Consort World

Conditions

Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is a group of lifelong conditions affecting movement, balance and posture because of differences or injury in the developing brain. The motor condition itself is non-progressive, but its functional impact varies enormously and can change across the lifespan. Speech, language, vision, hearing, cognition and upper-limb control may be affected in different combinations.

A carer pushing a young man in a wheelchair
Understanding the condition

What it can mean day to day

Communication access should therefore be built around the individual rather than the diagnosis. Some people use natural speech, while others benefit from symbols, text, speech-generating devices or a combination. Touch, switches, eye gaze and other access methods may all be appropriate, and good seating and mounting can be just as important as the software.

Common challenges

Where assistive technology can help

Challenge 1

Motor speech difficulties can reduce intelligibility even when language and ideas are strong

Challenge 2

Spasticity, dystonia or limited selective movement can make standard touch and keyboards inefficient

Challenge 3

Posture, visual access and device position directly affect how accurately and comfortably a system can be used

How technology helps

Cerebral Palsy: what typically works

Multimodal AAC

Combine speech, gesture, symbols, text and speech-generating technology so the user has more than one reliable way to communicate.

Individual access assessment

Trial direct touch, keyguards, switches, eye gaze or other inputs based on motor control, vision, fatigue and the task being performed.

Positioning and mounting

Set the device at the right height, angle and distance on a wheelchair, table or floor stand so the chosen access method can work consistently.

Partner training and language growth

Train families, teachers and therapists to model AAC and support communication across real activities, with vocabulary that can grow with language and literacy.

Where to start

Your first step

A useful CP assessment brings communication, motor access and positioning together. We review how the person currently communicates, what movements are most reliable, how they are seated, and whether vision, fatigue or involuntary movement changes performance before deciding on hardware.

Tell us about the person you support

Every journey starts with a conversation. Our specialists will help you find the right path, with no pressure and no jargon.

Email us
info@consortworld.com

Call us
+971 4 431 4400

Visit us
Office 1102, The Dome Tower, Cluster N, JLT, Dubai

SPEAK TO AN EXPERT