This site is intended to provide information on the associated conditions of cerebral palsy.
People who have cerebral palsy can experience abnormal sensation and perception. Some children with cerebral palsy have impaired ability to feel simple sensations like touch and pain. They may also have stereognosia, or difficulty perceiving and identifying objects using the sense of touch. A child with stereognosia, for example, would have trouble identifying a hard ball, sponge, or other objects placed in his hand without looking at the object.
A child with cerebral palsy may experience sensory integration dysfunction as a result of central nervous system damage. Sensory integration dysfunction is the inability of the brain to correctly process information brought in by the senses.
Visual and auditory integration problems are frequently noticed in children with cerebral palsy. This is different from having a physical inability to see or hear things. When a child has a visual processing deficit, it means that they have a hard time finding the words for objects they are viewing. Sometimes if they are asked to go get an object, they might look right at it and then say they can't find it. This is because they are seeing it but their brains are not processing what it is they are viewing. Auditory integration problems are the same, the child hears what you say but the brain does not process it in a way that is meaningful. It may take several minutes for what you have said to "click" with the child and make sense.
One helpful way of interacting with a child who suffers auditory integration problems is to break down instructions, giving them one thing at a time to do. Let them finish with the first task before you give them direction for the next step. Music therapy can also be helpful with treating auditory processing deficits.