Management of the Motor Disorders of Children with Cerebral Palsy

There are many approaches to the management of cerebral palsy, and few people are conversant with them all. They are markedly different, and a decision to opt for one treatment rather than another can significantly alter the life of the child and his or her family. As yet there is insufficient evidence to allow a critical comparison of their efficacy or suitability for a particular child. Consequently, the editor has to invited six leading practitioners to discuss their views on treatment. Their approaches typify the different types of treatment and cover the range of opinions generally encountered. The book deliberately avoids criticism of the various schools of thought, allowing the authors to make their own cases for the reader to assess. In the introduction, the editor discusses some of the problems of treating cerebral-palsied children and of deciding what are the optimum treatment aims for a child. He also highlights some of the major criteria by which the various approaches may be compared. The book finishes with a chapter by Lindsay McLellan, in which he provides a neurological background against which all such treatments need to be viewed and discusses the further development of our understanding of these disorders and their management. It provides a unique insight into the problems and work of therapists in this field.