Review of cerebral palsy, Part II: Identification and intervention

Cerebral palsy (CP) can be identified and classified by thorough evaluation using multiple assessment techniques. Clinical signs, symptoms, associated disorders, and methods used to evaluate developmental disorders have been described. Because some of the previously used evaluation methods have not been adequate tools, new ways of measuring outcome have been proposed. Multidisciplinary treatment protocols have been recommended. Simplistic plans of care will not be appropriate because of the complexity of the disorder(s) and the unique characteristics of the individual and family. Therefore, thoughtful and individualized plans of care that may include multiple surgical and nonsurgical interventions must be developed for each child with CP. In addition, more data are needed, using new evaluation techniques, to determine the efficacy of early intervention.