Website Reviews

CP Parent - http://www.cpparent.org/index.html
This website is a resource for parents, caregivers, teachers and other adults who work with children with cerebral palsy. It runs a list serve for adults to share stories about dealing with cerebral palsy; it strives to provide a family like supportive dialogue. A variety of topics are discussed such as medical and physical therapy information, educational information, and stories of successes and difficulties. The website also features FAQ about cerebral palsy, a dictionary of cerebral palsy related terms, and links to other resources. It also has a useful section where it explains cerebral palsy, its effects, and treatments in language that kids can understand. This website is most useful for families and other caregivers.

Cerebral Palsy-Ask the Doctor - http://www.about-cerebral-palsy.org/
This website provides a large amount of information about cerebral palsy including the different types, treatments, therapies, and statistics. The focus of the website is how to recognize if a child developed cerebral palsy as a result of a medical mistake during birth or pregnancy. The “ask the doctor” section doesn’t ask questions about what to do for a child who has cerebral palsy but if the some already happened to the child which resulted in cerebral palsy. The website also features legal information concerning the disability, but the legal advice if focused on lawsuits against doctors and not making sure the legal rights of the individual are being met. If a parent is considering a lawsuit, this website may have useful information. But for a parent who is trying to find information that will help them making sure they provide their child with the best life they can would probably be better off getting their information somewhere else.

New Horizons for Learning: Students with Special Needs - http://www.newhorizons.org/spneeds/
This website compiles many articles by educators for other educators. They cover topics including teaching reading strategies, teacher collaboration, model inclusive school programs and more. There are so many articles on the website it can be hard to find what you are looking for. There are articles which deal with specific special needs. One article explains Augmentative Communication Devices and how they help children with cerebral palsy communicate. It describes a few different products, briefly describes how they work and what abilities are essential for their use (some require more fine motor skills than others). There are links available to the manufacturers of each product. This website has lots of information; much of it can be useful for teachers. But some of the articles do not cite references and may not be research based.

Project Participate - http://www.projectparticipate.org/
Project Participate is a program for educators, administrators, therapists, and community members to encourage the full participation of individuals with disabilities in school programs. They provide resources to help educators create inclusive environments that accommodate individuals with disabilities. The website provides advice for adapting curriculum, information on assistive technology, tips on creative an inclusive environment, training materials, and advice on using technology with students with disabilities. One of the most useful features is a section that has inexpensive ideas on how to adapt normal classroom materials so they are accessible for students with disabilities. This resources has easily accessible materials for educators who are looking for inclusion strategies.

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities: Cerebral Palsy - http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/factshe/fs2.pdf
This website provides a comprehensive introduction to cerebral palsy. It gives a brief account of a child who is born premature and at six months is diagnosed with cerebral palsy. It explains the condition and symptoms in language that is detailed but still easy to understand. It explains the rights that individuals with cerebral palsy have under the law including early intervention and special education and related services. It describes the different therapies recommended to children with cerebral palsy and what kinds of accommodations are typical in schools. There are also tips for parents and teachers and links to other resources. This website is a useful resource for adults who are just beginning to learn about cerebral palsy and how it affects the lives of individuals.

How Can I Help? - http://members.iinet.net.au/~scarffam/cpa.html
How Can I Help? is a the reproduction of a booklet online for relatives and friends of a family affected by cerebral palsy. It explains the kind of social, emotional, and physical needs that a family with a child with cerebral palsy might have and how to provide for those needs in a sensitive manner. It stressed that it is important to talk with the family openly, ask questions, and listen to their concerns. This booklet encourages friends and family members to be actively supportive, not to be afraid of sensitive subjects and not to have sympathy for the family. There is lots of good advice about what kinds of feelings the parents might be having and the difficulties that parents of children with disabilities go through. This resource has many important things to consider for people who are close to a family with a child with cerebral palsy.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Cerebral Palsy - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cerebral_palsy/detail_cerebral_palsy.htm
This website is a comprehensive guide to the medical and neurological aspects of cerebral palsy. It explains early medical opinions on cerebral palsy in history and more modern research on the condition. It provides detailed descriptions about what is happening physiologically to the individual affected by cerebral palsy. It describes the causes, risks, and therapies. Treatments are described that are recommended for individual symptoms of the condition. It also discusses difficulties facing adults with cerebral palsy because it can affect people throughout their whole lives. It also explains some current research being done in the medical field in hopes to prevent cerebral palsy. This website would be helpful for parents or educators looking to learn more about the condition, but it doesn’t provide techniques for parenting strategies or educational settings.

Teachnology: Cerebral Palsy in the Classroom - http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/special_ed/disabilities/cp/
This website gives an overview of what teachers can expect with a child with cerebral palsy in the classroom. It describes how children with cerebral palsy are labeled and what therapies they are often provided with: occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech. It addresses when children will need to be pulled out of the classroom or when an assistant will be in the classroom. It advices teachers on how to modify instruction and classroom setting to meet the child’s physical needs. It also mentions that teachers should have access to assistive technology if the student needs it. The website also has links to other resources. Overall, it gives a good introduction to cerebral palsy for the teacher, but it doesn’t answer more specific questions.

Our Kids - http://www.our-kids.org/
Our Kids hosts an e-mail list for parents and caregivers who provide for children with special needs. The list is open to discussing all kinds of physical, mental, or emotional disabilities. It provides a network for sharing stories about dealing with specific concerns such as schooling, medical care, and dealing with the larger community. The website has links to other resources and a section for recommended books. It also has a useful section featuring homemade equipment that can be helpful to children with disabilities. This website and list-serve can be useful and encouraging for families of children with disabilities who want to be part of a community with other parents who are facing similar situations.

Bright Hub - http://www.brighthub.com/education/special/
Bright Hub is a website that collects short articles by experienced professionals in a variety of fields. There are several articles which discuss how to include children with cerebral palsy in a general education classroom and also in physical education classes. They list ways to accommodate children with physical disabilities in sports and outdoor games. They also give suggestions about how to create an effective system of signals to communicate with students. Each article has links to other related articles that might be helpful. Each article offers information on a very specific subject, so educators and parents can both find something that will be helpful to them.