This is so true

This is a good quote to think about your own life

Does cerebral palsy affect intelligence?

This is one of the most common questions I get

So what do I mean by that? 

Well, as mentioned before in this blog. In various posts such as life with mixed diplegic cerebral palsy What is the difference between us Learning who you are! Just to name a few. And quite honestly the answer in my opinion is no! 

My reasoning for this?

Just because someone has the condition does not mean they are going to be of low intelligence. A condition of  Cerebral palsy is a form of brain injury. Not a person's intelligence. 

What are the main functions of the cerebrum?

 

The largest part of the brain, the cerebrum initiates and coordinates movement and regulates temperature. Other areas of the cerebrum enable speech, judgement, thinking and reasoning, problem-solving, emotions and learning. Other functions are related to vision, hearing, touch and other senses.

Meaning that cognitive parts of the brain are affected by cerebral palsy but it doesn't mean that we are low intelligence because we have to think things in a different way.

Many of us are teachers, university staff and much more. If that was the case there wouldn’t be people who had the condition but were in these jobs.

There is this misconception that because we have a disability it means that we have low intelligence. And that is just not true!

That would be like gagging people of all types by what they can do, not how someone thinks.

To show another example of this would be professor Stephen Hawking. Who, although had Motor Neurone Disease (ALS) was able to teach and research at the prestigious University in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Until his death in 2018. His IQ was 160 which was the same as another theoretical physicist Albert Einstein. He is most famous for his theory of general relativity. 

So although Stephen Hawking was physically disabled by Motor Neurone Disease it did not take his ability to think away. This would mean that as the disease took hold then he would have been put in a care home never to be heard of in the first place.

Therefore cerebral palsy is a condition that affects the brain and the body physically. It does not mean we have low intelligence. 

Societies angle.

As far as I can see from a personal point of view it is the generations before who have thrust their opinions on all disabled, not just those of us who have cerebral palsy. But every type of disability.

What do I mean?

Right up to the 1980s here in the United Kingdom people who have any disability at any level were put into care homes. 

It was even evident during the 1990s when I was out with my now-husband we heard an old lady say that in her day people were put away.

We were put away for being different and deemed simple-minded just because our limbs were not able to be used the same way.

And unfortunately, the lingering thoughts of having disabled people put away is still being considered no matter how badly a person is physically affected. Because being disabled is not the norm. 

But what is the norm?

Being short-sighted, long-sighted having to wear glasses, wearing hearing aids because we’re hard of hearing. I Have asthma. These are the accepted norms for what I’ve seen people think but walking differently, speaking differently unless you are from a different area of the same country are classed not. 

There is also the problem of being of different races and religions that are still being argued about too. 

So my final thought on this is what is normal?

What are your thoughts on this?

I have used information from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

Wikipedia for Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein

Coming out of the woods

The pandemic of covid19 began just over two years ago and we are about to come out as I write this. When it is posted it should be when we are free of the pandemic for now. As written in the emergency post I spoke about what was going on in Ukraine at the time has just gone live Emotional Plea for Ukraine and Peace. 

Things have changed again but right now here in the UK, the masks are not as evident as they used to be.

People don't have to be wearing masks all the time and don't need to follow so many restrictions as we did 2 years ago. You could say we are coming to the roaring 20s as we did 100 years ago. When the Spanish flu occurred. which I mention in so we are coming out another side of this.

But that is a different situation as there have been some drastic changes throughout the whole century since the previous big pandemic.

We can go about as much as normal I suppose and it's pretty much business as usual. When I'm writing this, the 2 years have affected us. Because people are more aware of what could be around and what is not but could be by people also are scared about giving it to someone else. Which is fair, especially at the moment of writing, still not completely curable. It is similar to the flu in that respect, however, it is not like the flu in other respects. As it seems to be mutating quite a lot, but not enough or severe enough for the pandemic to be continued in the same sense as it was. 

So we are out of the woods enjoying the good season while we can before another scary event happens. I'm rather glad that things are a bit calmer. It means that people can be a little less stressed, although the pandemic has turned our lives upside down and made us change things

Has the earth done this because of its thoughts on the way that the human race is treating it? 

Is it just sod's law like 100 years ago?

I wonder because for me it could be another situation again sooner than expected or hoped as we go through and head to another century rapidly in my eyes and I've already gone through what two different centuries now I've gone from the 20th century and 21st century so it is scary what is going to happen next. I worry about the future for others who are disabled not just the average person who is normal who would be surviving then.

Would there be enough support for people who have disabilities like cerebral palsy?

Or will they still be a minority where we are suffering rather than accepted because at the moment it still feels as if we are not accepted properly?

What do you think of my thoughts on this when you're reading up, please leave a comment below.

This is a brilliant quote

Solutions for the seasons and their affects on a body with cerebral palsy

 Solutions.

Many of these Solutions will come across as common sense which they are however people who don't know how cerebral palsy affects people with it. people should take these into account. remember it is not just the brain damage that was caused at birth it is the secondary issues such as muscle tone and joint problems that occur later in life and when this starts to show it is best to address s two seasons correctly for that particular person it depends on how they are generally and what they are as part of the disability.

If in summer the person is unable to control their body and body temperature then the best way is to keep as cool as possible as this will help the person with their movement if they can if on the other hand, they become cold then it is best to keep them warm and it doesn't matter whether they are outside or in because if someone was to have the central heating on in their house in the summer and it was hot they're muscle tone would also be affected and too difficult to manoeuvre easily for day-to-day life. therefore windows should be open at times and that person dressed appropriately.

If the person can walk on their own with or without aids then it is best to consider what they are doing for that particular day because everything has to be taken into account for the amount of energy that is used by that person for that particular day making it harder for the next day or 2. The average person would just put on a coat or jacket etc for that particular day but a person with cerebral palsy has to account for everything that they are doing as well and where they are going and how they are walking or moving around.  if in a wheelchair or a mobility scooter then the person has to again-dress accordingly to what the weather is like as any other person would. but as I have just said in my previous paragraph the person or people who use aids such as a walker or walking stick have to take those into account for where and what they are doing on that particular day. 

Therefore just like anyone else a coat or jacket would be needed for 4ev re1 who is walking on their own or in a wheelchair/Motability scooter however additional needs would be required for a wheelchair such as a blanket or waterproof cover, for the person who is sat in the chair for long periods out and about, should a shower or freak weather happen. 

Also while at home the person should be doing simple exercises that they can do with the carer or on their own to keep that mobility at the level that they are at rather than deteriorate further than expected or wanted at a quicker pace. 

I have another post on that earlier in my blog And they can be found at Exercises or No Exercises