Maria has cerebral palsy. This condition often presents as a complex set of disabilities, which can vary between individuals in type and severity. In common with many young people with cerebral palsy, Maria has a mixture of physical disabilities and learning difficulties. These impact greatly on Maria and all family members, who include her parents and older siblings, Paula and Sam.

In Maria’s case, key problems include impaired mobility, scoliosis, learning difficulties and delayed continence. Due to the individual nature of cerebral palsy presentation, each affected child should receive a multi-disciplinary assessment and provision from health, education and social services focused around their individual needs.

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