94 chapter 9
How can we help?
First, with the help of parents and family
we observe the child carefully to see:
• what the child can do.
• what he looks like when he
moves and when he is in
different positions.
• what he cannot do, and what
prevents him from doing it.
WHAT THE CHILD CAN DO
Can the child:
A village worker and father examine
a child with severe cerebral palsy.
• lift her head? hold it up? sit? roll over?
• pull herself along the floor in any way possible? crawl? walk?
How does the child use her hands?
• Can she grasp things and hold on; let go; use both hands together (or only one at a
time)?
• Can she use her fingers to pick up small stones or pieces of food?
How much can the child do for herself?
• Can she feed herself; wash herself; dress herself? Is she ‘toilet trained’?
What can the child do in the home or in the fields to help the family?
After observing and discussing what the child can do, we must expect him to do
these things. If the parents are used to doing almost everything for the child, at first
this may be difficult (for both parents and child). But soon it will help the child have
more confidence. The parents, also, will be encouraged by seeing what he can do for
himself, and they will think less about what he cannot do. Here a grandmother helps
her grandchild became more self-reliant:
It was difficult for the grandmother not to bring her grandson a cup of water—
especially when he begged her. But she understood that in the long run it would do him
more good to manage for himself. For more ideas about how a family can help a child
with cerebral palsy, read the story of Maricela on pages 5 to 7 and the story of Enrique
on page 288.
Disabled village Children