Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy is a condition that results from a brain injury early in life; before, during or shortly after birth. It is considered non-progressive whereby it does not worsen over time, however the symptoms can vary over time as the body ages. There are four main types of cerebral palsy, however we treat each individual according to their specific needs.
The four main types of cerebral palsy:
- Spastic: people with this type present with stiffness, weakness, difficulty moving
- Dystonic or athetoid: people with this type present with involuntary or uncontrolled movements of their body
- Ataxic: people with this type present with poor coordination and balance
- Mixed: a combination of these types
How we can help:
At Steps, our clients with cerebral palsy often present with reduced independence for activities of daily living, weakness, spasticity or tone (meaning tightness in the muscles), balance disturbances and falls, movement difficulties, reduced exercise tolerance, complex assistive technology and home modification needs, speech difficulties, memory and thinking issues.
The therapists at Steps have an expert understanding of your condition and will provide a comprehensive and compassionate assessment of your goals and your needs.
Physiotherapy
- Walking training and practice
- Falls prevention and balance training
- Practice of tasks such as sitting, standing, and transferring
- Prescription of assistive technology
- Coordination training
- Spasticity and tone management to maintain flexibility
- Pain management and prevention of chronic injuries
- Sensory retraining
- Set up of aquatic physiotherapy programs to allow you to exercise safely in the water
- Support worker training
- Motor relearning and facilitation to improve your body’s ability to move
- Splinting and orthotics including collaboration with Second Skin and various Orthotists to assist you with your function and daily tasks
- Collaboration with medical specialists
- Provide education about your condition
- Provide home exercise programs
Occupational Therapy
- Cognitive strategies together with neuropsychology involvement
- Upper limb intervention and splinting
- Community access training and assessment
- Assessment and prescription of assistive technology
- Assessment and prescription of adaptive aids and equipment
- Assessment for minor or major home modifications
- Assessment for housing solutions, such as Supported Independent Living (SIL) or Supported Disability
- Accommodation (SDA).
- Functional retraining for everyday activities including personal care, household tasks and cooking.
- Identifying level of support worker assistance required
- Facilitating return to work goals
- Assisting with holiday planning
- Fatigue management strategies
Exercise Physiology
- Targeted strength training
- Balance training
- Tailored cardiovascular exercise
- Manual wheelchair skills
- Return to swimming training
- Prescription of a tailored gym program
- Bike and Trike training
Wheelchair and Seating
- Power and manual wheelchair prescription
- Complex seating and positioning solutions
Allied Health Assistant
- Support and supervise exercise programs prescribed by treating allied health professionals to increase frequency of therapy
- Support allied health professionals with clients who require multiple therapists’ assistance
At Steps we pride ourselves on working collaboratively with your interdisciplinary team, including neuropsychologists, speech pathologists, orthotist, dietician, recreation specialists, community nurses, neurologists, general practitioners and other allied health or medical staff.