The Winter Paralympics is a great opportunity to learn about the many adaptive recreational and competitive sports for individuals with cerebral palsy.
CPF Executive Director Rachel Byrne and physical therapist, Jennifer Jezequel, PT, discuss exercise and fitness for children with Cerebral Palsy.
![Jennifer Jezequel has long brown hair and is smiling wearing a pink sweater](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2023-02/29.png?h=8a7fc05e&itok=wHrqFLDy)
CPF Executive Director Rachel Byrne and Byron Lai, PhD, discuss exercise and fitness for individuals with Cerebral Palsy.
![Byron Lai has dark hair and is smiling. He is wearing a white shirt with a dark jacket.](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2023-02/4.png?h=8a7fc05e&itok=YACzFp_N)
Students with disabilities often need extra support throughout the day to access their environment, the academic materials, and learn alongside their peers. A Personal Care Attendant in the school setting is often utilized to support the students needs.
![Graphic of a teacher in front of a chalk board with a child in a wheelchair observing](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2021-08/Personal%20Care%20Attendant%3A%20TA%20for%20the%20School.jpg?h=fa288499&itok=-OEyKmPL)
Children and teens with cerebral palsy and other disabilities may need the assistance of an individual who has a background in healthcare and the skills to provide the services essential to quality care.
![Photo of two young men in blue shirts sitting next to each other outdoors, one is in a wheelchair wearing a Mardi Gras mask and waving.](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2021-07/PCA%20Illo.jpg?h=d0470b75&itok=W0cRb9Hc)
Personal Care Attendants for adults with cerebral palsy and other disabilities provide a variety of essential functions that ensure safety, health, wellbeing and overall impact quality of life.
![Photo of woman wearing a blue shirt embracing a woman in a wheelchair](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2021-08/PCA%20Temp.jpg?h=10d202d3&itok=anOIpgdq)
An employment agreement spells out the rules, rights and responsibilities for both the Personal Care Attendant (the employee) and the individual with cerebral palsy or family who is hiring the Personal Care Attendant.
![Photo of hands shaking.](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2021-07/IMG_1080.jpeg?h=d318f057&itok=s5vTHWyT)
Author David Stoner provides insight into his experience with Personal Care Attendants through the years as his needs and his family's needs have changed.
![Photograph of a young woman and young man wearing a graduation cap and gown in wheelchairs holding hands with five individuals standing up behind them. One individual is holding an infant.](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2021-07/David%20Stoner%20Family%20Pic.jpg?h=dec22bcf&itok=Bgujty6p)
Access2CRT is here to empower advocates with the information and resources needed to promote and protect access to Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) access for people with disabilities and Cerebral Palsy.
![Access2CRT logo of drawing of person in wheelchair with orange triangles behind](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2021-07/Screen%20Shot%202021-07-08%20at%204.00.06%20PM.png?h=9cd8f4fd&itok=R1csixsQ)
Wouldn’t it be great if inclusive, accessible playgrounds were in every community for all to enjoy? Although progress is being made in certain areas, there is a lot more work to be done to literally level the playing field and help communities and designers understand what makes an inclusive accessible playground and why they are important for people of all abilities.
![Smiling boy in yellow adaptive swing](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2021-06/adaptive%20playgrounds.jpg?h=4eadde09&itok=3RdqD_UD)
We rely on assistive technology for everything from holding utensils better to using a complex communication device. Makers Making Change is helping to create both custom and affordable assistive tech for all abilities and needs.
![Photo of Noam Platt wearing a blue sport coat and tie.](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2021-06/noam.jpg?h=2adfecdf&itok=R5lqHkTW)
LittleWins harnesses the power of community to empower people with disabilities with the tools they need to thrive! From buying, selling, and donating medical equipment and supplies, to obtaining needed information and connecting with others – LittleWins is the one-stop community resource for families, parents, caregivers, in-home nurses, and all people with disabilities.
![Purple Logo Little Wins](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2021-06/Screen%20Shot%202021-06-04%20at%2010.53.39%20AM.png?h=14498633&itok=ZoQRZhcF)
Individuals with Cerebral Palsy frequently participate in Adaptive Sports and Therapeutic Recreation programs. Though there are often many similarities in programs and frequently the terms are used interchangeably, there are differences that are highlighted here.
![Individuals in wheelchairs participating in a fitness class](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2021-06/Camp%20Activity.jpg?h=dec22bcf&itok=IIRo83YV)
Frame Running is becoming increasingly popular as a recreational and competitive sport for individuals with cerebral palsy across all GMFCS levels. Tune in to learn more!
![Woman in green shirt and black pants running next to a young boy in an orange shirt in a frame runner](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2021-05/IMG_4234.jpg?h=a1e1a043&itok=NdNuOwuS)
A parent's perspective as she recalls the moment she realized that a wheelchair meant freedom for her son and not a barrier to his progress.
![Woman in a grey sweater hugging a man in a tuxedo who is sitting in a wheelchair](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2021-05/image.png?h=7bc5cf4e&itok=vP0qgEpy)
On this episode, I have the honor of talking with Wendy Pierce, MD, a pediatric physiatrist at Colorado Children's Hospital about physiatry, also known as Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. This fantastic field of medicine can be helpful for individuals with cerebral palsy across with lifespan, but it has a confusing name and sometimes a confusing job description. So we set out to help listeners better understand what a physiatrist does.
![Photo of Wendy Pierce wearing a dark tan sweater on a light tan background](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2021-04/Screen%20Shot%202021-04-19%20at%2010.22.26%20AM.png?h=354054f4&itok=AI6_8gox)
In this episode, Mary Gannotti, PhD, PT, discusses fitness, health and function across the lifespan for individuals with cerebral palsy.
![Photo of Mary Ganotti in a red shirt with a black sport coat on a grey background](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2021-04/Screen%20Shot%202020-03-23%20at%2010.39.07%20AM.png?h=0a42a262&itok=boqSujDH)
There are multiple factors that impact bone health, including birth weight, nutrition, medications for seizures and/or reflux, genetics, and physical activity. Targeted exercise to improve bone health in childhood can be sustained into adulthood, and childhood is the best time to promote bone health.
![X-Ray image of hips](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2021-03/BonePhoto.jpeg?h=839cb79e&itok=uNms7ACl)
There are many kinds of physical activities that people with cerebral palsy can participate in – for both ambulatory people as well those who use various mobility devices. Knowing just what activities are right for whom can be tough, this article helps to sort that out.
![Young woman participating in adaptive rock climbing](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2021-03/Cathrynrockclimbing3.jpeg?h=a610a299&itok=4PaA7C6k)
The RAD RaceRunner is a three-wheeled running bike with chest support. It is designed for children and adults with balance or mobility challenges to achieve their exercising goals -be it recreation, competition, or rehabilitation.
![RaceRunner](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2020-12/Screen%20Shot%202020-12-02%20at%2010.06.40%20AM.png?h=5675b15d&itok=YrEU9Lve)
The EazyHold® universal cuff is the answer to gripissues that parents, occupational therapists, schools, hospitals, and care facilities have been seeking. The patented design, available in multiple sizes, gives children and adults the ability to hold onto and use tons of items with ease.
![EazyHold](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2020-12/Screen%20Shot%202020-12-01%20at%202.13.25%20PM.png?h=6804a79f&itok=c5FBDBlH)
Our “Let’s Talk CP” podcast series kicks off with a great conversation about what questions to ask your child’s clinician when your child has cerebral palsy. How should you prepare for a medical appointment? What questions should you ask? Should you get a second opinion? Join Cerebral Palsy Foundation host, Cynthia Frisina as she shares candid talk, lessons learned and great advice with fellow moms, Wendy Sullivan and Jennifer Lyman. This episode is made possible with the support of Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals.
![Wendy Sullivan has long blonde hair is smiling and wearing a white suit jacket, Cynthia Frisina has long brown hair and is smiling, wearing a black top and Jen Lyman has long, curly brown hair and is smiling wearing an olive green top.](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2023-02/3_1.png?h=57024e64&itok=yZaXovn-)
One of the hardest moments during quarantine for me was when my apartment building announced its gym was closing to prevent the spread of coronavirus. As the outside gyms closed all around the city in the weeks prior, I felt grateful that the one in my building was open. The gym was the lasting lifeline to my sanity, and to have that yanked away from me, I felt lost.
![Exercising at home during quarantine](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2022-01/Exercising%20at%20Home%20During%20Quarantine_SQ.jpg?h=6c458cf2&itok=XxxwcPEc)
There is insufficient research on adults living with cerebral palsy, (as referenced in my previous blog post on cerebral palsy and adulthood). Although there is a paucity of studies examining mental health in this population, medical researchers have speculated that the rate of depression is three to four times higher in people with disabilities such as CP than it is in the general population.
!["Navigating CP and Depression at the Same Time" is shown in text above an illustration of a person in a wheelchair colored in blue](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2020-06/NavigatingCPandDepression.jpg?h=8a7fc05e&itok=qiC3xtKa)
For people with a physical disability, activity is a lifestyle. It's something that can start in physical therapy, but it really is something that has to be carried over into their everyday lives. What has happened over the years is we're understanding the importance of mobility.
![Photo of Diane Damiano with words get some exercise written in pink](/sites/www/files/styles/small_landscape_12x7/public/2019-10/Screen%20Shot%202019-10-06%20at%208.58.08%20PM.png?h=5443664a&itok=oVOcf9vT)