Accommodations*Students with Cerebral Palsy often have trouble with using their hands; students may need someone to take notes for them during class.
*Depending on how the student's body is affected by CP, they may take a while to write down responses or they may be using technology to do so. These students may need more time on tests/assignments to complete their responses. * Students with Cerebral Palsy should not have to rely on their ability to write to demonstrate their knowledge. These students should be allowed to answer questions orally or with communication technology. * Provide the student with a copy of the instructors notes or an outline of the day. Students with Cerebral Palsy could get started on tasks early if need be, and if they are provided with notes, they will know if there is anything that they may have missed. * The classroom should be set up in a way that supports students with Cerebral Palsy. Many of the these students use wheelchairs or crutches to assist their mobility. The desks should be spaced out enough so that the students can move around comfortably and have access to what they need. |
Modifications*Students with Cerebral Palsy may have frequent doctor's appointments and may miss a significant amount of school. These students may need to be assessed on the same standard as the rest of the students in the classroom, but at a different grade level. This will allow teachers to assess where the student is at and tweak the level of rigor.
*CP can have an affect on a student's ability to process information. Instead of students with CP filling in a short answer or essay test, they may be given a multiple choice or true/false test assessing the important details of the standard because of the time it might take for them to process and compose their answers. |
Case Studies
Case Study #1
Sally is a ten-year old girl who has cerebral palsy. Sally’s cerebral palsy has been classified as spastic quadriplegia associated with being prematurely born with an extremely low birth weight. Sally has decreased trunk, shoulder, and pelvic girdle mobility. She has voluntary and involuntary movements in both upper and lower extremities. Her movements are slow and labored. She wears glasses and her eyes are very sensitive to bright lights. She is unable to speak and has difficulty writing. Sally is unable to walk and therefore uses a powered wheelchair for mobility. ("Case Study: Cerebral..", n.d.)
If Sally was in my classroom, I would make sure that everything in the classroom was accessible for her by how I laid out the room. I would make sure that I had shades on the windows to control the lighting in the classroom and I would request light bulbs with softer lighting or a lower wattage. Since Sally has trouble writing and cannot speak, I would look into communicative technologies and talk with her parents about different options that might benefit her. I would give Sally as much one-on-one time as possible, and I would also request that she have a paraprofessional to help her with activities. Sally would receive extra time to work on activities and a modified work load.
If Sally was in my classroom, I would make sure that everything in the classroom was accessible for her by how I laid out the room. I would make sure that I had shades on the windows to control the lighting in the classroom and I would request light bulbs with softer lighting or a lower wattage. Since Sally has trouble writing and cannot speak, I would look into communicative technologies and talk with her parents about different options that might benefit her. I would give Sally as much one-on-one time as possible, and I would also request that she have a paraprofessional to help her with activities. Sally would receive extra time to work on activities and a modified work load.
Case Study #2
Jennifer has athetoid cerebral palsy and is unable to write using pencil and paper. Her family was concerned as she was entering 3rd grade about her ability to keep up on written course work. They were interested in increasing her independence as she had previously dictated all written work to family members and school personnel. (Sturm, 1997)
Jennifer's parents were interested in increasing her independence and I think that a great thing to talk to them about would be communicative technologies. Jennifer is unable to write with a pencil, but she could use a word board or a voice recognition system to help her in school. Jennifer could also continue to have people scribe her work for her, but I think that the communicative technologies could really help her become more independent. Since it takes Jennifer a little longer to perform tasks, she would receive a modified work load and extra time to perform activities.
Jennifer's parents were interested in increasing her independence and I think that a great thing to talk to them about would be communicative technologies. Jennifer is unable to write with a pencil, but she could use a word board or a voice recognition system to help her in school. Jennifer could also continue to have people scribe her work for her, but I think that the communicative technologies could really help her become more independent. Since it takes Jennifer a little longer to perform tasks, she would receive a modified work load and extra time to perform activities.