About cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy is a group of movement disorders that can cause problems with posture, manner of walking (gait), muscle tone, and coordination. Depending on the severity and type of CP, it affects different parts of the body.

Cerebral palsy is the most common physical disability in childhood

Many people with cerebral palsy have other related vision, hearing, communication and mobility needs. Its impact can range from a weakness in one hand, to almost a complete lack of voluntary movement.

It is a complex disability:

  • 1 in 4 children with cerebral palsy cannot talk
  • 1 in 4 cannot walk
  • 1 in 2 have an intellectual disability
  • 1 in 4 have epilepsy.

What is cerebral palsy?

Find out more about types of cerebral palsy, signs and symptoms, diagnosis and treatments.

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34,000

people are living with CP in Australia

17 million

worldwide

1 in 700

Australian babies is diagnosed with CP
350 million people are closely connected to a child or adult with cerebral palsy.

What is cerebral palsy?

Cerebral palsy is the most common physical disability in children. Learn more about types of cerebral palsy, signs, symptoms, diagnosis, treatments and how it affects people.

What is cerebral palsy?

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a physical disability that affects movement and posture. It is a permanent life-long condition, but generally does not worsen over time. It is due to injury to the developing brain either during pregnancy or shortly after birth.
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Assessments and outcome measures

Assessments are used to understand the types and severity of cerebral palsy, to assist with planning interventions and to measure the outcomes or effectiveness of interventions and therapies (outcome measures).
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Cerebral Palsy Treatment Guides

To assist people living with cerebral palsy, parents, carers, allied health and medical practitioners we have developed Cerebral Palsy Treatment Guides that provide information based on the latest research evidence from our Cerebral Palsy Research Institute and across the world.
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Clinical practice guidelines

In response to the needs of young people, families and clinicians across the world, international clinical practice guidelines have been developed to support children and young people with cerebral palsy to achieve their goals and improve their capacity to participate in important life activities.
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Play Video

Video series

Find out the basics about cerebral palsy (CP) in this introduction to the What is CP video series, presented by CPA researchers Natasha Garrity and Georgina Henry.

Cerebral palsy is the most common physical disability in childhood

Cerebral palsy is a group of movement disorders that can cause problems with posture, manner of walking (gait), muscle tone, and coordination. Depending on the severity and type of CP, it affects different parts of the body.

Many people with cerebral palsy have other related vision, hearing, communication and mobility needs. Its impact can range from a weakness in one hand, to almost a complete lack of voluntary movement.

It is a complex disability:

  • 1 in 4 children with cerebral palsy cannot talk
  • 1 in 4 cannot walk
  • 1 in 2 have an intellectual disability
  • 1 in 4 have epilepsy.