CP describes a spectrum of conditions that affects individuals in many different ways. Your care team may use the term GMFCS which stands for Gross Motor Function Classification Scale and is used to describe what mobility aids your child may need to complete certain tasks.

Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common type of CP. People will experience increased muscle tone and their movements may appear stiff or awkward.

People who have dyskinetic cerebral palsy experience involuntary movements that are difficult to control. These movements can be slow, twisting and writhing, or rapid and jerky, and can impact movement in the hands, arms, feet, legs and even the face or tongue.

Cerebral Palsy can be described by the way it affects movement and motor function, the part of the body affected and by how severe the impact is.

For some the day-to-day problems faced by children and adults with cerebral palsy, and their carers, are not motor ones alone. It is important that you discuss other areas of your child's development if you have concerns.

There are some medical conditions or events that can happen during pregnancy, delivery, or shortly thereafter that may increase a baby's risk of being born with cerebral palsy.

Infants with CP frequently have developmental and motor delays, in which they are slow to reach milestones such as learning to roll over, sit, crawl, or walk. The symptoms of CP differ in type and severity from one person to the next, and may even change in an individual over time.

Cerebral Palsy is the most common motor disability in children caused by abnormal development or damage to the motor area of the brain’s outer layer (called the cerebral cortex), the part of the brain that directs muscle movement. This damage can occur before, during, or shortly after birth.

CP is the most common lifelong physical disability. Globally over 17 million people have cerebral palsy.

The specific motor types present in CP are determined by the extent, type, and location of the brain injury.