What is cerebral palsy?
Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common cause of severe neuromotor abnormalities in children. It refers to a group of persistent but variable movement and/or posture and motor function disorders. It was caused by brain damage that occurred during pregnancy, during and after childbirth, that is, before the age of 5.
It is important to emphasize that cerebral palsy is not a disease, but a permanent condition that can change during a person's life.
Throughout the world, cerebral palsy affects 2-3.5/1000 live newborns . In the last 20 years, an increase in the occurrence of cerebral palsy has been observed. Although the data on CP in Croatia are incomplete, they reflect the global trend.
Cerebral palsy symptoms can range from barely perceptible clumsiness to severe muscle stiffness that allows children and adults to move only in wheelchairs.
Assistive technology and devices for assisted communication greatly contribute to greater independence in everyday life and greater communication opportunities for children and people with cerebral palsy:
Communicator 5 and Grid 3 are communication software that enable people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities to communicate and manage their environment and facilitate computer access. The mentioned software can be used with the help of switches or with the help of visual communication .
The Serwantess communicator is especially intended for adults with normal intellectual functioning, but with motor difficulties. It enables quick and easy communication using a speech unit that converts text into speech. The Serwantess communicator can also control the gaze, for example with the help of the Tobii PCEye Mini device.
Devices that facilitate access to the computer for people with motor disabilities are IntegraMouse Plus , Quha Zono , Trackball Optima and others .
For children, there is also a Clevy color keyboard and a Clevy mouse that will make it easier for them to access the computer, use the computer more efficiently and navigate the keyboard more easily.