A very successful workshop for the parents of our children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) was recently hosted at Die Sterreweg.
Cerebral palsy or CP, is a group of permanent movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time. Often, symptoms include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sensation, vision, hearing, swallowing, and speaking. (Source Wikipedia)
The workshop was a combined effort of our Occupational Therapist, Heidi, 4 of our facilitators; Nezi, Lilian, Quinique, Nandi and our speech and language therapy students from Belgium. They all shared their knowledge regarding the CP diagnosis, the proper positioning, handling and feeding techniques, as well as the correct use of the buggy wheelchair. The parents were wonderfully interactive and full of questions. Under the guidance of the therapists and facilitators, the parents got to practice stretching, massaging and feeding their own children.
Physical therapy can reduce the muscle tension and jerky movements associated with spastic cerebral palsy. Exercises such as stretching can even relieve stiffness over time.
