Coaching People with Cerebral Palsy

Potential characteristics of people with cerebral palsy

Depending on the severity of their condition, a person with cerebral palsy may have one or many of the following:

• balance difficulties – through uncontrolled coordination of limbs
• an active startle (Moro) reflex
• hearing and visual impairments
• sensory loss to the skin
• epilepsy – recurring seizures (fits)
• intellectual disability – this could present itself as a mild, moderate or severe learning difficulty
• perceptual difficulties – difficulties making sense of and interpreting the messages received from senses, moving around objects, judging size and shapes of objects etc
• speech and language difficulties – some people may be fine and very articulate; others could be mildly affected; and some may be very severely unable to say any words
• eating and drinking difficulties – cerebral palsy may affect the chewing and swallowing muscles.

Including people with cerebral palsy in your sessions

• The important factor is that no two people are the same, so the coach will have to consider the individual’s physique, mobility and application. Speak to the participant to understand their own personal abilities.
• For some athletes with cerebral palsy, outdoor temperature could be a limiting factor to an effective training session during winter months.
• Constant and continual repetition and reinforcement can reduce coordination problems.
• Participants may have a slower reaction time when initiating movement on command.
• The participant may have limb movement restrictions. Therefore, they must work at their maximum capacity to enable optimum performance. The participant must be supported to move any affected limb to the best of their ability.
• The participant may have short-term memory loss, requiring constant and continual reinforcement of instructions.
• Circulatory problems may mean additional stretching and flexibility exercises, and/or shorter drill times are required.
• Be aware of any balance problems and take these into consideration with any  relevant  drills  or game play.