I began thinking about this in regards to CP Awareness Day a bit differently. If we think about even the name, Cerebral Palsy Awareness, there are so many things I imagine you would like others to be aware of, as caregivers and Cerebral Palsy warriors. What does awareness mean to each of us, personally?

In my 30-year career as a social worker and therapist, I have seen many children, adults, couples and families face what seems impossible. There are some common characteristics with those who face impossible with fear and those who face it with hope.

For all of us, the idea of adjusting is so important in understanding ourselves, those around us and the kindness that can happen when offered with care and understanding.

In 2025, there are thousands of reels, social media accounts and testaments to the badassery that is required to live with CP. And though the world still has a long way to go, the pride, wholeness and strength of this community never ceases to amaze me.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a mental health treatment technique. This method involves moving your eyes a specific way while you process traumatic memories. EMDR's goal is to help you heal from trauma or other distressing life experiences.

On the days that having CP is challenging, it is extra important to take care of yourself, all those feelings and your body. When we can mention how we feel, then we figure out or manage what we need to feel better.

For as long as I can remember, I dreamed of being a mama and for equally as long, I just couldn’t comprehend the dream coming true, for me. Yet, I had NO frame of reference or role models for mamas with CP.

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.

Up to 50% of adolescents with cerebral palsy have an intellectual disability, as well as a physical disability. Adolescents with intellectual disabilities still need sexual health education, they just need it in a way that's more individualized so that they can understand it and use it.