Cerebral Palsy Program

Adaptive Behavior
The ability to adjust to new experiences, meet new people and participate in new activities.

Adaptive Equipment
Equipment that supports a child's positioning needs such as seating, standing, positioning and mobility.

Adduction
The inward movement of an arm or leg toward the body.

Ambylopia
The partial loss of vision that may be caused by nearsightedness, farsightedness, stabismus or other eye problems. Also known as lazy eye.

Ambulatory
Refers to the ability to walk.

Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO)
A short leg brace, usually made of lightweight plastic that is worn inside the shoe. An AFO helps with better positioning of the feet.

Anticonvulsant
Medication used to control seizures.

Asphyxia
Condition caused by poor oxygen intake when breathing.

Aspirate
To draw something into the lungs by inhaling.

Assistive and Augmentative Communication (ACC)
The practice of helping children to communicate.

Ataxic
Unbalanced of jerking body movements.

Athetoid
Uncontrolled bodily movements.

Atonic
Lack of muscle strength.

Atrophy
Weakening of muscle tissue due to lack of use.

Bilateral
Relating to both sides of the body.

Botox
Medication that is delivered by an injection. It is uses with physical therapy to help relax spastic muscles and improve function.

Chorea
Quick, jerky movements of the head and limbs.

Choreoathetosis
A condition characterized by extreme range of motion, changeable muscle tone and uncontrollable movements of the limbs.

Clonus
Rapid, rhythmic movement that may occur in spastic muscles.

Cognition
The act of perceiving, thinking, reasoning and analyzing.

Conductive Education
An intensive learning program designed to help children with motor disorders to improve bodily movement and function.

Contraction
Permanent contraction of a muscle.

Convulsion
Involuntary contraction and relaxation of muscles. A seizure may happen in the form of convulsions.

Cortical Blindness
Partial or total blindness due to injury in the brain's visual centers.

Developmental Disability
A condition that may prevent physical and/or cognitive development. Cerebral Palsy is considered a developmental disability.

Developmental Milestone
A skill that is associated with a certain age.

Diplegia
Form of cerebral palsy primarily affecting the legs.

Dysarthria
Difficulty speaking due to problems with muscles used to speak.

Dyskinesia
Abnormal and uncontrolled bodily movement.

Dyspraxia
The brain's inability to plan muscle movements and carry them out.

Dystonia
Impaired or disordered muscle tone.

Epilepsy (Seizure Disorder)
Condition characterized by sudden, brief attacks of altered consciousness or motor activity.

Equinus
Walking on tiptoes due to the shortening of the calf muscles.

Esotropia
Condition in which one or both eyes turn inward.

Exotropia
Condition in which an eye turns outward.

Flexion Deformity
Joint muscle that is not normal.

Fluctuating Tone
Combination of low and high muscle tone.

High Tone
Term used to describe tight or spastic muscles.

Hypertonia
Increased tension in the muscles.

Hypotonia
Decreased tension in the muscles.

Motor Planning
Person's ability to think through and physically carry out a task.

Muscle Tone
The amount of tension or resistance to movement in a muscle.

Nystagmus
Jerky involuntary movement of the eyes.

Orthotic
An orthopedic device made of plastic and inserted into a shoe to help stabilize the foot and ankle.

Osteotomya
Surgical procedure that cuts a bone and resets it to a corrected position.

Primitive Reflexes
Reflexes seen in infants that usually disappear at about 6 months of age. In children with cerebral palsy, these reflexes may last much longer.

Receptive Language
A child's ability to understand spoken, written or visual communication.

Reciprocal Movement
Alternate movements of arms and legs seen in walking and other normal movements.

Reflex
Involuntary movement of a muscle after stimulation.

Regression
The loss of skills that a person already had.

Respite Care
Care for a child with a disability given by a specialized babysitter or given in an institutional setting. This care gives the child's usual caregiver (a parent or guardian) a break from providing the care.

Rhizotomy
Neurosurgical procedure that cuts certain spinal nerves in order to reduce spasticity and improve movement and postures.

Seizure
Involuntary movement or chances in consciousness brought on by bursts of electrical activity in the brain.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear, auditory nerve or both.

Sensory Integration (SI)
The ability to process sensory information. A SI deficit is the result of insufficient neurological processing. It can take many forms, including an over or under sensitivity to sensory cues such as taste, smell, touch, sound and sight. Some children may have problems with motor coordination.

Serial Casts
Casts placed on a child's feet in weekly intervals so that the feet are gradually stretched and molded into proper alignment.

Spastic
Term used to describe increases muscle tone or stiff muscles.

Strabismus
Condition in which a person's eye turn in.

Subluxation
Term used for partial dislocation.

Syndrome
A group of symptoms or traits that indicate a particular condition.