More than 75% of children with CP in Australia are diagnosed within their first two years. In some case, however, your child may need repeated tests and visits to doctors, before they can give you a definite diagnosis of CP. Especially in mild cases, it can take months or even years. Sometimes, it isn’t evident until a child starts school.

Although this can be very frustrating, it is important to take time to get the diagnosis right, because the symptoms of CP don’t change greatly over time. If things get better or worse, your child may have a different condition.

Your doctor will assess your child, based on their symptoms and an examination. They will talk to you and your child, and order tests, such as measuring their vision, hearing, speech and intellectual ability. Your child may also have blood tests to exclude other causes of their symptoms.

Imaging tests may be required to help diagnose CP, including:

• a computed tomography (CT) scan – which uses X-rays to take pictures of the brain and can show areas that are damaged.
• magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – which uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create a more detailed image of the brain. It can visualise the location and type of damage in better detail than CT. MRI can also be used to find cause of CP when this is not clear from history or other investigations.
• a cranial ultrasound – is a simpler type of scan that looks at brain tissue. It can detect small changes in the brain’s white matter, which can be damaged in CP
• an electroencephalogram (EEG) – measures the brain’s electrical activity. It is used to measure seizures and diagnose epilepsy.

A thorough assessment and accurate diagnosis will provide you and your child with the foundations to manage or prevent issues with body structure, pain and other medical conditions. Your child’s healthcare team will develop an effective health management plan that can be adapted and added to, as your child grows and their needs change.

When your child is diagnosed with CP, it is important to find the right team of medical and health professionals to guide your child or young person through their life stage changes. This can take some time. A paediatrician will often be involved in your child’s care, along with a GP. The team may also include other health professionals, such as a physiotherapist, occupational therapist and speech pathologist.

Having a healthcare team that supports your child or young person’s health needs and provides good medical advice, whether related to their CP or more generally, can be a positive experience.

You need to get to know each other, so you can build a trusted relationship. When you develop good communication with the team and share information, they can understand your child or young person’s requirements and treat them effectively.