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Welcome to the Home Page of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM) A global leader in the multidisciplinary scientific education of health professionals and researchers dedicated to the well-being of people with childhood-onset disabilities. Mission: Provide multidisciplinary scientific education for health professionals and promote excellence in research and services for the benefit of people with cerebral palsy and childhood-onset disabilities

I am a twenty-eight-year-old woman with spastic Cerebral Palsy. This means that I have very tight muscles and heightened muscle tone, which makes walking difficult. As a result, I use a wheelchair to be mobile. By looking at me, the only way to tell there is something wrong is my wheelchair. Most who know me do not call attention to my physical limitations; they simply make accommodations to include me in whatever they may be doing at the time. I am a very smart and driven individual. If I were able to walk, there would be absolutely no difference in you or me.

Sixteen-year-old Matthew Walzer's heartfelt letter to Nike's CEO, Mark Parker, is quickly spreading across Twitter through the hashtag campaign #NikeLetter. Walzer posted the letter on his blog Tuesday afternoon, hoping to make Parker aware of a "great need" for supportive, easily-fastened shoes for people with cerebral palsy.

For most children, a clear sign that a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt is not working is a painful headache. Because Braden could not communicate his pain to me, I quickly had to learn to look for other symptoms.

Most children have a preconceived notion that every day of summer should be exciting and adventurous. Children with special needs are no exception. As parents, we feel an obligation to provide our children with memorable summer breaks, without breaking the bank! Determining how to manage that day-to-day challenge can be exhausting for parents of a special needs child, especially when you factor in possible accessibility issues that may arise for children in wheelchairs or with mobility challenges.