Cerebral palsy

===Use of the term===
"Cerebral" means "of, or pertaining to, the cerebrum or the brain"<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.medicinenet.com/cerebral/definition.htm | title=Definition of Cerebral |date=2021}}</ref> and "palsy" means "paralysis, generally partial, whereby a local body area is incapable of voluntary movement".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.medicinenet.com/facial_nerve_problems/article.htm | title=Bell's Palsy & Other Facial Nerve Problems |date=2020}}</ref>  It has been proposed to change the name to "cerebral palsy spectrum disorder" to reflect the diversity of presentations of CP.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Shevell M | title = Cerebral palsy to cerebral palsy spectrum disorder: Time for a name change? | journal = Neurology | pages = 233–235 | date = December 2018 | volume = 92 | issue = 5 | pmid = 30568002 | doi = 10.1212/WNL.0000000000006747 | s2cid = 58605985 }}</ref>

Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability ([[people-first language]]) instead of as "handicapped".<ref name="Guardian20020522" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Guidelines: How To Write About People with Disabilities (9th edition) |url=https://rtcil.org/guidelines |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=rtcil.org |language=en}}</ref> "Cerebral Palsy: A Guide for Care" at the [[University of Delaware]] offers the following guidelines:

{{blockquote|Impairment is the correct term to use to define a deviation from normal, such as not being able to make a muscle move or not being able to control an unwanted movement. Disability is the term used to define a restriction in the ability to perform a normal activity of daily living which someone of the same age can perform. For example, a three-year-old child who is not able to walk has a disability because a normal three-year-old can walk independently. A handicapped child or adult is one who, because of the disability, is unable to achieve the normal role in society commensurate with his age and socio-cultural milieu. As an example, a sixteen-year-old who is unable to prepare his own meal or care for his own toilet or hygiene needs is handicapped. On the other hand, a sixteen-year-old who can walk only with the assistance of crutches but who attends a regular school and is fully independent in activities of daily living is disabled but not handicapped. All disabled people are impaired, and all handicapped people are disabled, but a person can be impaired and not necessarily be disabled, and a person can be disabled without being handicapped.<ref name="udel" />}}

The term "[[spastic (word)|spastic]]" denotes the attribute of spasticity in types of spastic CP. In 1952 a UK charity called [[The Spastics Society]] was formed.<ref name="Guardian20020522" /> The term "spastics" was used by the charity as a term for people with CP. The word "spastic" has since been used extensively as a general insult to disabled people, which some see as extremely offensive. They are also frequently used to insult non-disabled people when they seem overly uncoordinated, anxious, or unskilled in sports. The charity changed its name to [[Scope (charity)|Scope]] in 1994.<ref name="Guardian20020522" /> In the United States the word spaz has the same usage as an insult but is not generally associated with CP.<ref name="zimmer" />