Feature
Improving the lives of children and young people with cerebral palsy
The Cerebral Palsy Integrated Pathway Scotland aims to improve lives by offering a high quality , standardised programme of regular assessment . Tahnee Conn and Heather MacIntosh explain how and why occupational therapy clinics in Lanarkshire and Glasgow have been recording on the database .
T he skilled use of our two hands is a fundamental way that humans engage in many occupations , from brushing our hair and buttoning our shirt , to driving the car and making dinner for our families .
For many people with cerebral palsy , abnormal muscle tone , weakness and poor co-ordination impacts on hand use , affecting engagement in occupations with an impact that ranges from mild to profound .
Although cerebral palsy itself is a nondegenerative condition , the impact of abnormal muscle tone on the body changes over time . Periods of rapid growth are key points of risk for the development of muscle shortening and loss of range that impedes the ability to reach , grasp and release . For many years , the community occupational therapy process in Lanarkshire and Greater Glasgow and Clyde involved discharging children once occupational therapy goals had been met , with instructions to the family on how to come back to the service if new needs arose .
Many families found it difficult to access services following discharge . If children and young people did manage to access services , there was often a long wait before their needs were assessed and then addressed .
As a result , some children were lost to follow up and developed contractures or loss of range to their shoulders , elbows , wrists , thumbs and fingers , that impacted on both their ability to participate in daily activities , as well as impacting on body image and feelings of wellbeing .
The upper limb botulinum toxin referral process did not routinely involve community occupational therapists in either assessment or goal setting . As a result , goals could lack an occupation focus brought by community occupational therapists who may know the family , as well as knowing the occupations expected of children to participate in within the community .
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36 OTnews February 2024
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