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  Cerebral Palsy: a life-long condition caused by damage to the brain during pregnancy, labor or shortly following birth. "Cerebral" refers to the brain, and "palsy" refers to muscle weakness or poor control over movement. Cerebral palsy is characterized by the inability to control motor functions and can result in involuntary movement, disturbance in mobility and walking, and impairment of sight, hearing and speech. Cerebral palsy, or CP, is not a disease; and it is neither progressive nor contagious. There is no single cause of cerebral palsy; it can be associated with premature birth, lack of oxygen to the brain during development and/or birth, blood incompatibility between parents, infection of the mother with German Measles or Rubella early in pregnancy, as well as drug addiction and AIDS in the mother. Cerebral Palsy may also be acquired after birth by means of trauma to the head resulting from falls, car accidents, child abuse, brain infections, and other similar circumstances. Developmental Disability: A significant disability related to mental retardation that becomes evident before a person reaches adulthood. A developmental disability can include mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism or other neurological conditions. Mental Retardation: A significant thinking and learning disability. This condition is also accompanied by significant problems in adaptability, communication, self-care, home living, social skills, community use, self-direction, health and safety, functional academics, leisure and work. Mental retardation occurs during the developmental years (usually before age 18 or 21). Down Syndrome: A genetic condition caused by extra genetic material (genes) from the 21st chromosome. The extra genes cause certain characteristics that we know as Down Syndrome. As a result, individuals with Down Syndrome have a combination of typical physical features, some degree of mental retardation or other developmental delays. To learn more about specific disabilities, visit The Arc of Dallas
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out these cool sites to learn more about disabilities and see other
disability projects:
Bandaides and Blackboards Bearable Times Kids and Teens Club Can Do! Center for Handicapped Children & Teenagers Disabilities Information Resources Disability Network DREAMMS for Kids, Inc. Get Kids Going! Internet Resources for Special Children Kids on the Block Kids Together, Inc. LD Online Kidzone Learning Disabilities Kids Support Learning Disabilities Richardson Chapter Moon Children Our Kids RJ Cooper & Associates Seeing disAbilities from a Different Perspective The Parasail Vision Quest Winners on Wheels World Association of Persons with disabilities |
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