with the disability of Cerebral Palsy and inform others what students with Cerebral Palsy experience socially, emotionally, physically, and psychologically.