Personal Factors

Personal Considerations

Family considerations and dynamics are important for all children and teens – with or without cerebral palsy. Since cerebral palsy is the most common lifelong motor disability, most often diagnosed at a very young age, this diagnosis affects a whole family and there are many aspects and personal considerations to consider through the lifespan. As children with CP enter school and then move on to the teen years, navigating social skills, academics, friendships, and mental health becomes more and more important. 

Dating, relationships and sexuality become areas of interest and aren’t talked about enough in the CP community. Other personal considerations include community supports and programs, transportation, access to buildings and other places, social policies, people’s attitudes toward cerebral palsy and disability, and opportunities for employment. Articles that focus on personal considerations are color coded purple.

Get the Facts
Expert Videos
Podcasts
Relevant Research
Stories
  • Photo of Ellen Seidman and son Max who has cerebral palsy
    Realities of Spring When You Have A Child With CP
  • two hands reaching to the words Just watch us fight this together
    Cerebral Palsy, Quicksand and Hope
  • Photo of baby girl being held behind her head while having a bath
    My Child's Diagnosis Does Not Define Her
  • Sarah holding Taryn and kissing her on the cheek.
    Appreciation, Gratitude, Thankfulness
  • Three siblings sitting on a rug with Owen (Age 1) who has CP sitting in the middle
    Owen’s Story Isn’t Over, It Is Just Beginning
  • A screenshot from the YouTube video, "Kamisha's Journey"
    Kamisha's Journey: Discovering Sexual Identity When You Have a Disability
  • "Navigating CP and Depression at the Same Time" is shown in text above an illustration of a person in a wheelchair colored in blue
    Navigating CP and Depression at the Same Time
  • " Things You Should Consider Before Going on Birth Control" shown in large text in the middle of the image surrounded by images of different types of contraception such as a condom, birth control pills, and an IUD
    Things You Should Consider Before Going on Birth Control
  • "Friendships in the Time of COVID-19" written in text below an image of writer Sarah Kim
    Friendships in the Time of COVID-19
  • "How I’ve Learned to Celebrate My Late Birth Mother" written in text to the right of an image or writer, Sarah Kim, as a child
    How I’ve Learned to Celebrate My Late Birth Mother
  • "People with Disabilities Also Have Diverse Sexualities and Gender Identities" is written in text above a representation of different people, some using wheelchairs, some using crutches, some standing without assistance. The representations of people are all in different colors reminiscent of the pride flag
    People with Disabilities Also Have Diverse Sexualities and Gender Identities
  • A little girl with blond pigtails and a big smile is in front of a fountain at a water park wearing her swim suit.
    Ava's Experience with Gait Analysis and Surgery at Gillette Children's
  • A girl with brown hair is wearing blue framed sunglasses and a pink shirt. She is standing outside with the background of the roof of a historic home
    Sophia Soars: A 700-Mile Journey to Treat a Daughter's Cerebral Palsy
Support Tools
Tips and Advice
CPF LIVE!
  • Kara Buckley has blond hair and blue eyes and is smiling wearing a black turtle neck while Lily Collison has black pixie hair and is smiling wearing a maroon shirt.
    CPF LIVE! with guests and authors of the book "Pure Grit: Stories of Remarkable People Living with Physical Disability"
  • Jan has long brown hair and is pleasantly smiling for the camera. She is wearing a brown plaid dress with capped sleeves.
    CPF LIVE! with Jan Moscowitz: Coping with Anxiety and Depression
  • Xian Horn is sitting on a bench smiling, wearing white pants, white shirt and a brown blazer. She has walking sticks in her right hand. She has long brown hair and is smiling.
    CPF LIVE! with Xian Horn: Breaking Down Stereotypes
  • Jason has dark brown hair and is smiling wearing a blue shirt, red tie and a blazer.
    CPF LIVE! with Jason Benetti: Play-by-Play
  • Fifi is a little girl standing in front of her purple walker wearing a grey t-shirt with her hands fisted in the air. She is smiling and has brown hair. She is next to her mom who is wearing a white cowboy hat, dark glasses, has long blonde hair and is smiling wearing a grey shirt and jeans.
    CPF LIVE! with Christina Smallwood: Behind the Scenes with Fifi and Mo
  • Gili Segal has long brown hair and is wearing pink shirt
    CPF LIVE! with Gili Segall: Supporting Our Children and Ourselves
  • Minelli Vasques has curly brown hair, she is smiling and wearing glasses. She has a white shirt and a black blazer with her arms crossed in front of her.
    CPF LIVE! with Minnelly Vasquez: Mental Health