Avery Cerebral Palsy - Concepts, Theories, and Models

Cerebral Palsy: Associated Concepts, Theories, and Models 

January 29th, 2024 by Fischer Avery

Introduction

Cerebral Palsy is a disability that is prevalent in 1.5-3 births out of every 1,000 people born on the planet, with variation that is attributed to differences in geographic region and national income (Patel et al., 2020). Such a significant amount of the global population is affected by this disability, which is far more significant when considering the family and community involvement in many cases. Therefore, it is absolutely essential to consider both the theoretical understanding of this disability, and the strategies that can be utilized to improve the well being of individuals with disabilities living in their community. This opens the door to a more educated and prepared professional field that is geared towards treating disability, and can provide regular people at home the information they need to assist the disabled around them (Marini & Stebnicki, 2018).

Related Concepts, Theories, and Models

The medical model of disability posits that disabilities are impairments that result from biological deviations from normal functioning, which result in undesirable consequences for the disabled individual. Based on this assumption, the medical model focuses on prevention and rehabilitation strategies that are geared towards fixing the underlying pathological abnormalities that are causing the impairment. Medication may be a common form of treatment for disability under the basis of this model. 

The moral/human rights model focuses on the legislative aspects of disability, and how different forms of legislation have been implemented over time in order to create the current state of disability. This model suggests that the policies that have been established in the past determine the types of experiences that disabled people will have throughout their life by establishing their rights and laws that discourage discrimination.

Lastly, the social model/social oppression theory focuses on the limitations established by physical and social environments that are imposed on individuals with disabilities. This theory/model suggests that it is actually society that disables physically impaired individuals due to the inability to help integrate these individuals into society and include them socially. Thus, disability is seen as a form of social oppression from this perspective. 

(Berghs et al., 2016). 

Assisting those with Disabilities

There are many ways in which the people in one's environment can assist those around them with disabilities. Firstly, close friends and family can aid disabled individuals by building strong and meaningful relationships with these people by spending more time with them and being more inclusive in social environments. One of the biggest obstacles to the mental health well-being in disabled populations is social inclusiveness and feeling a sense of belonging. Therefore, friends and family should be sure to make this a responsibility. Secondly, the family may need to educate the community about their child's condition and what they can do to help support the child and promote adaptability in the environment. This can aid those in the community who are unaware of the individual's disability to become educated on how they can understand and help the individual. One last thing that an individual's family can do to promote positive behavioral and mental health outcomes for individuals with disabilities would be to establish plans and dynamics for care for emergencies and unexpected events. For example, there may be extended family who can provide some financial support if the family of the disabled individual is struggling to balance caring for the individual and career responsibilities (Hunt et al., 2022).

References

Berghs, M., Atkin, K., Graham, H., et al. (2016). Implications for public health research of models and theories of disability: a scoping study and evidence synthesis. NIHR Journals Library. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK378951/

Hunt, X., Bradshaw, M., Vogel, S. L., Encalada, A. V., Eksteen, S., Schneider, M., Chunga, K., & Swartz, L. (2022). Community support for persons with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(14), 8269. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148269

Marini, I., & Stebnicki, M. A. (2018). The psychological and social impact of illness and disability, (7th ed.). Springer Publishing. ISBN: 9780826161611 

Oasis Mental Health Applications. (2020). Disabilities: How to cope with them and support others. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjvmAUbfXdw 

Patel, D. R., Neelakantan, M., Pandher, K., & Merrick, J. (2020). Cerebral palsy in children: a clinical overview. Translational pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.21037/tp.2020.01.01