FEEDING
SELF-FEEDING SUGGESTIONS FOR THE CHILD WITH
CEREBRAL PALSY
COMMON PROBLEMS
The less-used
arm pulls up
and back or
moves about.
Head twists
to side and
back.
SUGGESTIONS
Help the child
to control arm
at shoulder.
Help him learn to hold
the spoon firmly.
Whole body
stiffens
backward.
Child has
a weak,
awkward
grip,
and poor
control
of arm
movement.
WRONG
BETTER
Have the child hold
his hand, first on a
post, later on a dish.
Straighten his hand by
turning it out gently from
the base of the thumb.
329
cp
Sometimes you can help her
with head control by gently
pressing one hand flat
against her
chest.
Raising the table
may make it easier
for some children.
Where the custom is to eat
sitting on the floor, a
child may be helped by
making a low table
out of a box.
A child who has difficulty
controlling her hand for eating
may gain better control by
resting her elbow on the table.
When head and body are difficult to
control, it may help to sit on a bench or
log in a ‘riding’
position.
If he sits with a
rounded back,
it may help to
support the
lower back.
Sometimes you can help the child
avoid twisting to one side by
bending the less-used arm across
the belly, and turning the palm up.
A child who has trouble controlling a
cup with one hand can often do better
if the cup has 2
handles.
Ask a local
potter to
make one.
disabled village children