Posted: April 2, 2015
The time after a child has been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy can be extremely difficult for parents. Beyond the arrival of a new family member, a CP diagnosis may also require complete shifts in treatment, care and more. Tackling all of the logistics around a special needs child can be a challenge, not to mention the emotional toll a Cerebral Palsy diagnosis can place upon a parent.
In the interest of providing a brief, yet effective overview for parents who may find themselves with a child who has received a Cerebral Palsy diagnosis, here is a short outline of suggested steps:
- Request Local Resources/Program Registrations. While anything involving government programs can feature difficult stages of bureaucracy and delay, ensuring your child has early access to as much help as possible is crucial. By getting a jump on this process from the outset, the timeline can hopefully be reduced and the largest impact can be made in terms of early intervention. For resources in your area, our MyChild team can provide you a comprehensive overview including local, state and federal options or resources available upon request!
- Get Informed. Ultimately, your child’s best resource is going to be you, the parent. Our website is bursting at the seams with information on the years after a Cerebral Palsy diagnosis, including, but not limited to, what different stages of CP and age will mean for your child, and family. Our call center team is also happy to provide and/or research answers to questions you may have so never hesitate to call ((800) 692-4453
(800) 692-4453 FREE)! Perhaps even more important is that you feel comfortable in your knowledge regarding your child’s condition; parents of a newborn with CP should never hesitate to ask their pediatrician or specialist for clarity or additional information surrounding the diagnosis and ongoing care. This includes getting a copy of your child’s medical records for easy access and review in the event you ever want to get a second opinion or apply for certain assistance programs. - Build Awareness. Sadly, far too many people don’t know what they don’t know and may have a completely incorrect perception of what a Cerebral Palsy diagnosis means, or how it will impact for your child. When building awareness, it may be just as important to share a primer on proper etiquette (including language) surrounding those with special needs as it is to share info about Cerebral Palsy and its causes.
Of course, reducing the steps after a diagnosis to three bullets is not intended to reduce the importance or difficulty surrounding this time. Just as every case of Cerebral Palsy is different, so too is the journey for parents. Our community of parents represent a diverse range of those facing these daily challenges and we love to receive feedback on how this process is going. What’s more, shifts in treatment and research developments will constantly impact life after a Cerebral Palsy diagnosis.
Being comfortable sharing your story, going to support groups, etc., are all sensitive and may require the simple passage of time. However, with each of the items above, the team at MyChild is happy to help parents get to where they would like to be. Our free resources were created and are built to remove the guesswork surrounding making progress for children, and so do not hesitate to find out how we can help.
