Cerebral Palsy Glossary

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Seizures B A person having a seizure may abruptly Afreeze,@ fall, shake or simply fall down. Seizures affect about half of all people with cerebral palsy but are usually not harmful.

Sensory Integration Therapy: An approach to help children with CP achieve an optimal level of functioning. This therapy helps to overcome problems experienced by many young children in absorbing and processing sensory information. Encouraging these abilities ultimately improves balance and steady movement. Therapies include stimulating touch sensations and pressures on different parts of the body.

Spastic Cerebral Palsy B A form of cerebral palsy that causes tightness in the muscles. Because of this tightness, spastic cerebral palsy patients have a difficult time controlling their movement.

Spastic Diplegia B A form of spastic cerebral palsy that affects muscle control in either arms or legs.

Spastic Hemiplegia B A form of spastic cerebral palsy that affects muscle control on one side of the body.

Spastic Monoplegia B A form of spastic cerebral palsy that affects only one limb. This form of spastic cerebral palsy is rare.

Spastic Quadriplegia B A form of spastic cerebral palsy that affects both the arms and the legs of a patient.

Spastic Triplegia B A form of spastic cerebral palsy that affects three of the limbs. This form of spastic cerebral palsy is rare.

Speech therapy: Therapy used to increase communication skills. It may also include teaching sign language or using a communication device. This is usually a necessary therapy to help cerebral palsy patients cope in day to day situations.

Stipulation: An agreement, admission or concession made in a judicial proceeding by the parties or their attorneys, thus relieving a party of its obligation to produce evidence in support of an argument or allegation.

Subpoena: A legal document issued by the court ordering a person to appear as specified and give testimony and/or produce evidence.

Subrogation: A process by which a third party is put in the place of a creditor so that the rights and securities of the creditor pass to that third person. For example, in a personal injury matter, an insurance company may exercise its right of subrogation to place a lien on a plaintiff's award or settlement in order to achieve full or partial reimbursement for insurance benefits advanced to the plaintiff.