Hi Sarah

You can find groups of parents in your area via www.scope.org.uk/face2face

You can call us on 0808 800 3333 if you'd like to discuss a visit from a regional response worker.

Paralympian Sascha Kindred OBE has also just said on Twitter "there are plenty of opportunities for us hemi's".

He has suggested you have a look at http://www.saschakindred.co.uk/ and you can email him if you would like.

He's also a patron of www.hemihelp.org.uk, which you may also find useful, too

Best wishes, Alex

Hi Sarah,

My son also has mild cerebral palsy (diplegic). We found out in November last year. He is fortunate to be unaffected in his fine motor skills, cognitive ability and speech etc, just gross motor skills affected. He also walks with his foot rotated inwards and on his toes on the left side. He will go on his toes on the right side if he is running, but he walks with a normal heel-toe gait normally on his right.
It must have been a shock for you as there were no developmental warning signs. My son was slow at moving and eventually walked at 22 months. He had been under a consultant since 18 months as a routine thing cos he wasn't walking, had a CT brain scan which came back normal so we thought he was just going to be a late walker. But CP was diagnosed on symptoms; it was mild enough not to show up on a brain scan but something was causing my son to walk in that pattern and to be a little clumsier than other kids.
The good news is that cp isn't progressive so it won't get worse, and you can do lots of things to help your son be the best he can be.
I take my son to a clinic in London
www.movementandwellbeing.com/about-us
who specialise in 'Anat Baniel method for children and it has really helped him. He used to walk with his arms help up against his body; they are now down and moving normally all the time.
He can walk with both feet flat on the floor for a short period of time, though when he speeds up and doesn't concentrate the heel comes back up. It is difficult because he is only 3 and doesn't understand the importance of getting his heel down to stretch his leg. We are trying to get him to do it more and more, even if we just keep the ability there until he actually wants to walk with his heel down. I cannot recommend Chris and Doreen in the above clinic enough; they are making such a difference to my sons life.
A SCOPE worker also came round to see us, and she was brilliant. If you contact SCOPE they will tell you where to go from here. You may also be entitled to Dissability living allowance which can help to pay for extra things and activities you may like to do with your son.
It took me a little while to get used to saying 'my son has cerebral palsy', and I think there is a lot of missunderstanding out there about what this disease is, and the huge variations within it. The lady from SCOPE told me you can have a child who is just a little bit more clumsy than other kids and is never formally diagnosed, to children who are so severely affected thet can hardly move a muscle. Our sons are fortunate that they are at the mild end of the scale.
There is no reason why your child can't have a normal and independent life.
Good luck!

Love Liz xxx

Hi Sarah..

I have mild cerebral palsy myself, although I struggled with walking as a toddler, you wouldn't know I have CP now.. I do a full time job as a postman and can do anything an able bodied person can do and more!

My speech is slurred and muscles are tight in my legs but with exercise I can keep on top of my condition..

Please don't worry about Conor's future.

If you have any questions then please contact me

Dazzler. U have given me the answer I've been lookin for in a while my son is 5yrs he has mild spastic diplegia and i ask myself daily how is he goin to manage later in life.

His abilities change daily for better and for worse when he is growing and fatigue is his main symptom