- Spastic (difficult or stiff movement)
- Ataxic (loss of depth perception and balance)
- Athetoid/Dyskinetic (uncontrolled or involuntary movements)
- Mixed (a mix of two or more of the above)
Spastic Cerebral Palsy
Spastic Cerebral Palsy is the most common diagnosis. An individual with Spastic Cerebral Palsyi possesses rigid and jerky muscles, which causes difficulty in motor functioning. There are three types of spastic Cerebral Palsy:
- Spastic diplegia — tight leg and hip muscles with the legs characteristically crossing at the knees, making it difficult to walk. This kind of movement is frequently referred to as “scissoring.”
- Spastic hemiplegia — one side of the individuals body is stiff. This individuals arms or hands may be affected more profoundly than their legs. On the affected side, the individual’s arm and/or leg may not develop normally, which may necessitate that they wear leg braces.
- Spastic quadriplegia — The severest of the three, with a higher rate of diagnosis with a mental disability. An individual with this disability is affected in their legs, arms, and body. They will experience difficulty walking and talking and may experience seizures.
Athetoid Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy
Athetoid Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy is the second most frequently diagnosed type of Cerebral Palsy. Individuals with this type of Cerebral Palsy are of normal intelligence, however they possess problems with their muscles. Their muscle tone can be weak or tight, and they might have trouble walking, sitting, or speaking clearly. They may also have trouble controlling their facial muscles, which could cause them to drool.
Ataxic Cerebral Palsy
Ataxic Cerebral Palsy is the least diagnosed type of Cerebral Palsy. This diagnosis is characteristic of an individual who has difficulty developing their motor skills. An individual with this type of Cerebral Palsy may experience trouble tying their shoes, buttoning their shirt, or cutting with scissors. They may walk with their feet farther apart than normal and have trouble with balance and coordination. These individuals may also experience “intention tremors,” a shaking that begins with a voluntary movement. For example, this individual could reach for a toy, and then their hand and arm will start to shake; as they get closer to the toy, the tremor worsens.
Hypotonic Cerebral Palsy
Unlike with other types of Cerebral Palsy, an individual with Hypotonic Cerebral Palsy will have trouble very early in life. Their head will appear to be floppy, and they will be unable to control it when sitting up. Also, their developmental skills will be significantly delayed.Mixed Cerebral Palsy
This diagnosis occurs when an individual seems to have a mixture of any of the above types of Cerebral Palsy.Congenital Cerebral Palsy
This diagnosis refers to when the child developed the cerebral palsy. If it is believed to have occurred during development, it is called “congenital.”
Erb’s Palsy
Erb’s palsy (brachial plexus palsy) is a type of Cerebral Palsy that occurs due to a birthing accident. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke:Although injuries can occur at any time, many brachial plexus injuries happen when a baby’s shoulders become impacted during delivery and the brachial plexus nerves stretch or tear.
An individual with Erb’s Palsy will have no muscle control in their arm; the arm will be limp and have no feeling.
Based on the nerve area that is affected, there are four types of Erb’s Palsy:
- Avulsion — the nerve completely separates from the spine.
- Rupture — the nerve is torn throughout but not from the spine.
- Praxis/stretch — the nerve is damaged but not torn and could heal on its own.
- Neuroma — scar tissue from an injury puts pressure on the nerve.
