Percy Hedley Foundation

Chief Executive Speaks Out

The Very Special Needs of Children with Cerebral Palsy

In 1953 the Percy Hedley School opened its doors in Newcastle upon Tyne to 10 children with moderate to severe cerebral palsy. Parents and medical professionals had campaigned and raised funds for a specialist school for children with cerebral palsy many of whom had been kept in hospital.

In the intervening 54 years the Percy Hedley School has helped thousands of children and their families by offering very specialist services of therapy, education and care.

Today the school has 180 children on roll, half of whom have cerebral palsy. The school is one of few specialist schools for children with cerebral palsy in the UK and has built up a wealth of knowledge, skill and experience within its specialism.

In addition to school placements, the Percy Hedley School offers a practical, pre-school advice service to parents of children as young as 3 months. It also offers a range of respite services, day and residential, a nursery and a family support service. When parents first visit the school their initial reaction is normally one of relief. Relief that they have found somewhere which is tailor-made to meet their child's needs.

They are helped by a wide range of specialist professional disciplines under one roof including paediatric, psychological, therapeutic and educational. They get consistent advice and practical help and they have access to a parental support network.

Their satisfaction about the services they receive is rooted in the school's expert knowledge of cerebral palsy. Even today, typical definitions of cerebral palsy say something like "cerebral palsy is a non-progressive disorder of movement or posture due to a malfunction or damage of the brain". Definitions go on to describe physical aspects and talk about other "associated" difficulties. There is the danger that the child with cerebral palsy is considered physically disabled with learning or other associated difficulties.

It is vital that we think of cerebral palsy as a neurological condition which can impact on the whole of a child's development. It is equally important that we consider development as an integrated process where one difficulty will almost certainly impact on another. The child's ability to develop to their full potential will be dependent upon the educational and therapeutic programmes offered. Children with cerebral palsy will almost certainly go through different developmental processes to the child who does not have cerebral palsy. However, given the specialist programmes they need, children with cerebral palsy can achieve their full potential.

Whilst children with cerebral palsy are no longer admitted to long stay hospitals, many do not access the very specialist help they and their families need.

The Percy Hedley Foundation has ambitious plans to help even more children with cerebral palsy by offering more services to children who currently do not receive them.

© Jim Ferris

This article first appeared in The Parliamentary Monitor, April 2007.
Email: editorial.housemag@parlicom.com

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