How to teach a child with cerebral palsy
Primary School Teacher Strategies for Cerebral Palsy
First aid
Safety
Behaviour
Excursions
Homework
Social interactions
Self-management
Transitions
Other co-occurring conditions
Planning in advance can be helpful.
g. washing hands). These may need to be combined with verbal and physical prompts. These prompts can be reduced gradually as the student becomes more capable.
How to Make Classrooms More Inclusive for Students with Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy is the most common motor disability in childhood but there are a lot of variation in symptoms, complications, and degree of disability. Every child with this condition is truly an individual with unique needs, limitations, and abilities. For special and general education teachers that get to work with these children, the variations can make inclusion more challenging.
The most important way to improve inclusion is to get to know every child as an individual, inclusion gets easier when a teacher really knows his or her students. There are other important ways to make a classroom more welcoming and inclusive for any child living with cerebral palsy.
Embrace Technology
Children with disabilities can really benefit from appropriate devices in the classroom. For instance, personal response devices are great for ensuring that every child in the room responds to teacher questions and participates in discussions.
Each student has a handheld device and can input an answer that will appear—anonymously or not—on a screen or whiteboard. A child with Cerebral Palsy may have speech and language challenges that make it difficult to speak up, but this technology allows them to participate.
Make Space
Most children with cerebral palsy have some degree of physical disability, from a minor foot drop to needing a wheelchair to be mobile. Even for the more minor disabilities, moving around can be difficult and takes more time than for other children. Providing adequate space between desks, chairs, and other objects in a room is a simple adjustment that teachers can make to ensure no corner of the room is off limits to any child.
Use Assigned Seating
Children will sit with their friends and those they are comfortable and familiar with if allowed to choose their own seats. To encourage more engagement between students, make assigned seating charts and change them regularly. A child with Cerebral Palsy may be shy and tempted to hide in the corner.
Pairing this student with a friendly, talkative child can make a big difference.
Change up Instructional Methods
This is a great strategy to help all children. Teachers know that everyone learns differently, so changing the delivery of content and instruction ensures that each child is included. Variety is especially important for a child with cerebral palsy who may struggle in ways other children do not. Use direct instruction, small group discussions, hands-on experimentation, quiet reading, videos and computer learning, and all types of strategies to reach each child.
Provide Choice
Along with the idea of varying instruction, providing students with choices, when possible, can also help promote more involvement and reaching those with different learning styles. Providing more choices, such as reading a book, doing safe internet research or listening to a podcast to gather information helps students get more engaged in their own learning.
No Tolerance for Bullying
Children with disabilities are far more likely than their peers to be victims of bullying.
Teachers can promote a safer environment by having a firm, no-tolerance policy for any kind of bullying behaviours. It helps of course if the school has a policy that teachers can follow, but if not, each classroom can be proactive about this damaging problem. Tackle talk about any discriminatory language, jokes, teasing, and any negative behaviours directed at any student to help create a more inclusive atmosphere.
Collaborate with Teachers and Parents
Being in communication with parents of children with cerebral palsy is so important in knowing what a child needs. Symptoms and complications can change, getting better or worse, and teachers need to know about them to provide the best inclusion. Parents can also provide advice on how to better reach or engage their child, as they know them best. Of course, working with other teachers is also useful. Collaborating and putting heads together to provide greater inclusion will have better outcomes for students.
Inclusion is important for every child, as teachers know, but when a child has cerebral palsy and disabilities it becomes more of a challenge.
Use these tips and other creative ways to make sure each and every child is included and involved in his or her learning.
For more teacher tips, here are some useful strategies to help teach phonics using colour and even monsters!
How to teach children with cerebral palsy? Free newsletter inside!
Cerebral palsy (ICP) is a serious disease of the nervous system, which often leads to a child's disability. In recent years, it has become one of the most common diseases of the nervous system in children. Despite the restriction in movement and problems with mental development, you need to deal with such children regularly. Speech Center in Zelenograd since 2002 specializes in the correction of all types of speech disorders (including stuttering), helping children with developmental disabilities: Cerebral palsy, ADHD, mental retardation, RDA, Down syndrome.
Informative page
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a combination of various symptoms of a violation of the motor sphere of the body of a chronic nature that do not have a progressive development.
It develops due to damage to the structures of the central nervous system that occurs even in the prenatal period in the womb. There is a violation of the main structures of the brain: cortical structures, subcortical regions, capsule and brain stem.
Features of the development of children with cerebral palsy are due to the difficulties associated with the implementation of coordinated and complex movements.
- Slowness of movements contributes to the formation of an imbalance in the development of thinking and understanding of the environment. This prevents children from counting normally, there are difficulties with the assimilation of mathematical operations.
- Altered mental performance. Even if the child's intellect develops normally, due to illness, the child is able to study for a shorter period of time and absorbs a smaller amount of information compared to his peers.
- Emotional disorders of children with cerebral palsy are manifested in increased vulnerability, strong impressionability, panic attachment to parents.
The diagnosis of cerebral palsy does not mean that your child will never learn to speak, wash his face, brush his teeth and understand others. It all depends on how they deal with it, what programs and methods are used for development. Learning technologies do not stand still; a lot of programs have been invented for children with such a diagnosis.
There is a large rehabilitation base at the Speech Center in Zelenograd . We can not only teach, but also treat, correct and rehabilitate. And most importantly, we have many years of experience working with such children and a staff of highly qualified specialists who love children and know how to work with them.
Speech Center opened Primary School "Healthy Childhood" for children with disabilities.
Educational programs with a health-saving bias include special classes for the development of intellectual and speech skills, as well as the improvement of children.
We give an excellent start for the subsequent education and socialization of students, using proven and original methods, as well as creating optimal conditions for students to acquire and consolidate knowledge.
Watch a video of how classes are held at the Elementary School "Healthy Childhood" - here.
Mom will be a Speech Therapist
It depends only on the parents whether their child will be able to lead a normal, full-fledged lifestyle. Regular implementation of the recommendations of specialists, a friendly attitude towards the child, support and perseverance of parents can overcome all difficulties.
Knowledge Box
Games for the development of fine motor skills in children with severe cerebral palsy
Dry sand.
Goals.
- Stimulation of kinesthetic sensations and their development based on finger touch.
- Correction of visual-auditory attention based on focusing on the speech and actions of an adult.
- Cultivate a sense of joy from joint activities.
Materials: container with dry sand, 2-3 small toys, sand play set.
Course progress.
- Hand and finger massage with walnuts.
Rolling with one palm of the hand over the other from the back and inside, squeezing the nut in the palm of your hand with all fingers, rolling the nut between the fingers.
I roll my nut
To become rounder.
- Dry sand games.
Pour dry sand into a container in a layer of 7 - 10 cm. Invite the child to play with the sand. Take the sand in your hands, pour it through your fingers, crush it with your fingers.
The child claps his hands on the sand, moves his fingers, sticks his fingers in the sand, “drowns” his hands in the sand.
We take a strainer from the set, sow sand through it.
We collect sand in the container and pour it out.
Then the teacher buries small toys in the sand and invites the child to find them.
- Total.
— How interesting it is to play with sand, did you like it?
Hydrorehabilitation at the Speech Center is a type of swimming for children with disabilities, including those with mental disabilities. It implies a pedagogical impact, a pedagogical process. We at the Speech Center in Zelenograd are engaged in the training and education of people with various disabilities in the aquatic environment. And the goal is to transfer the child to a qualitatively new level of motor, social, physical development.
Children's massage at the Speech Center is a concern for the health of the child and an investment in his future. Highly qualified specialists with extensive experience will select the right massage technique to work with existing problems, and will try to compensate them as efficiently as possible.
Watch the video interview with a neuropsychologist, head of the Speech Center Svirina Elena Leonidovna
Three departments have been opened at the Speech Center in Zelenograd
Dear friends! We are glad to inform you that a new department has been opened in the Speech Center!!!
Now there are three departments available for your services!!! And they are all in the same building!
Comprehensive programs at the Speech Center
Free mailing list
Dear friends, the team of the Speech Center has made for your children (from 2 to 6 years old) the most useful selection of "finger gymnastics" material for development.
Happy New Year!
Dear friends!
Unfortunately, this year we are not able to hold a New Year's holiday, where we could give children a little magic, as well as congratulate each other on the New Year, saying a lot of warm and pleasant words.
The Speech Center team decided to prepare a short film with New Year wishes to each other!
If you want to participate in this project, we will be happy if you write in the comments your congratulations on the New Year, wishes to employees, children, your feedback. Any format is welcome: prose, poetry, video, photo.
Thank you for participating!
You can leave your wishes on our website
or in our VKontakte group.
Rehabilitation. We teach a child with cerebral palsy to sit, stand, move
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The role of parents in the successful rehabilitation of a child with cerebral palsy exceptionally large.
The daily efforts of moms and dads help the right the formation of the articular-ligamentous apparatus of the child, develop motor skills, strengthen muscles.
The main condition for the effectiveness of parental assistance is constancy, periodicity and dosage of efforts. Activities with a sick child Cerebral palsy, should be everyday. Recommendations regarding intensity and the duration of the exercises can be obtained from your doctor. Published below The tips are general in nature and should not be taken as detailed instructions. for the rehabilitation of all children with cerebral palsy.
How to teach a child with cerebral palsy to keep his head up?
face down. The baby will try to raise his head and shoulders - this is a natural reaction. Lightly press the child's shoulders and chest against the support surface, and he will try to raise his head.
If the child does not try to lift the top of the position "lying on his stomach", put a pillow under his chest and shoulders or folded towel - so that the head is on weight.
For insurance hold the baby's head, substituting the palm under the forehead.
Repeat the exercise several times, little by little increasing the time the child holds his head on his own. That's how they train back and neck muscles.
2. Lay the child on their back on a flat surface. Gently and carefully take him by the hands and lift him up a little, pulling him to yourself - to a half-sitting position. Just as slowly return the child to the original position. This exercise trains the muscles that bend the neck forward and providing freedom of movement of the head.
Teach your child with Cerebral palsy to lean on hands
The ability of a child with cerebral palsy to leaning on hands and holding hands is one of the most important. Complex of supporting skills necessary to perform complex motor tasks: sitting down, standing up, walking, crawling movements, etc.
When getting up from the prone position, the child should learn to first lean on your arms bent at the elbow joints; after - pull up the legs, bending them at the knee and hip joints; then raise the lower back; then transfer the weight of the body to alternately straightened arms and perform subsequent movements.
To develop the ability to lean on your elbows, select a thin pillow and roller, put the child under the chest and shoulders. Cushion height should be such that the baby can easily lean on bent at the elbows - but not straightened out completely! - hands.
As you develop the skill, make enough lining high - so that the child can lean on straightened arms. Follow the position of the hands of the person getting up! Sick children tend to squeeze the hand in fist. Teach your baby to lean on an unfolded palm with spaced fingers. Hold his body so that the load on the hands is symmetrical.
Maintain balance when lifting from a supine position. stomach "help exercises on the gymnastic ball. Lay the baby on the stomach the ball so that it freely reaches the floor with its hands. Raise his legs: center gravity will shift forward, and the child will lean on his hands. holding baby's feet raised, gently push it back and forth. So baby will learn “walk” with his hands, which will subsequently help him maintain balance during getting up.
When the child's arms are strong and the skill of holding the body with resting on the hands will be worked out, proceed to learning to stand up relying on a chair.
Teaching a child with Cerebral palsy turn and roll over
1. Lay the child on his back. Cover softly and tightly the baby's leg below the knee (closer to the ankle joint), bend the limb in knee and hip joints. Keeping the leg bent and bringing the free hand under the buttock, gently roll the child towards the straightened leg.
The response to the impact should be lifting the child's head and independent rotation of the upper body following the movements of the pelvis and legs. If necessary, you can help the child by taking him by the hand. However, it is not necessary to significantly pull the baby by the hand: the purpose of the exercise is developing the skill of self-rolling.
Turning from prone to prone position "lying on your back" in the reverse order: holding the leg by shin, bend it at the knee and hip joint and, holding it with the other hand pelvis, slowly turn the child on his back.
When doing the exercise, the baby learns to rise on his hands and independently turn the body after movement of the legs and pelvis.
2. For practicing the turn from the “lying on the side” position hold the child’s shoulder with one hand, slightly push the pelvis with the other forward, turning the baby on his stomach. The child must make an effort to twisting of the upper body.
Alternate directions of movement in the exercise.
Child education with cerebral palsy sit down and sit steadily
Sit on a bench for a child with cerebral palsy easier than sitting on the floor. However, in the presence of muscle spasms in children with Cerebral palsy sitting down and sitting on a chair is problematic and requires working off.
Can be used as a training item one or more thick sofa cushions.
1. Sit on the floor with your child facing you. Behind Put a sofa cushion on your child's back. Hold it with one hand buttocks while helping to bend the knees.
Another lightly press on the chest so that the baby slowly sank onto the pillow. The purpose of the exercise is teach the child to gently lower himself from the standing position to the sitting position.
2. Get on your knees and lower your body onto your heels. child put your back to you so that his feet are to the left and right of one from your knees. Sit the baby on your thigh so that his back is pressed to your torso. Now the actual exercise: hold the child by the hips with both hands and move your body forward, tilting the child and at the same time helping him up.
This exercise is difficult for weak children, therefore repeat it in series for several sets, with sufficient rest between series.
3. Sit on the blanket, spread your legs, seat the child in front of you with your back to you. Support it on both sides with your knees, without letting fall sideways. Help him lean on your legs with your hands. Bringing it on attention, make the baby turn independently following the movements of the person of interest its object.
4. Sitting in the same position, put in front of the child a large ball (either an inflatable or soft toy). When the child takes the ball hands, lift it so that the baby is in a stable seated position. position.
When teaching your child to sit on a chair, choose a model with armrests. The height of the chair should be such that each of the joints (ankle, knee and hip) was 90 degrees.
Teaching a child with cerebral palsy to move and walk
Human movement is carried out rhythmically with the help of various motor functions. If a child with cerebral palsy does not develop the ability to maintaining balance and the ability to smoothly and consistently move limbs and trunk, he will walk with difficulty. Here's why it's so important to give your baby:
- postural adaptation skills, that is, the ability to hold posture, take a stable position and use hands to protect against falls;
- the ability to independently move one's body and wearing objects;
- the ability to interact with the environment, that is comprehend the information received from the sensory organs.
If your baby has learned to walk on your hands, you can start learning to walk independently. For this get on your knees behind the child (you can sit on a low bench on wheels), wrap your hips (not lower back!) of the baby with your hands and give him a slight rotational impulse in one and in the other side, prompting you to take a step with your left or right foot.
It is important to ensure that the baby does not lean back and shoulders neither to you nor to the supports. This exercise trains the ability to hold balance in the standing position, teaches you to take steps. Start learning independent walking should be after a child with cerebral palsy learns sit down from a standing position - this will help him cope with fatigue.
Crawl before than to walk
Desire to crawl in a child with childhood cerebral palsy, needs to be stimulated. Take a toy that attracts the attention of the child to half a meter or a meter from the baby - and he will try to reach before her on her own.
To facilitate the task, you can make a game the platform is inclined, and put the toy down the slope.
Helping your baby to crawl can help lift him up. moving forward leg to make it easier to bend it. However, do not focus for stop! Reflex straightening of the limb is unlikely to help the baby smoothly move.
If the child cannot crawl, help him additional lessons. Sit on the floor, stretch your legs forward. Put the baby to bed across your legs so that he keeps his head in the air, and rests his hands on the floor. Put a toy in front of him - he will reach for it with his hand. Move the toy a little further - and he will try to reach her.
For training the muscles of the shoulder girdle involved in crawling, place the baby on a roller or ball at the breast. Roller or ball size should be chosen so that the baby confidently leans his hands on a hard surface and could make efforts to move.
Teach your child with Cerebral palsy to keep on knees
Inability to keep balance and spasm of flexor muscles force a child with cerebral palsy to take an unnatural position if necessary get on your knees.
Training exercises conducted by parents allow you to straighten posture and teach the child to kneel steadily.
It is convenient to carry out the exercise sitting on the floor with knee leg. It will be easier for you if you lean your lower back and back on side of the chair. Your bent leg will serve as a support for the child.
Place your baby on your knees facing your bent leg, and as close as possible. Let him put his hands on your knee. With one hand hold the child at the waist so that he is standing upright. To another take the toy with your hand and attract the attention of the baby.
Practice near low table, ottoman, chair. Control the position of the child: his knees the joints should be bent at a right angle, the hips and back should be straightened.
At first, the baby will hold himself with his hands. IN in the future, try to move the hand support away from the baby, bringing up in him the ability to kneel without additional support.
Teaching a child with cerebral palsy to stand up independently
To confidently get up from any position, the child, a person with cerebral palsy should learn to use the leg muscles, especially the buttocks and extensors knees.
He must be able to hold the center of gravity in the projection between two feet.
The most convenient way is to teach your child to get up from your knees. Get on your knees, lower your buttocks on your heels. Get on your knees child - so that his feet are on the floor, and the knee joints are bent under right angle. Place a high chair with a toy in front of your child. seat. Draw the baby's attention to the toy, and when he reaches for it, help him up. To do this, grab the child's pelvis with your hands and move it forward and upward. At the end of the exercise, the baby's legs should be completely straightened.
Soon the child will learn to stand up on his own with resting your hands on a chair. Move the chair with the toy away and continue workout. Your student will learn to stand up without support on his hands, and at the same time lifting will take a step forward.
Teaching a child with cerebral palsy to get up, loading the legs alternately
gets on one knee, then puts the other foot on the surface, transfers the weight of the body to it - and so it gets up, loading the support to the greatest extent limb and maintaining balance due to the tension of the abdominal muscles and back.
So a child with cerebral palsy needs have sufficiently developed musculature of the trunk for mastering a complex algorithm for getting up. To develop the ability to carry body weight on one leg, do the exercises:
1. Get on your knees or sit down, put the child on your knees in front of you. Grab his armpits and slowly rock him out side to side so that the weight of the body loaded first one, then the other leg. For To enhance the effect, help the baby keep his arms outstretched. Do the same exercise in the standing position.
2. Lay the child on the right side. With one hand grab his left leg below the knee, with the other hand hold him by the waist. With a movement of your hand, bend his left leg at the hip joint so that bent knee moved forward. With a hand on the waist, carefully push the child forward so that the knee of the left leg rests on the floor. Fixing position, return to the starting position. After several repetitions, do the same exercise with the other leg.
3. For training the adductors and abductors (muscles bringing legs together and spreading legs apart) use gymnastic ball (squeezing the ball with your knees in the "sitting" position) and a rubber band (stretching tape that tightens the legs at the knees).
A child with cerebral palsy confidently standing but not walking. What to do?
Persistent muscle spasms in cerebral palsy may make it difficult or even impossible for independent walking movement of a sick child. In such cases, parents should practice therapeutic massage and gymnastics. Constantly and methodically performed exercises for bending the legs in the joints, as well as stretching the muscles and ligaments are not may not give results.
If the child is sufficiently well oriented in space, let him drive a tricycle or pedal by car. To keep your feet on the pedals, use special fastenings (stirrups), or loosely tie the child's feet to the pedals.
Use the belt trainers to sick.
