A question about cerebral palsy.

[Donal]

Hi, I am a 18 year old male and was breached during my birth and my mother died of breast cancer when she was 26 and I was 3. My step sister (born by my mother) left home to go up to her aunts and me and my sister (who was 5) were raised alone by my Dad. My Dad said when I was younger I used to always ask where my Mam was after she died, even up to a year afterwards. My Dad said when I went up to my aunts house when my Mom was sick I was able to speak fine, yet when I came back after my Mom died I wouldn't talk at all. I had a traumatic childhood needless to say. I grew up in a normal school, infact I hardly went to it and still got 5 B's in my exams.

When I was 13 years of age my Dad attacked me and I got really fed up from then on because of that incident. When I got mad I started to kick stuff around the house (though only 2 or 3 times in total), like the doors and I had to move to a foster home to get away from my Dad. Yet a couple of years ago I was told that I had mild cerebral palsy by my doctor, which doesn't make sense, as he didn't even assess me. I have no problems at all moving though I do have a slight problem with my speech. Like people can hear every word I say easily but it's not 100% clear. I can wash myself, I can do every everything an ordinary person is able to do, yet I was told I had mild cerebral pausy.

Do you think the Doctor was  right in telling me I had mild cerebral pausy even though he didn't do a diagnosis? Like I feel normal, no lack of oxygen to the brain, only a slight speech problem. Do you think I have syptoms of mild cerebral palsy by what I described?

[James S]

Hi Donal,

I've learned a little about Cerebral Palsy as my brother in law has it.

Cerebral Palsy is certainly one of the more common disorders that can cause problems with the body's motor functions, but without having an MRI or CT scan done of your brain, you cannot properly tell the difference between "mild" Cerebral Palsy and other possible brain problems, as there are apparently a few that can behave like CP. It rarely affects the intelligence, in fact severe CP sufferers often more than make up for their lack of bodily motor control with their intellect. Stephen Hawking is a prime example. Also, my brother in law has a photographic memory.

Your speech problem could be an isolated nerve or muscular problem, or even more likely, it could have been the result of trauma early in your life. From what you described of your childhood you've had enough happen to you to cause it. I went to school with a guy that had problems with his speech, and he certainly didn't have CP.

As to getting angry and kicking things around, hell, I'd have done the same in your situation.


Although your circumstances fit with what can cause Cerebral Palsy, I would not take the opinion of a doctor who just tells you that you have mild CP. Such a diagnosis needs to be backed up by a CT scan at the very least.

Blessings,
James.