Are you the parent of a young child with cerebral palsy or a newborn baby diagnosed with this condition and don’t know where to find the right support or advice?

A new free guide for parents of children with cerebral palsy containing a wealth of practical information and advice as well as details on where to find support is launched today by disability charity Scope.

The guide has been produced by Scope Response - Scope’s free information, advice and support network for disabled people, their families and the professionals that work with them. Scope works with all disabled people and has particular expertise in working with people with cerebral palsy.

The compact guide offers comprehensive advice on supporting a child with cerebral palsy, from everyday activities such as the best techniques to use for brushing teeth for a child with cerebral palsy to providing for a child’s special educational needs.

It offers a range of handy hints based on parents’ own experiences, such as advice on dealing with the wide range of professionals that provide support for disabled children.

Aimed at parents of children with cerebral palsy under the age of five years, the guide also includes a CD on play, which provides a range of tips on how to support your child’s learning through play activities.

Susan Evans, whose three-year-old son Sonny has cerebral palsy, said there was a real need among parents for the guide.

"I know from my own experience how challenging and time-consuming it can be trying to get hold of all the information you need,” she said.

”Whether it's getting to grips with factual information about your child's condition, to dealing with the wide range of professionals that can provide support, there’s a lot to take in. Having all this information in one place and set out in a clear way is really helpful. This is a really useful guide and I like the fact that is based on the experiences of other parents.”

Cathy Warnock, Head of Scope Response, said:

“The parents of disabled children we work with have told us how important it is for them to get accurate information, especially around the time of diagnosis for their child and in the early years.

“This guide aims to provide a valuable resource for parents so they have all the information they need at their fingertips. We hope the guide will help them to find the right support so their children can enjoy the same opportunities and ambitions as non-disabled children.”

The guide has been developed with disabled people, parents and professionals that work with disabled children.

Parents who would like a copy should contact Scope Response. The service can be contacted on 0808 800 3333, by email response@scope.org.uk or you can download a preview now by clicking here

ENDS

For more information please contact Suzanne Stevenson in the Scope press office on 020 7619 7203 or email suzanne.stevenson@scope.org.uk

For out-of-hours press enquiries please call 020 7619 7200.

Notes to Editors:

• Approximately one in 400 children has cerebral palsy.

• Scope is a disability charity that supports disabled people to enjoy the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. We work with all disabled people and have particular expertise in working with people with cerebral palsy and complex support needs.

• Our purpose is to drive the changes that will make our society the first in which disabled people are able to realise their full civil liberties and human rights.

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Our Irish members can also use our new website for Ireland which is

Above is the Press release sent to us by Scope.
Some very useful information is contained.

So hopefully some members will take advantage of this