Effects of Speech Therapy on Children with Cerebral Palsy and Dysarthria

The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the knowledge currently available on dysarthria, and the characteristics, prevalence and effects of dysarthria in children with Cerebral Palsy. It will also examine the effects of speech therapy on children who have been diagnosed with both Cerebral Palsy and dysarthria.
The term Cerebral Palsy has been used as an umbrella term for which a number of different definitions have been proposed over the years. The most recent consensus definition recognizes that Cerebral Palsy is characterized by movement and posture disturbance, is nonprogressive in nature, has its onset within the pre- or neonatal period, is caused by some type of damage to the central nervous system, and is often accompanied by co-occurring problems with sensation, perception, cognition, communication, and behavior (Rosenbaum et al., 2007). This paper will define Cerebral Palsy as a group of chronic, non-progressive, neurological disorders that occur in young children (Ingram, 1964). It is a lifelong disorder that permanently affects the development of both body movement and muscle coordination. This developmental disability is characterized by an inability to fully control motor function and abnormalities in the parts of the brain that control muscle movement. There are three main types of Cerebral Palsy, Spastic Cerebral Palsy, Atonic Cerebral Palsy, Athetoid Cerebral Palsy and Mixed Cerebral Palsy. The most common type of Cerebral Palsy is Spastic, in which a few muscles or the whole body may be affected. An individual with spastic Cerebral Palsy may have tight muscles and exaggerated reflexes or difficulty moving. Atonic Cerebral Palsy causes poor balance, poor depth perception, an unsteady walk, and poor coordination, and is characterized by a lack of muscle tone. Athetoid Cerebral Palsy is characterized by involuntary movements, causing individuals to appear as if they are squirming or constantly moving. Lastly, Mixed Cerebral Palsy occurs

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