Why Choose CHOP's Cerebral Palsy Program

The Cerebral Palsy Program at CHOP is the only pediatric interdisciplinary cerebral palsy program in Philadelphia, providing thorough evaluations for more than 500 patients per year.  We work very closely with specialists throughout the CHOP network to coordinate care for our patients. 

Our team is comprised of professionals with expertise in every element of the care of children with cerebral palsy, who are committed to staying abreast of the latest technology available and innovative approaches to treatment.

Areas of staff expertise include spasticity management, orthopaedic surgery, neurophysiology, scoliosis, hip dysplasia, early mobility, bracing, durable medical equipment, language acquisition and development, feeding and nutrition, augmentative communication, and psychosocial supports for patients with disabilities and their families.

We strive to provide comprehensive, high-quality patient and family education related to cerebral palsy to assist patients and families to maximize the child’s potential and quality of life.

Surgical expertise and safety

Orthopaedic surgery is an integral part of the continuum of care provided by the Cerebral Palsy Program. Your child will be treated by leading experts in spinal and limb care with experience treating the most difficult cases, safely.

Our spinal care incorporates imaging using CT navigation which has been shown to improve safety of spine surgery. Additionally, many advances in infection prevention during surgery have been studied and developed here at CHOP and continue to be used to our patients’ benefit.

Our anesthesia team is composed of trained professionals who have developed techniques to minimize blood loss and maximize outcomes in perioperative care.

We offer children high level care with Single Event Multilevel Surgery (SEMLS) utilizing two surgical teams with two of our surgical attendings where appropriate. By treating your child's multiple conditions in one day of surgery, we can offer:

  • Decreased anesthetic time
  • Less blood loss
  • Increased convenience to the family and child

Transition to adulthood

With advances in medical technology, children with neuromuscular disorders are living longer lifespans than a few decades ago. As such, the care of these children extends well into adulthood.

At CHOP we understand that transitioning from a pediatric hospital to an adult setting can be challenging, and have partnered with the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania to provide transitional orthopaedic surgical and rehabilitation care to children with cerebral palsy as adults.

Social work support is also available to assist families in making this transition to adult healthcare and other adult services.