Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder that appears during pregnancy, infancy or very early childhood. It has permanent effects on the child’s brain, affecting muscle coordination and motor skills. Children with cerebral palsy acquire many motor skills slower than other children. Moreover, they may never be able to master some of these skills. In recent years, cognitive therapy has emerged as an effective treatment for managing this condition. According to the nonprofit organization, My Child Without Limits, there are two types of cognitive therapies for managing cerebral palsy: cognitive-behavior therapy and cognitive rehabilitation.
Cognitive-Behavior Therapy
This therapy focuses on the thoughts and emotions of the patient that lead to specific behaviors. The therapist first studies the patient to learn about these thoughts and emotions. She then tries to help the patient eliminate or modify thoughts that provoke undesirable behaviors. This therapy also helps improve the patient’s mood, anxiety levels and overall behavior. The patient learns to differentiate harmful thoughts from constructive ones. As the therapy progresses, the therapist is able to help the patient have more appropriate behaviors by eliminating negative thoughts and the behaviors associated with them.
Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy
Cognitive rehabilitation therapy consists of a number of rehabilitative activities designed to enable the learning of specific behaviors. This therapy helps promote problem-solving techniques, improves focus and enhances memory retention. In each of the sessions, the therapist involves the patient in a series of structured activities so that the brain can be trained and retrained to perform desired behaviors. The therapy is performed to improve the overall quality of life of the patient.
Benefits
There are distinct benefits of cognitive therapy, but different patients experience them differently. The therapies are intended to create an environment of emotional support and help the patients successfully resolve conflicts with others. As the therapy proceeds, the patients are able to understand the impact of their thoughts and feelings on their actions. This allows the patient to address destructive behaviors. They also learn to deal with stress, anxiety and frustration so that they are able to manage cerebral palsy induced aggression. With the help of cognitive therapy, they are also able to participate in various group activities, increase self-esteem and improve performance in stressful social situations.
Considerations
Cognitive-behavior therapy helps the patient learn new skills and behaviors by learning more positive thought patterns. On the other hand, cognitive rehabilitation therapy is restorative in nature. These therapies are designed to train the brain to learn socially appropriate behaviors and compensatory skills. Some of these therapies teach the patient to use tools to compensate for their motor deficits. According to My Child Without Limits.org, both of these therapies can only be used as short-term treatments to manage the condition and relieve stress, but they can help promote long-term thought and behavior modification.
