Types of cerebral palsy
There are four main types of cerebral palsy. Different types affect the brain in different ways leading to a variety of moving disorders. Many people will have a mixture of these.
Spastic cerebral palsy
Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common form of cerebral palsy. Symptoms include stiff or weak muscles and exaggerated reflexes. This often leads to difficulties with moving and walking. It can affect different areas of the body.
Dyskenetic (also known as athetoid) cerebral palsy
Dyskenetic cerebral palsy causes involuntary muscle contractions in hands, arms, legs and sometimes the face. This often makes it difficult to walk, stand still, sit or talk.
Ataxic cerebral palsy
Ataxic cerebral palsy affects balance, spatial awareness and co-ordination. People living with ataxic cerebral palsy may have difficulty balancing, walking speaking and grasping and holding objects.
Mixed cerebral palsy
Some people have a mixture of the symptoms above and this is known as mixed cerebral palsy.