The term “cerebral palsy” refers to a number of neurological disorders that can appear in infancy or early childhood, permanently affecting body movement and/or muscle coordination, but do not worsen over time.  Although cerebral palsy affects muscle movement, it isn’t the result of problems in the muscles or nerves, but is caused by abnormalities in parts of the brain that control muscle movement.  The majority of the children who are diagnosed with cerebral palsy are born with it, although it may not be diagnosed until months or years later, usually before the age of 3.

Epilepsy is a disorder of the central nervous system.  Triggered by abnormal bursts of electrical activity in the brain, epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder that causes repeated unprovoked seizures.

To learn more about the disabilities of Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy, contact United Cerebral Palsy at www.ucp.org, or the Epilepsy Foundation at www.epilepsyfoundation.org