Living with cerebral palsy

1. Living with cerebral palsy

2. What is cerebral palsy? Cerebral palsy is a condition you are born with due to an injury to your brain Cerebral palsy affects everyone who has it differently It means it is difficult to move, to walk or to sit Sometimes it makes it difficult to see or hear things too Some people find it difficult to drink or to swallow It is not your fault if you have cerebral palsy

3. What does this mean? • People with cerebral palsy need extra help with things • Children might need help getting dressed, eating and moving about • They may need help to find a way they can talk to people around them • Even though they find some things difficult, they still think, just like everybody else • Children with cerebral palsy like to play and make friends

4. Can you make cerebral palsy better? • Cerebral palsy does not go away but special therapy can make things easier • At Bobath Scotland we use therapy to help children play, to move about and to communicate • Parents and carers are involved in the therapy so that it carries on through every day life

5. Why is it called Bobath Therapy? • The Bobath approach was developed by Dr and Mrs Bobath • They first began working with people in the 1940s • They believed that through therapy they could improve people’s lives • The Bobath approach is used throughout the world to help people with cerebral palsy

6. What is Bobath Scotland? • Bobath Scotland began in 1995 • It was started by a group of parents whose children had cerebral palsy • They did not want to have to go to London for therapy • Its headquarters are at the Bobath Scotland Therapy Centre in Glasgow • Bobath Scotland helps children and adults from all over Scotland

7. Meet Beatrice • Beatrice was born 15 weeks too early • During the birth she had bleeding in her brain which caused damage • Doctors thought she would not survive • Beatrice was in hospital for 5 months

8. What is life like for Beatrice? • She lives with her Mum and Dad and big brother • Beatrice uses a wheelchair • She is deaf and finds it difficult to use her hands • She communicates by looking at pictures and by smiling • She is fed by a tube in her stomach

9. How does Bobath help Beatrice? • Bobath therapists have helped Beatrice sit more comfortably • Bobath has helped teach her to press a button which means she can play with battery operated toys or with the computer • Bobath is able to help Beatrice’s school so that everyone can help Beatrice in the same way

10. Meet Rachel • Rachel and her twin sister were born 12 weeks early • They both had to stay in hospital for 9 weeks • At 8 months her parents were told Rachel had cerebral palsy, but that her twin sister did not

11. What is life like for Rachel? • Rachel uses a frame to walk or else a wheelchair to move around • She finds balancing difficult, as well as moving without help, partly due to her stiffness • Rachel goes to the same school as her sister • Rachel has no problems eating or talking, it is mainly physical tasks which challenge her

12. How does Bobath help Rachel? • Rachel’s aim was to dance more like her sister • Bobath has helped Rachel get her legs as straight as possible – which helps her dance in her walking frame as well as making it easier for her to get about • Bobath also helps her do everyday tasks, like brushing her teeth and getting dressed

13. What can you do to help Bobath? • You can do anything you like to raise much needed funds to help provide Bobath therapy • Bobath Scotland runs many events throughout the year – sign up to our newsletter on our website www.bobathscotland.org.uk to keep up to date with all the latest news • Rachel has organised a sponsored welly walk for her school and friends to do • You can also bake, pack bags, dress as you please, bike, walk, run, or take part in a sponsored silence. • People do all sorts of things to help Bobath and without them we could not help people like Beatrice and Rachel

14. Whatever you do, we’d like to say thank you for giving Bobath Scotland a helping hand