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Joseph Roman is happiest on the basketball court — in fact, he loves the sport so much that if his mother, Alba, is running late on her way to pick him up for practice, he’ll send an anxious text or two to make sure she knows he can’t miss it. The 12-year-old, who has cerebral palsy, has been playing the adaptive sport for three years on a team made up of mostly adults. But the age difference doesn’t slow him down. “It’s wonderful to watch him enjoying himself so much,” says Alba.
…Cerebral palsy and mental health: What parents should know
Amy’s* jaw was black and blue, but she hadn’t been in an accident. Instead, the 15-year-old, who has cerebral palsy (CP) and is nonverbal, had been punching her own chin — but why? Her family, along with Dr. Elizabeth Barkoudah, and her colleagues in the Cerebral Palsy and Spasticity Center at Boston Children’s Hospital, searched for answers. “We thought we had considered everything,” says Barkoudah. Yet a slew of approaches — from a full-body workup to a special brace aimed at preventing the teen from hitting herself — proved fruitless. …
Team Irvin: Care for cerebral palsy helps him reach his goals
Surgery for cerebral palsy
When it comes to cerebral palsy (CP) — injury to the developing brain that can affect muscle control, coordination, tone, reflex, posture and balance — parents have a lot of questions about surgical approaches. In fact, selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) is a hot topic among physicians and parents alike. This minimally invasive spinal operation can permanently reduce leg spasticity and encourage independent walking in properly selected children with CP. It may be a complementary option along with other therapies, such as physical therapy, systemic medications, Botox injections and orthopedic procedures. …