1. Plan for a Normal Life
While there has been relatively little research conducted regarding the effects of cerebral palsy on aging individuals, doctors stress that CP is not a condition that reduces the human lifespan. Cerebral palsy patients can cope by planning for a long, fulfilling life that includes education, career, marriage and parenthood.
2. Build Self-Esteem
While it is natural for parents to protect special-needs children, being overprotective or shielding the child from interaction with the outside world can also be damaging. At some point, children coping with CP will face adulthood and increasing levels of self-sufficiency. Children who are too closely guarded often are unable to resolve difficulties with the outside world, particularly with the way they may be treated by unsympathetic individuals. Building a CP patient's self-esteem during childhood is an excellent way to help them cope moving forward in life.
3. Set Attainable Goals
One way to build esteem is to set achievable goals. With CP patients, the key is to identify goals that are simultaneously challenging yet attainable. While there are rare instances of cerebral palsy patients going on to achieve incredible successes, the disease is, in its extreme forms, severely debilitating. Cope by setting goals that are realistic for the individual. For example, patients with pronounced ataxia might master a practical physical task, such as buttoning a shirt or writing a letter. Patients with relatively normal mobility and language capabilities might set the bar higher by committing to completing a college education. Patients can challenge themselves further by setting more difficult goals once initial ones are achieved.
4. Maintain Overall Health
Both physical and mental health are ongoing issues for many cerebral palsy patients. The disease limits mobility, making it difficult for severely affected patients to maintain adequate levels of physical fitness. Growing up with CP is also mentally and emotionally exhausting, particularly for patients with cognitive disabilities and their families. Specialized professionals can help patients cope by ensuring adequate, suitable physical activities are pursued and by making counseling accessible.
5. Coping Tips for Parents of a Child With Cerebral Palsy
Parents of children with cerebral palsy need help coping, too. It can be physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting to care for a CP patient, but resources are available through the patient's medical network. In addition to taking advantage of support groups and advocacy opportunities, parents are urged to look after their own physical and mental health and to take time out for themselves.
