Donate
Referrals
Contact
Donate
Make a Referral
Contact

Therapy for Children

Specialist Therapy for Children

Cerebral Palsy Scotland offers specialist, multidisciplinary therapy. Our therapists work with children and adults to establish their goals and what type of therapy input they need. Our therapy sessions often combine physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy within sessions.

The key objective of our specialist physiotherapy is to help children with cerebral palsy achieve their maximum physical potential and independence.
Our physiotherapists will work with children to:

• Evaluate the child’s motor skills, muscle tone, sensory processing and cognitive level
• Focus on play and daily activities, to motivate children to actively engage
• Build an individualised therapy plan for each child
• Work on mobility, strength and balance

Communication

In the very early stages our speech and language therapist can advise on ways to encourage communication development in children, even before a diagnosis is confirmed.

For children who may have difficulty developing speech, we will:

• Look at what a child already does to communicate – eye contact, movements, vocalisations
• Introduce signing systems (e.g. Makaton) and symbol communication
• Introduce high-tech communication devices e.g. touch screen devices, eye-gaze technology.

Eating and drinking

We can help with:

• Concerns over eating and drinking skills
• Appropriate cups and utensils
• Giving parents/carers the skills to confidently approach mealtimes

Occupational Therapy can help children with cerebral palsy to:

• Improve movement, play skills, fine and gross motor skills
• Work on skills necessary for school, such as handwriting, dressing, and ability to participate in a classroom
• Problem solving around independence, such as using the toilet, bathing, using cutlery, and transfers in and out of equipment.

Our chartered psychologist offers one-to-one sessions for young people with cerebral palsy, beginning with an initial consultation to identify the areas they would like support with. Support may help the person address emotional, physical or communication related challenges.

Our psychologist conducts comprehensive assessments of learning (e.g., literacy, processing skills, numeracy) for children with cerebral palsy. A report is provided summarising the outcomes, with suggested strategies to support further progress.