Associated Conditions of Cerebral Palsy: Mental Impairment
Mental Impairment
Mental retardation and cerebral palsy are not the same thing and should not be confused.  Mental retardation relates to brain function as it pertains to learning and the ability to understand.  Cerebral palsy relates to a variety of disabilities that involve the motor function of the body.

Approximately 65 percent of individuals with cerebral palsy will have mental difficulties or mental retardation.  Of those, roughly one-third are classified as mildly impaired and the other third are moderately to severely impaired.  The remaining 35 percent will have normal intelligence or above-average intelligence.

Intelligence ratings are generally determined by the use of intelligence quotient (IQ) tests.  An individual with an IQ of 100 is considered average or normal.  An IQ below 70 indicates mental retardation.  Mental retardation is further broken into four categories.
  • Mild: IQ 55-69 (85 percent)
  • Moderate: IQ 40-54 (10 percent)
  • Severe: IQ 25-39 (5 percent)
  • Profound: IQ 0-24 (less than 1 percent)

It is impossible to know an IQ before the age of three because children develop at such different rates and are not capable of performing tasks or answering questions before that time.  Sometimes children with cerebral palsy are misdiagnosed as mentally retarded because they can't communicate because of their physical limitations.  Mental impairment is more commonly seen in children with spastic quadriplegia than other types of cerebral palsy.

Mental retardation is characterized by significantly below average intellectual functioning, coexisting with related limitations in two or more of the following areas: communication skills, self-care, home living, social skills, self-direction, health and safety, functional academics, and work.

For individuals with both cerebral palsy and mental retardation, it is mental retardation that will generally make independence more difficult to achieve.

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Associated Conditions of Cerebral Palsy: Hearing, Depression, Breathing Problems,
Drooling, ADHD, ADD, Bowel issues, Swallowing, Epilepsy, Speech Problems.