ABSTRACT
Cerebral palsy (CP) is the term used to describe several conditions of posture and motor impairment that result from an insult to the developing brain, in turn affecting central nervous system function (Bax et al. 2005). It is documented as the most common paediatric physical impairment (Odding et al. 2006), with symptoms varying widely between individuals. There are a number of other neurological conditions that can result in similar functional disturbances. Strokes and acute head trauma accidents are known antecedents to CP-like impairments. In sport for athletes with an impairment these conditions are classified alongside CP and many of the issues discussed here apply to athletes with these conditions. The level of functional ability of the individual athlete will determine which information is applicable. For the purposes of this chapter and for brevity, it should be assumed that associated neurological disorders as a consequence of acute trauma such as stroke and head injury are inferred when discussing CP.
