Will he ever be a normal boy ?

maximumstrlamer

First things first.. your son has mild cerebral palsy. The degree of cp can range from poor motor skills to crippled. I myself have mild cp.. I walk with a limp but i am able to do everything else the average person is doing... no i dont play piano but the average person doesnt either... your son not walking at 2.5 years of age is alarming however children with cp learn to walk later.I myself started walking at about 15-18 months (cant quite remember at the moment).. your child like all childen with cp will benefit from phywsical therapy of some sort.

Lori88

Like the other person said, your son has a mild case. There are plenty of surgical options available usually when children are 12 years or older. I'm now 21 years old, and prior to turning 21, I went to duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington DE. They have one of the best pediatric orthopedic departments in the nation - and a Cerebral Palsy clinic as well. Some of the staff there are authors of Cerebral Palsy: A Complete Guide for Caregivers. I know you live in TX but if you're willing to travel, DE is the place to go.

Zagreus

My son has mild cp. He's now 13. He is slightly awkward and has a slight limp. He never learned to ride a bike. He's bright and intellectually gifted; he's learning tae kwan do; his verbal abilities have him in the 99th percentile; he will be in the gifted program in high school; he's funny; he's learning guitar; he plays drums; he's a great kid and most people don't realize he has a disability.
Things will work out for you and son. Get him therapy; push him when he needs to be pushed and help him when he needs help. Find other parents, good therapists and a good doctor. Don't let the worry become disabling to you.

Malwm01

Hey! I was dx'd with mild CP at 18 mos. I think I'm perfectly "normal"

I didn't crawl until I was 18-20 mos. and didn't walk with a Kaye Walker until I was 2 and a half or 3. It took me until I was 9 to master walking un-aided. I did ride a tricycle as a kid/pre-teen (not kiddie sized) and I partcipated in community theatre groups, sang in choirs for 8 years and at 12 I started to take piano lessons (despite having horrible fine motor issues,) I will never be Mozart but I enjoyed learning to play and I love to learn even one or two lines of a song well.

Since I was delayed physically, I got a head start on things like reading and speaking. When I was 3 and 4 there are reports that I was intellectually 7 or 8. By the end of elementary school I could comprehend science and social studies (and read) at a 9th grade level. (I also developed a freakish ability to learn and retain LARGE amounts of information in a short period of time without writing it down.) That's not to say that I didn't struggle in other areas, like, math (which I am still terrible at) and spelling (which I am so-so at) and learning foreign languages (never going to happen.) I was an average student over all, strengths and weaknesses just like everyone else.

I had an average life, I had normal parent-sibling issues, I hated and loved school. I was teased a bit (but what kids aren't? And it's much better these days!) I did normal teenage things like going to dances and to prom. I did normal "bad" teenage things (hehe.) I went on a week long (school sponsered "no parents") trip to Washington, D.C. when I was 13 and walked until my feet were going to fall off with the best of them.

The only things that made me different from my peers were insignificant. I walk slower, I fall a lot, I'm clumsy and I have a limp. When I get excited my speech gets a little hard to understand. Some people don't even notice (which is shocking) and some people do.

The only thing I wish that I could change about my situation is that I have pain that comes from years of walking and from spasms and cramping. I remember having the pain as a kid... so I'm used to it but I wish I didn't have to deal with it. Sometimes I get depressed about it all... but I have a family history of depression and anxiety (and other "normal people" mental health issues) so I don't think that is purely because of my CP.

Really, I'm fine with who I am and what I am and wouldn't change it. When I was young I had a FANTASTIC group of therapists and teachers and my parents weren't bad at dealing with my CP and I think this was MOST important.

Just find a balance to treating your kid, don't treat him like he's just like every other kid but don't treat him like he isn't a normal kid. Know when to push him and when to let him tell you when enough is enough. Make sure he knows that he is different but that it's OK to be different and make sure he knows that the world doesn't revolve around him (I've met MANY people with CP who think that they are "King of the World" because their parents gave in to their every whim) and you'll be fine.

Best of luck to you!!

Mrs.Khan

Thanks a lot to all of you for your encouraging words .

maximstrlamer .Are you sure you walked at 15-18 months because this is within the normal range .Normal kids walk at this age .can you tell me if you have diaplegic or hemiplegic cerebral palsy .

lori88 .I don't think that he needs a surgical treatment .the doctor even said that he will need something to put in his shoes maximum to give him a support .I hope he never needs a surgery but i will remember your advice

zagreus .does your son has hemiplegic cerebral palsy ?
do u think tae kaun do helped him ?would you recommend some other sports that can help him after he starts walking


malwm01 .i felt sad to hear that you still suffer form pain .May God bless you and be with you .

Zagreus

Yes, tae kwan do and learning to play drums helped (he has spastic hemiplegia of the left side and drumming and tae kwan do helped him learn to coordinate left and right sides. Drumming even improved his gait)

Physical therapy and occupational therapy are also crucial.

open_the_door

Malwm01,

Very well written. Thank you so much for your input. My son is three and I hope he has your attitude when he is your age.....

vermontcp

Your feelings of fear and sadness are very normal when you hear this news. I just wanted to reassure you that your son will probably do just fine. My son has moderate spastic diplegia. He didn't walk until he was almost three, and then only with a walker. He's now 15, walks unassisted indoors and uses crutches for long distances. He is also an A student, has tons of friends, was elected class president last year, sings in our state's best choir and is starting to look at colleges. No one with CP is ever 'cured,' but there are lots of therapies and interventions that can really make a difference. Our son will always have some extra challenges, but he is happily leading a full life. I have no doubt that he is a stronger, more accomplished, more empathetic and more interesting person than he would have been if he hadn't had CP. He would also say that, while parents might dwell on what he has 'lost,' in terms of things he can't do, he has never felt that he was missing out on anything. Maybe the world doesn't need another jock. Maybe it needs all the other incredible things your son will have to offer. When you are ready to dry your tears, you'll help him to find them. Good luck!

annie777

My son will be 4 in August. He walks with AFO's, he has worn them long before he could walk and he walked independently at 26 months - his PT began at 8 months. He is a caring, sweet, boy - the teasing has started a little from the other kids at day care,he is slow, falls often and is super SLOW going up and down stairs. But he runs now - slow, but it is a run, is involved in t-ball and takes swim lessons - overall he is doing great. It is a lot of work for the parent, between all the appointments and doing the home stretching program but just keep with it, keep organized and your son will do great.

Try and connect with other parents as they can be great resources for even the little things like questions about, shoes, socks, snow boots etc...

Marcus&DeanaMum

Hi
You have been goven great advice. My daughter is 3.5 pulls to kneel,crawls and is trying to stand. She has spastic displegia. I will get easier we have all gone through those emotions. Get into physio and ot that will help alot.

Mrs.Khan

Thanks a lot all of you for your suppport .Thanks God ,he is doing a lot better but slowly .May God help all of you as well .

socialhermit

Hi! I'm mom to a 12 yr old with severe spastic quad CP and let me tell you he is all boy. He gets into trouble and gets grounded just like his twin sister. He doesn't walk and probably never will but gets around in his motorized wheelchair.......I feel like the wheelchair police...."stop, go, watch out for this or that..." He goes to public school and is doing well. Loves to read and loves Pokemon and hot wheels cars. Even with limited use of his hands he is hard to beat on a video game..... ha! Hang in there and many hugs from me, you'll do just fine. Your little one has a great momma already.

Mrs.Khan

Love to your son social hermit .You both seem to be v.nice human beings .Remember us in your prayers always !I have started trying homeopath medicine and his gastroesophageal reflux is already better with medicine thank God !It has cure for so many things which allopathy doesn't have .Give it a try and let me know .I hav heard cases of ppl walking after paralysis

jammyslisa

Mrs.Khan,
My son is now 29 and has mild CP. He walked at 14 months, it mostly affected his fine motor control. He has some dexterity problems with his hands and sometimes his speech is a little "slushy". He is very bright and at school was on the basketball team and the swim team. I think any sport that utilizes both sides of the body equally help in development. I am also a special education teacher and many of my students have severe CP.

Treat your son just like any other child. If I made any mistakes with my son it was to make excuses for him too often and I see that now that he is an adult. It's a fine line to walk, trying to encourage some skills without frustrating your child.

I wish you the best of luck, get private as well as school therapies. Swimming is a great therapy for kids with muscle tone issues.

Lisa