A profile of young Albertans with cerebral palsy

Abstract

Cerebral palsy (CP) results in motor disorders and neurological abnormalities and is the leading cause of lifelong physical disability that begins in childhood. This report profiled 3,970 young Albertans (0 to 25 years old) with CP from 2005/06 to 2010/11. Analyses examined these individuals’ sociodemographic characteristics and public service use patterns. This report found that young Albertans with CP had less educational achievement, were less likely to have criminal justice involvement, were more likely to use social services, and were more likely to have chronic diseases than those without CP. The report also found that about half of young Albertans with CP received services from each available public disability support program. These findings provide policy-relevant evidence that public authorities may consider as they seek to better support children with CP.