What is cerebral palsy and how will this condition affect me?
Cerebral palsy is a neurological condition that impacts movement, muscle tone, and motor skills, usually appearing during infancy or early childhood. Its onset can be due to abnormal brain development or damage during brain development. Symptoms vary, affecting mobility, muscle coordination, cognition, and posture differently in each individual.
Cerebral palsy is most often diagnosed in early childhood, and the support a person needs continues to evolve well beyond those early years. Our team works with clients across every stage, from paediatric early intervention through to ongoing support in adulthood, tailoring an approach to the individual rather than the diagnosis alone.
Our allied health team works together to build a plan around your goals, your function, and your stage of life, not a fixed protocol based on diagnosis alone.
- Early Motor Development Assessment: Tracking movement, tone and milestone progress from infancy, and ongoing reassessment as needs change.
- Serial Casting: Gradual, progressive correction of tight joints and evolving muscle tone.
- Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI): An intensive, activity-based approach building strength, control and independent movement.
- DMO suiting: Dynamic compression garments providing postural support and improved body awareness.
- Spasticity Management: Approaches to reduce muscle tightness and improve comfort, at any age.
- Balance, Standing & Gait Retraining: Training for better balance, standing and walking, using harnesses, treadmill support or overground practice.
- Strength & Conditioning: Cardiovascular and functional strength training tailored to ability and goals.
- Equipment Prescription: Assessment and prescription of standers, walkers, orthotics, seating and wheelchairs, reviewed regularly as needs change.
- Wheelchair Skills Training: Developing skills for safe, effective wheelchair use.
- Hydrotherapy: Water-based therapy supporting movement with reduced joint load.
- Manual Therapy: Techniques including massage, mobilisation and dry needling to alleviate pain and improve function.
- Task-Specific Training: Practising movement in the context of real daily activities
Specialty services that may help:
- Locomotor Training Program
- Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI)
- Serial Casting
- DMO Suiting
- Intensive Therapies
- Hydrotherapy
- Wheelchair and seating service
- UL Therapy
What technologies at West Coast Neuro would benefit me?
- LiteGait
- Standing frame
- Reformer pilates machine
- Electrical stimulation
- Functional weight trainer
- Wheelchair Scales
- Pilates reformer
- Motomed