Cynthia Frisina discusses the purpose and importance of Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month and Day to bring people together to advocate for better healthcare, research advancements, funding and more those with CP and their families.
Chris achieved and accomplished things that nobody thought were attainable. He persevered through cerebral palsy and learned that God had a purpose for him.
This presentation from the 2023 AACPDM Community Forum presents a model for creating a smooth transition from pediatric care to adult care for teens and young adults with cerebral palsy.
This presentation from the 2023 AACPDM Community Forum presents and overview and a model creating opportunities for employment for individuals with disabilities.
Mobility technology can enhance the lives of young children with disabilities in ways parents often never consider. Learn about how it can help your child beyond getting from point A to point B!
As spring approaches, millions of high school seniors get one step closer to their career and to becoming the person they have dreamed about growing into since they were children. Receiving college acceptance letters is one of the most profound experiences in a young adult’s life. Moving out of your childhood home and stepping into the real world is a majorly exhilarating life event.
Welcome to the second part of my travel series! In the previous post, I wrote about how I found my love for traveling through my trip to Madrid and Paris. Looking back, not only do I realize that these trips took place during very different phases of my adult life, but they also mark the different phases of my CP in recent years. Although CP is the result of a non-progressive brain injury, many folks experience a decline in their physical abilities in their adult years — the inevitable effect of aging, not just for those with disabilities, but for everyone.
In the next couple of blog posts, I’ll write about some of my favorite trips that I took over the years. I’ll travel down memory lane of all the new places I explored in recent years and eagerly wait until my next trip.
My cousin, Reeva, had recently moved to Kyoto, Japan to learn Japanese for a year, and she convinced me to visit her there. I didn’t know anyone else living in Japan and Reeva was going to be there short term, so I couldn’t possibly pass up going! I was admittedly pretty nervous about traveling all the way across the world— a 24-hour long plane trip, including a layover— especially to a country that uses a language that isn’t remotely like anything I was used to. But, again, I wasn’t going to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Theodore "Armpit" Johnson tries his best to keep out of trouble after being released from juvenile detention. But it's hard to do when the only person who believes in you is your ten year old neighbor with CP, and people from the past are trying to get you back into bad habits.
Noah, a cello prodigy from a long line of musicians, wants to stick to tradition. Daisy, a fiercely independent disabled violinist, is used to fighting for what she wants and likes to take risks. But the two surprise each other when they play. They fall perfectly in tune.
You are Brave is a book for every kid who has ever thought, "What if I'm not brave enough?" It's about the courage we find within ourselves, and the wonderful possibilities that open up when we have the confidence to try something new.
On Thursday, March 24th, 2022, the Cerebral Palsy Foundation hosted the first ever Cerebral Palsy Congressional Briefing with a panel of physicians, patient and self advocates.
Pediatric critical care physician and ethicist, Dr. Jane Lee was accustomed to caring for children with severe disabilities and felt comfortable helping families navigate the "system". That is until she has her own complicated delivery leaves her second child with a severe brain injury, she finds that everything she learned about disability and personhood as a physician and ethicist is no help as a parent.
Many people do not know the difference between SSI and SSDI. It can be very confusing for a family or individual to understand what is available, and whether they will qualify. Very often, the recipients and their families do not even know which benefits they are receiving. But it is important to understand some basic information about government benefits. This post will focus on the two most common government benefits and give you a brief overview of how they work.
Setting up a Third Party-Special Needs trust as part of estate planning is essential if the individual with a disability is or may be eligible for means-tested government benefits. A properly set up Third Party Trust ensures that the funds left to the individual, whether through gift or inheritance, are not considered countable assets when applying for means tested benefits
In 2014 the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act was passed. The ABLE account is a tax-advantaged savings account for individuals with disabilities. The individual with the disability is the account owner and anyone can contribute to the account – the account beneficiary, family, friends, even a Special Needs Trust.
A special needs trust is a written legal agreement that enables an individual with a disability to qualify or remain qualified for means tested government benefits, such as medicaid, SSI or even medicaid waivers.
CPF Executive Director Rachel Byrne and Peter Trojic, professional dancer with the Heidi Latski dance Company in New York City, discuss dance and disability.
CPF Executive Director Rachel Byrne and Jocelyn Cohen, Vice President of Communications and Engagement at Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation discuss collaboration in research.
Breakthrough Parenting for Children with Special Needs challenges families and professionals to help children with special needs to reach their full potential by using a proven motivational, how-to approach.
An incredible story of Johnny Agar, born with cerebral palsy and whom doctors thought would never walk, overcoming the odds to compete in Ironman triathlons.