It is a physical impairment that affects movement - 'cerebral' refers to the brain and 'palsy' means weakness or paralysis. No two people with cerebral palsy are the same. Movement problems vary from barely noticeable to extremely severe.
The three main types of cerebral palsy correspond to injuries to different parts of the brain:
* Spastic cerebral palsy causes muscles to become very stiff and weak, especially under effort. This can affect control of movement.
* Athetoid cerebral palsy affects control of posture, which can lead to people making unwanted movements.
* Ataxic cerebral palsy often creates problems with balance and can result in shaky hand movements and irregular speech.
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