Cerebral Palsy Clinic

Hearing that your child has, or might have, cerebral palsy can leave you reeling with questions and concerns. While cerebral palsy can affect the things kids do every day, our clinic is well-equipped to help your child enjoy more of the everyday things in life. The neuroscience specialists here at our cerebral palsy clinic have the knowledge and expertise to guide you and your child through the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Led by our movement disorder specialists, the cerebral palsy clinic at Cook Children's provides testing, evaluations, diagnoses and ongoing treatment for children with cerebral palsy. And, because we are part of the Neurosciences Center, we provide complete care for any related disorders and challenges your child may experience.

Cerebral palsy is diagnosed through physical examination of your child, a clinical examination which includes your child's medical history and symptoms, neuroimaging, laboratory studies and in some cases, genetic testing.

Conditions we treat

Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affect a person's ability to move and maintain balance and posture. Palsies are classified according to the main type of movement disorder involved. Depending on which areas of the brain are affected, one or more of the following movement disorders can occur:

Stiff muscles (spasticity)
Uncontrollable movements (dyskinesia)
Poor balance and coordination (ataxia)

There are four main types of cerebral palsy:

Spastic cerebral palsy
Dyskinetic cerebral palsy, which includes athetoid, choreoathetoid and dystonic cerebral palsies
Ataxic cerebral palsy
Mixed cerebral palsy

neuro-acord-podcast-main

Early Identification and Improving Life-Long Outcomes in Cerebral Palsy Patients

Cook Children’s neurologist, Stephanie Acord, M.D., discusses the importance of early identification of cerebral palsy, common misconceptions of the diagnoses as well as new diagnostic methods and therapies for children with mild to severe cerebral palsy and how they are helping improve life-long outcomes.

Individualizing Cerebral Palsy Care

Treatment options

Currently, there is no cure for cerebral palsy. But here at Cook Children's, we do offer the most advanced treatment and care available to help ensure that your child can overcome as many developmental challenges and hurdles as possible. Like you, our goal is to help them develop the skill necessary to achieve the best quality of life possible.

Medications to control seizures, ease muscle spasms and relieve pain
Botulinum toxin (Botox) injections
Physical therapy
Occupational therapy
Biofeedback
Psychological and psychiatric counseling when needed
Neuropsychological testing
Surgery
Referral for deep brain stimulation (DBS)
Orthotic devices, such as bracing
Durable equipment, including walkers and wheelchairs
Communication devices such as computers with voice synthesizers

Learn more about cerebral palsy and its conditions, as well as how we treat them.

We're here to help.

If your child has been diagnosed, you probably have lots of questions. We can help. If you would like to schedule an appointment, refer a patient or speak to our staff, please call our offices at 682-303-2650.