CPF Executive Director Rachel Byrne and Jason Benetti talk about his hard work, misperceptions, resilience, and his experience with cerebral palsy.

CPF Executive Director Rachel Byrne and Xian Horn, author and disability advocate discuss breaking down stereotypes.

CPF Executive Director Rachel Byrne and Lily Collison with Kara Buckley and individuals from the book Pure Grit, talk about what it takes to be successful with a disability.

All adolescents and young adults experience some peer pressure to engage in drinking or other risky behaviors. Adolescents with cerebral palsy engage in risky behaviors just like other teenagers. Some families find it helpful to sign what's called, a Contract for Life, or a Contract for Safety, with their child. The parent agrees not to yell in the moment and to have a conversation about it the next day. That's one way that adolescents and parents can create some zone of safety around drinking.

I have cerebral palsy spastic diplegia. So it affects my legs and sometimes my fine motor skills. I walk with two canes. I do things a little slower, but I get things done.

One thing that parents can say to start a conversation with their kids is, "Let's talk".

I spent many years and many hours learning how to make the body work better, how to bring it out of pain. But that's not the human being alone.

One of the things that was identified through research is that patients with cerebral palsy have higher rates of depression and anxiety than you would see in the general population.

Everybody tells stories, and that includes people who use communication systems. To ensure success and the ability to participate we need to make it as easy as possible. So that we can tell stories whenever we want, wherever we want, to whomever we want, and in a really easy way, so we can be successful.