Every parent of a child with CP has asked themselves this question: ‘Is my child being difficult because of the condition, or is it because all children are sometimes difficult?’ 

It’s normal for children to behave in challenging ways. It’s the job of a toddler or young child to test boundaries, which often means testing you! It’s the way they learn right from wrong and begin to understand the world. It’s the road towards independence.

Kids are born self-centered. A baby’s first job is to demand service, to survive and thrive. It takes time for children to move from thinking only of themselves, to considering the needs, feelings and actions of others. It takes time for them to learn empathy.

So, when is challenging behaviour CP-related, and when is it just challenging behaviour? 

For a CP toddler or pre-schooler, life is more challenging than for able-bodied peers. The nature of the condition means they are challenged physically. They may have joint pain, mobility issues, communication difficulties, low vision or vision loss, a hearing impairment or epilepsy. Think of an able-bodied child hurting themselves, and the fuss that follows. What parents of a child with CP often marvel at is the courage of their children, and their ability to endure physical discomfort.

There are also emotional challenges to being a child with a disability. We would all find it frustrating to not be able to do or say what we wanted to do or say. It is also emotionally challenging to live in a world where other people do these easily, where we feel like the odd one out.

A child with cerebral palsy might also have intellectual or sensory processing challenges that cause challenging behaviour. Some children with CP are sensitive to particular sounds or lights. Some children develop phobias or fixations that can be difficult to manage.

So, there are many reasons why a child with CP might be screaming or crying or fretting or disobeying — reasons that relate to the condition.

But it’s also true that children with disabilities will test boundaries, just because they are children! And children with CP need parental discipline and boundary setting, just like everyone else. Sometimes the difficult job for parents is to work out when to offer a consoling hug, and when to be firmer or sterner.   

Understanding your child’s behaviour is an important step in being able to manage it. Positive improvement on a child’s behaviour can make big differences in happiness levels — theirs and yours. 

There are specialists who work in this area. If you believe your young child’s challenging behaviour might be related to their CP, please contact your paediatrician or GP. 

They can refer your child to a medical or allied health professional, who can create a customised behavioral management program to meet your child’s needs. 

In this section you will find more information related to behaviour and relevant therapies and interventions.