It is not uncommon for a group, company or sports team to have their own language, their own abbreviations and their own acronyms . The special needs and cerebral plays community (CP) is no exception!

It took a little while to figure out what some other members of the CP community were talking about when I first started reading various social media groups.  Luckily some of my fellow CP parents helped this Mommy out!

This post will focus on acronyms we have learned over the last few years.   I am sure there are some that I have forgotten or haven’t learned about yet, so feel free to let me know and I will add it to the list!

Here we go!

CP Lingo

• AFO = Ankle Foot Orthosis

  • AFOs or as Evelyn calls them “Super Shoes” are braces that support both the ankle and the foot.  AFOs are very common and help by placing the foot into the correct position which will help with preventing contractures/deformities, toe walking and foot drop.

• Botox = Botulinum Toxin

  • Botox is not just for wrinkles! When Botox is injected into muscles, it weakens or paralyzes them by blocking the connection between the nerves and the muscles.  Botox can help relax the muscles and decrease pain but over time patients can build up a tolerance and it becomes less effective.

• CE = Conductive Education

  • CE is a program that combines physical rehabilitation and education to help both children and adults with a neurological disorder.  CE teaches skills to participants that they can apply to their daily life and help them to become more independent.

• CME = Cuevas MEDEK Exercise

  • CME is a form of physiotherapy and is used to stimulate postural and dynamic motor control in children who have developmental delays. CME uses gravity to provoke the absent but normally automatic motor response.  It is quite interesting but hard to explain so please check out the official CME website for more information.

• CP = Cerebral Palsy

  • CP is a neurological disorder caused by a non-progressive brain injury.  CP primarily affects body movement and muscle coordination and everyone is affected differently.  There are different types of CP, most common being Spastic Diplegia which Evelyn has.

• DMI = Dynamic Movement Intervention

  • DMI is a treatment that uses research on neurorehabilitation, technologies and methodologies to aide children with gross motor impairments by focusing on alignment, sensory integration, and function.

• GMFCS = Gross Motor Function Classification System

  • This system is used to describe gross motor abilities seen in children with CP.  There are five levels,  Level I being the least limited, Level V being the most.  Evelyn would be considered a Level II as she can walk independently.

• G-tube = Gastrostomy Tube

  • Evelyn has never had a G-tube, but many CP warriors do.  A G-tube is a tub that is inserted through the abdomen that delivers nutrients directly to the stomach.

• HIPPO = Hippotherapy

  • Hippotherapy is something we want to try!  This therapy uses a horse’s (hippos is the Greek word for horse) movement to stimulate postural and muscular reactions in the rider and there are many benefits including endurance, balance and trunk control.

• OT = Occupational Therapy

  • OT is a form of treatment that assists with everyday activities.  This includes working on fine motor and self-care skills.

• PT = Physiotherapy

  • PT is a form of gross motor treatment that uses movement to help people restore, maintain and build their physical strength, function and motion.  Many people go to PT to help with an injury, illness, or disability.

• SDR = Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy

  • SDR is a  surgical treatment used to treat patients with CP.  Check out our “About SDR” page for more information. 

• SMO = Supra Malleoler Orthosis

  • SMOs are a shorter orthosis and are used to help stabilize the ankle and prevent the arch of the foot from collapsing.

• SPML = Selective Percutaneous Myofascal Lengthening

  • Still having trouble pronouncing this one! SPML is less invasive surgical procedure that treats tight tendons in people with CP.  Tiny incisions are made at different points in the muscle fascia in order to reduce the tension. This surgery does not eliminate spasticity.

Thanks for learning our new language!