CEREBRAL PALSY
Helping improve balance
Detailed
suggestions of
activities to improve
balance are included
in Chapter 35, “Early
Stimulation Activities,”
especially pages 306
to 312. Here we
give you a brief
look at some of the
basic suggestions
explained in more
detail in that chapter.
TESTING A CHILD’S BAL ANCE
POOR BALANCE
BETTER BALANCE
GOOD BALANCE
If when you sit a child
over 10 months old,
she falls stiffly to one
side with no effort to
‘catch’ herself, her
balance is poor.
If she can balance
using her arms
when you gently
push her, her
balance is fair.
If she can do it
by bending her
body, without
using her arms,
her balance is
good.
105
When lying
Encourage the child to shift
weight from one arm to the
other by reaching
for objects,
reaching
forward,
and reaching
sideways.
Lie him on your body and tip
a little from side to side so that
he begins to catch himself.
When sitting
Let her start to fall
so that she begins
to catch herself.
Sit her across your
knees. Raise one knee
so she has to balance.
Start with
hands high.
Then
lower
your
hands.
As the child
improves, use a
tilting board.
Encourage
the child to
twist and
reach to
the side.
Use as little sitting
support as needed.
Often low back
support is enough
for a child who
straightens stiffly.
For creeping and crawling Note: Some children advance to standing without ever crawling.
Shift weight from one
arm to the other. Provide
support as needed, and
gradually take it away.
Shift weight
from one leg
to the other.
Play trying to
balance on a
tipping surface.
Crawl forward,
sideways, and
backward.
crawling
scooter
For standing and walking
Stand and balance Pull to stand.
on knees.
Stand while
holding on,
and reaching.
Help with standing
and then walking.
Give less and less support
while he walks with only a
‘safety-belt’—and then alone.
CAUTION:
Not for a child
with bent-knee
spasticity.
(Often the child
will stand better
when he pulls
himself up than
when someone
helps him.)
Have the child practice stepping
forward, backward, and sideways.
Whenever possible, turn these activities into games. Talk to the child a lot while
you do them to help develop language skills at the same time (see p. 313).
disabled village children