HOW CAN REALISTIC GOALS BE DESIGNED FOR THE CHILD WITH CEREBRAL PALSY? When it comes to expectations and questions of what the future holds for the child with CP, it is important to maintain a combination of optimism and realism, just as one would with any child. Suppose, for example, that the parent of a non-disabled three year old has hopes and expectations that the child will go to college and law school, enter politics, and eventually become President of the United States. Some of these expectations are realistic and are likely to be met, while others are extremely unlikely to occur to the point of being clearly unrealistic. Regardless of these realistic and not realistic expectations, however, the parent needs to care for the child as a three year old and not as a college student or as a politician.

It is equally important for the parent of a child with cerebral palsy to understand the child's present and future abilities. That parent's expectations are also probably a combination of realistic and unrealistic goals for the child, but in time, with professional help, the parent will develop a set of mostly realistic goals and it is to these goals that the parent, child, and professional will dedicate their effort. Occasionally, difficulties in communication arise when the parents, educators, and medical care providers discuss present abilities. As stated in the Preface, a significant goal of this book is to., improve this communication so that parents, educators, and medical care providers can communicate their impressions to each other regarding a specific child and in this way help the child function at his or her maximum ability. An attempt to define future expectations is usually most important in the teenage years and beyond, when function is better defined and the future looks more clear to everyone involved.


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