In this section, clinicians and families can find useful information about existing scientific research on early interventions for cerebral palsy (CP).

  • For clinicians: You will find a list of outcomes examined in the selected studies for a particular type and severity of CP, whether the intervention was more effective, as effective. or less effective than the comparison intervention (e.g., usual care), and the level of evidence. Find out more about the levels of evidence here.
    • More effective: Intervention shown to be more effective than comparison.
    • As effective: Intervention shown to be as effective as the comparison.
    • Less effective: Intervention shown to be less effective than comparison.
  • For families: You will find answers to typical questions about existing interventions available for different types and severities of CP.
Recommended Interventions 🟩

Interventions that:

  1. Follow the three principles of the Interventional Clinical Practice Guideline (Morgan, C., Fetters, L., Adde, L., Badawi, N., Bancale, A., Boyd, R. N., … & Novak, I. (2021). Early intervention for children aged 0 to 2 years with or at high risk of cerebral palsy: international clinical practice guideline based on systematic reviews. JAMA pediatrics, 175(8), 846-858):
    1. Child-initiated movement
    2. Targeted training activities
    3. Task-specific and context-specific activities
  2. Have strong to moderate level of evidence
Potential Interventions 🟧

Interventions that:

  1. Follow the three principles of the Interventional Clinical Practice Guideline
  2. Have limited level of evidence. They show potential and may have preliminary research support but lack strong, conclusive evidence.
Unsupported Interventions 🟥
Interventions that do not follow the three principles of the Interventional Clinical Practice Guideline

Conductive Education


CP type: Unilateral, bilateral, dyskinetic and/or ataxic
CP severity: GMFCS level I-V
Evidence level: Moderate
Effectiveness: More effective
Type: Recommended Intervention 🟩

Learn more

 

Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT)


CP type: Unilateral
CP severity: GMFCS level I-III
Evidence level: Strong
Effectiveness: More effective
Type: Recommended Intervention 🟩

Learn more

COPing with and CAring for infants with special needs (COPCA) program


CP type: Undiagnosed high risk
CP severity: GMFCS Level I-V
Evidence level: Strong
Effectiveness: More effective
Type: Recommended Intervention 🟩

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Electrical Stimulation


CP type: Spastic diplegia, oropharyngeal dysphagia and/or hemiplegia
CP severity: GMFCS level I-V
Evidence level: Moderate
Effectiveness: More effective
Type: Recommended Intervention 🟩

 Learn more

GAME (Goals-Activity-Motor Enrichment) Program


CP type: Undiagnosed very high risk
Evidence level: Moderate
Effectiveness: More effective
Type: Recommended Intervention 🟩

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Hand-Arm Bimanual Intensive Training (HABIT)


CP type: Unilateral spastic
CP severity: GMFCS level I-II
Evidence level: Moderate
Effectiveness: More effective
Type: Recommended Intervention 🟩

Learn more

 

Hippotherapy


CP type: Spastic, dyskinetic, and/or ataxic
CP severity: GMFCS levels I-IV
Evidence level: Moderate
Effectiveness: More effective
Type: Recommended Intervention 🟩

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Multi-Component Upper-Extremity Intervention


CP type: Unilateral, quadriplegic
Evidence level: Moderate
Effectiveness: More effective
Type: Recommended Intervention 🟩

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Nutrition and Feeding Rehabilitation


CP type: All
CP severity: GMFCS level II-V
Evidence level: Moderate
Effectiveness: More effective
Type: Recommended Intervention 🟩

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Occupational Performance Therapy


CP type: Unilateral, bilateral, spastic, dyskinetic and/or ataxic
CP severity: GMFCS level I-IV
Evidence level: Strong
Effectiveness: As effective
Type: Recommended Intervention 🟩

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Small Step Program


CP type: Undiagnosed high risk
CP severity: GMFCS level I-V
Evidence level: Moderate
Effectiveness: More effective
Type: Recommended Intervention 🟩

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Treadmill Training


CP type: Undiagnosed preterm infants with periventricular injury and/or hypotonia/spastic CP
CP severity: GMFCS level I, II, IV, V
Evidence level: Moderate
Effectiveness: More effective
Type: Recommended Intervention 🟩

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Curriculum and Monitoring System (CAMS)


CP type: Undiagnosed with suspected brain injury
Evidence level: Limited
Effectiveness: As effective
Type: Potential Intervention 🟧

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Oral Sensorimotor Stimulation


CP type: Infants with spastic quadriplegic CP
CP severity: GMFCS level IV, V
Evidence level: Limited
Effectiveness: More effective
Type: Potential Intervention 🟧

Learn more

Acupuncture


CP type: Spastic
CP severity: GMFCS level I-III
Evidence level: Moderate
Effectiveness: As effective
Type: Unsupported Intervention 🟥

Learn more

Auditory-Tactile-Visual-Vestibular (ATVV) Intervention


CP type: Undiagnosed preterm infants
Evidence level: Limited
Effectiveness: As effective
Type: Unsupported Intervention 🟥

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Deep Friction Massage (DFM)


CP type: Spastic diplegia
Evidence level: Moderate
Effectiveness: As effective
Type: Unsupported Intervention 🟥

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Early Vibration Therapy


CP type: All
CP severity: GMFCS Level II-IV
Evidence level: Moderate
Effectiveness: As effective
Type: Unsupported Intervention 🟥

Learn more

Qigong Massage


CP type: All
Evidence level: Limited
Effectiveness: As effective
Type: Unsupported Intervention 🟥

Learn more