Cerebral Palsy and its Types
                     Cerebral palsy 
and its types
What is Cerebral Palsy?
• Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders that 
affect a person’s ability to move and maintain 
balance and posture. CP is the most common 
motor disability in childhood.
Source: www.cdc.gov 2
About Cerebral Palsy
• Cerebral means having to do with the brain. 
Palsy means weakness or problems with using 
the muscles. CP is caused by abnormal brain 
development or damage to the developing 
brain that affects a person’s ability to control 
his or her muscles.
Source: www.cdc.gov 3
Symptoms 
• The symptoms of CP vary from person to 
person. A person with severe CP might need to 
use special equipment to be able to walk, or 
might not be able to walk at all and might need 
lifelong care. 
Source: www.cdc.gov 4
Mild CP Symptoms 
• A person with mild CP, on the other hand, 
might walk a little awkwardly, but might not 
need any special help. CP does not get worse 
over time, though the exact symptoms can 
change over a person’s lifetime.
Source: www.cdc.gov 5
CP Problems
• All people with CP have problems with 
movement and posture. Many also have 
related conditions such as intellectual 
disability; seizures; problems with vision, 
hearing, or speech; changes in the spine (such 
as scoliosis); or joint problems (such as 
contractures).
Source: www.cdc.gov 6
Types of Cerebral Palsy
Doctors classify CP 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)
Source: www.cdc.gov 7
Spastic Cerebral Palsy
Spastic hemiplegia/hemiparesis―This type of CP 
affects only one side of a person’s body; usually 
the arm is more affected than the leg.
Source: www.cdc.gov 8
Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy
People with dyskinetic CP have problems 
controlling the movement of their hands, arms, 
feet, and legs, making it difficult to sit and walk. 
The movements are uncontrollable and can be 
slow and writhing or rapid and jerky.
Source: www.cdc.gov 9
Ataxic Cerebral Palsy
People with ataxic CP have problems with 
balance and coordination. They might be 
unsteady when they walk. They might have a 
hard time with quick movements or movements 
that need a lot of control, like writing.
Source: www.cdc.gov 1
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Mixed Cerebral Palsy
Some people have symptoms of more than one 
type of CP. The most common type of mixed CP is 
spastic-dyskinetic CP.
Source: www.cdc.gov 1
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