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Article: Accentuating the Positive for Children with Cerebral Palsy.
- Article from:
- The Exceptional Parent
- Article date:
- March 1, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 EP Global Communications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Parents are often both horror- and terror-stricken when they first hear the diagnosis "cerebral palsy." Their immediate image is of a "wheelchair-bound invalid" who must use metal braces, is completely dependent on others, and has very little chance of achieving a self-satisfying quality of life. This scenario is rarely the case.
Even for a child who has a serious disability, a positive outlook by parents and professionals, recent advance in therapies, and societal supports available from public and private organizations, have enabled individuals with cerebral palsy to make adaptations to life's challenges. Parents can be the teachers, advocates, motivators, ...