Cerebral Palsy and enabling learning

Key issues relevant to planning and delivering education activities for learners who have Cerebral Palsy.
There are various issues that need to be considered when planning and delivering an educational activity for learners with cerebral palsy, this essay will explore some of these, and relate these factors to a swimming activity.
Cerebral Palsy is an umbrella term that encompasses a group of conditions, which are present from around the time of birth (Fox, 2003). It affects movement, co-ordination and posture, as it is a wide ranging condition, it’s affects are different for each individual (Scope, 2010).
People who have Cerebral Palsy may have secondary conditions, such as sensory impairments, learning difficulties and problems with speech and language (National Health Service, 2010).Perceptual difficulties, communication, and movement and control difficulties can affect the child’s learning experience and they may also have problems mixing socially due to communication difficulties

Support is the backbone to enabling learning, and achieving the correct levels and methods of support is vital, otherwise it could be counterproductive and lead to exclusive practice (Jones, 2004). The correct support for a child’s individual needs should be identified and put into practice, an individual education plan may be drawn up by key educators, it builds on specific curriculum tasks and states what type of strategies to apply within the activity to meet the individual child’s identified needs (Teachernet, 2009). Numerous types of support can be needed, such as physical, emotional, cognitive and communication. In a swimming activity, the child may need extra support with maintaining a regular breathing pattern, and physical support will be of high importance due to the risk involved in this environment.