In addition to motor and postural disorders, cerebral palsy is also associated with one or more of the following symptoms in varying degrees.
1.Intellectual impairment
Among these children, it is agreed that 25% of them have normal intelligence; about 5% are severely mentally retarded. Generally speaking, the lower the IQ of a child with cerebral palsy, the worse the desire for training, the lower the ability to cooperate with treatment, and the worse the recovery effect. However, this does not mean that children with low IQ cannot be treated or trained, but these children should be trained to improve their intellectual ability and comprehension, and at the same time, intensive training should be conducted according to the child’s condition.
2. Delayed growth and development
Some children with mild cerebral palsy have normal or nearly normal growth and development, but most children with cerebral palsy are longer and shorter than normal children of the same age, and their development seems to lag behind.
3. Language impairment
The literature reports that about 30% to 70% of children with cerebral palsy have varying degrees of language disorders, often preceded by difficulties in sucking, swallowing and chewing, with varying forms of expression, from slurred pronunciation to severe aphasia. The main causes are.
(1) Motor disorders of the organ of articulation.
(2) disorders of the speech centers.
(2) Disorders of the speech center and the articulatory organs. In general, the severity of the language disorder is directly related to the loss of motor ability, and the delay in language development is directly proportional to the level of intelligence.
4.Epilepsy
According to the statistical data of our center, the incidence of epilepsy in children with cerebral palsy is 30% to 40%, which is equal to the incidence reported in other data, especially in those with severe mental retardation.
5. Oral and facial dysfunction
Some children with cerebral palsy have abnormal and uncoordinated muscle tone in the facial muscles, oral cavity and tongue muscles, as well as the presence of some primitive reflexes, resulting in difficulty in chewing and swallowing, difficulty in closing the mouth and drooling.
6.Dental dysplasia
Most of the teeth of children with cerebral palsy are poorly developed, with loose texture, easy to fold and decay, and a higher incidence of various dental diseases than normal children.
7. Visual and auditory impairment
Many children with cerebral palsy have myopia or strabismus, with internal strabismus being the most common. Hearing loss is also more common, and these children often have difficulty in discriminating the rhythm of sounds.
8. Emotional and behavioral disorders
Children with cerebral palsy have a strong personality, often characterized by stubbornness, emotional vulnerability, mood swings, irritability, and lack of social interaction. Behavioral disorders are characterized by inattentiveness, excitement and hyperactivity, sometimes persisting in a certain action, and in some cases, self-compulsive behavior or self-isolating behavior.
In summary: children with cerebral palsy are not always impaired in limb movements, but are patients with multiple disorders. In view of this, as therapists and parents, when treating and training children with cerebral palsy, it is important not to neglect the accompanying disorders of the child, and to emphasize the rationale of overall recovery.