Cerebral Palsy | Expectations with Severe CP

What to Expect with Severe Cerebral Palsy

While not every case of cerebral palsy is debilitating, many are. In some cases, the people who suffer from cerebral palsy end up spending their entire lives in a wheelchair and have very little independence. If your child has suffered an injury that has led to a severe case of cerebral palsy, there are some things you're going to have to anticipate about the future. It helps to understand what your child may be going through and what you may be facing together as a family to deal with this condition.

Assistive Devices

One of the most significant expenses that your family will face will be the costs of assistive devices for a person with severe cerebral palsy. Generally speaking, the more severe the cerebral palsy the more expensive the assistive devices the sufferer is going to need to make sure that they can enjoy some quality of life. For example, an individual who has extremely diminished motor control will likely need assistive devices that allow them to read and write so that they can get an education. Some people with very severe motor impairments end up doing very well in school, provided they have the right equipment to help them along.

Hearing aids will also likely be something that your child will need. It's common for cerebral palsy to cause damage to the sensory organs. Without getting hearing aids, it's harder for children to learn how to speak as well as they can and, of course, it's harder for them to participate in school. They're also vital to socializing; so that they can take part in conversations as any normal child would. These devices can be very expensive.

Sometimes, there will be specific treatments that will be beneficial to your child. These may include certain courses of medication or certain types of physical therapy that will allow them a greater range of muscle movement and that will allow the more comfort. The costs of these treatments can also be very expensive, but the results can be quite beneficial.

Because paying for the treatment of cerebral palsy can be so expensive, you may want to consider contacting a cerebral palsy attorney. These attorneys specialize in pursuing cases against doctors and other healthcare providers who have provided negligent care that results in the child suffering these injuries. There are, of course, cases where the cerebral palsy is not the result of negligence but, when it is, juries sometimes award significant sums in damages.