Graz & Vienna · Specialists in cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy — therapy for children and adolescents

Every child with cerebral palsy is different. At HOME4MOTION Kids we support your child with physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy — playfully, individually and in line with current neurorehabilitation research.

Free information session What we offer

What is cerebral palsy?

Cerebral palsy — what parents should know

🩺 Explained medically

Cerebral palsy results from damage to the central nervous system in early childhood and leads to lasting differences in movement, posture and muscle tone. Spastic or hypotonic changes in the muscles are typical, along with limitations in motor control and coordination. Depending on severity, balance, fine motor skills and functional movement patterns may also be noticeably affected and require long-term therapeutic support.

🏠 In everyday life

Children with cerebral palsy often find sitting, grasping, walking or everyday movements challenging. Some movements take a great deal of effort or are only possible with support. Muscle tension, pain or tiring quickly can also shape the day. For children and families this often means building independence and taking part, step by step.

Challenges

What children with cerebral palsy experience

Cerebral palsy presents differently in every child, depending on the region of the brain affected and the severity. These are the challenges that are typical:

Foot position: an equinus foot, flatfoot with valgus or internal rotation of the hips make walking and standing considerably harder.

Body awareness: many children feel their body differently — altered sensation and changes in proprioception are common.

Spasticity & tiring: spastic movements take disproportionately much energy, so children tire faster than others their age.

Speech & swallowing: with tetraparesis, difficulties with speech (dysarthria), language and swallowing (dysphagia) often occur.

Contractures: without regular therapy, muscles and tendons can shorten and permanently change the position of joints.

Movement & motor skills: grasping, standing and walking are difficult — spasticity or too little muscle tone makes coordinated movement harder.

Fine motor skills: grasping, propping up, writing — hand function is often affected in hemiparesis and tetraparesis.

Trunk control: the abdominal and back muscles often cannot yet stabilise trunk and head enough — sitting and staying upright are tiring.

Everyday life & school: dressing, eating, writing, the way to school — many everyday tasks take more time and more support.

👀 What parents often notice

If you notice that your child favours one side of the body, is asymmetrical when crawling, or is not yet standing at 12 to 18 months, speak to your paediatrician. The earlier the diagnosis, the earlier therapy can begin.

Our therapy for Cerebral palsy

Therapy for cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy needs more than one discipline. Our team works together every day so that your child gets the best possible support.

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Physiotherapy

Bobath · Forced Use · Gait training

Improving gait pattern, balance, strength and coordination. Bobath and Forced Use as core concepts, complemented by robot-assisted gait therapy and sensory integration. Effective in hemiparesis, diparesis and tetraparesis.

Occupational therapy

ADL · Fine motor skills · Assistive devices

Training grasping, writing, dressing and eating. Ayres Sensory Integration. Advice on assistive devices (orthoses, writing aids, seating adjustments) including support with health insurance claims.

Speech and language therapy

Dysarthria · Dysphagia · Language

Building orofacial motor function, articulation, swallowing and language comprehension. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) where needed.

Neuro-orthopaedics

Consultation

Dr Martin Švehlík coordinates the overall plan — gait analysis, planning of assistive devices, preparation for botulinum toxin and support around surgery. All in one place.

Intensive therapy

Intensivtherapie 1–3 Wochen

Intensivtherapie bei Infantile Zerebralparese (ICP) nutzt neuroplastische Zeitfenster nach Botulinumtoxin, Operationen und in Entwicklungssprüngen. Tägliche 3–5 Stunden Physio-, Ergo- und Logopädie mit Elterncoaching fördern nachhaltige funktionelle Verbesserungen.

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⚡ Our most effective programme

📅 Intensive therapy, 1–3 weeks

Using windows of neuroplasticity deliberately

Intensive therapy in cerebral palsy makes use of the windows of neuroplasticity after botulinum toxin, after surgery and during spurts in development. Three to five hours a day of physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy, with coaching for parents, support lasting functional improvement.

Request an appointment About intensive therapy →

Do you have questions about therapy for your child with cerebral palsy?

Get to know us in a free information session — by phone, online or in person in Graz or Vienna.

Request an appointment 📞 +43 (0) 507 400

Free & without obligation · Mon–Fri 08:00–16:00

⭐ Success story

Progress and stories

One step changes everything

Read the stories of small fighters who take on every step with courage and delight in every bit of progress, however small. Real families, real journeys — and many moments that show how much is possible.

Read the full story ⭐ All the stories →

Our locations

Children’s therapy in Graz & Vienna

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HOME4MOTION Kids Graz

Graz · 8020 · Headquarter

🏠AddressSteinfeldgasse 63a, 8020 Graz

🕐HoursMo–Fr, 08:00–16:00 Uhr

📞Phone+43 (0) 507 400

💡Tip: Apartments direkt vor Ort verfügbar

📍 Open in Google Maps

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HOME4MOTION Kids Wien

Wien · 1120

🏠AddressAltmannsdorferstraße 89, 1120 Wien

🕐HoursMo–Fr, 08:00–16:00 Uhr

📞Phone+43 (0) 507 400

💡Tip: Barrierefrei erreichbar, 4. Stock

📍 Open in Google Maps

Häufige Fragen

Was Sie wissen möchten

What is cerebral palsy?▾

Cerebral palsy is a lasting difference in movement, posture and muscle tone caused by injury to the developing brain in early childhood. It is not progressive, meaning the brain injury itself does not change — but its effects on movement and daily life can change as the child develops. At HOME4MOTION Kids we work with children who have cerebral palsy at every level of severity, from mild motor limitations to complex multiple disabilities.

Which therapy methods are used in cerebral palsy?▾

The most important evidence-based methods in cerebral palsy are the Bobath concept (neurophysiological movement facilitation), Vojta therapy (reflex locomotion), Ayres Sensory Integration and functional everyday training. Where cerebral palsy involves spasticity we add stretching programmes, night positioning splints and — in consultation with the neuro-orthopaedic consultant — preparation for botulinum toxin therapy.

How often a week does our child with cerebral palsy need therapy?▾

The best frequency depends on age, on the severity of the cerebral palsy and on the current stage of development. For young children under three, three to five sessions a week; for older children two to three, supported by structured exercises at home. At certain points — after botulinum toxin or surgery — we recommend an intensive week with three to five hours of therapy a day.

Does health insurance cover the cost of therapy for cerebral palsy?▾

In Austria physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy for cerebral palsy are partly funded through the ÖGK on a medical referral. As we work outside the public contract system you receive an invoice from us and can claim part of the cost back. Supplementary insurance often covers a larger share. You do not need a referral for the free initial consultation.

From what age should our child with cerebral palsy begin therapy?▾

The earlier the better — that applies particularly with cerebral palsy. As soon as the diagnosis is made, or there is a suspicion, we recommend beginning therapy. The brain of babies and young children is especially adaptable: new movement patterns are learned fastest at this stage. We work with children from infancy through to adulthood.

How is cerebral palsy treated?▾

Treatment is interdisciplinary and combines physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy, together with the provision of assistive devices and, where needed, medical measures such as botulinum toxin injections or surgery. At HOME4MOTION Kids we use Bobath, Forced Use and robot-assisted gait therapy to improve movement patterns specifically. The exact therapy plan is matched individually to the child and their development.

Is cerebral palsy curable?▾

The underlying brain injury itself cannot be cured, as the damage has already occurred and is complete. Targeted, continuous therapy can nevertheless improve motor abilities, independence and quality of life considerably. With the right support many children reach important motor milestones, even if the path there is a different length for each child.

What are the first signs of cerebral palsy in children?▾

First indications often show in infancy through delayed motor development — in reaching, sitting or crawling. Unusual muscle tone, either too floppy or too stiff, and a marked difference between the two sides of the body can also be signs. Where there is any suspicion we recommend early specialist assessment, because starting therapy early clearly improves the chances for development.

Which therapy helps most with cerebral palsy — physiotherapy, occupational therapy or speech and language therapy?▾

All three complement each other and cover different ground: physiotherapy improves gait pattern, balance and strength; occupational therapy builds grasping, writing and everyday abilities; speech and language therapy supports language, articulation and swallowing. Which areas come first depends on how the cerebral palsy presents in your child. At HOME4MOTION Kids we coordinate all the disciplines as a team, so the therapy works as a whole.

At what age is cerebral palsy diagnosed?▾

The diagnosis is usually made within the first two years of life; where the presentation is milder, sometimes not until the age of five. Where there are risk factors such as premature birth, a provisional diagnosis can be made in the first months. The earlier the diagnosis, the earlier targeted therapy can begin.

What is the difference between cerebral palsy and spasticity?▾

Cerebral palsy is the umbrella term for a lasting difference in movement and posture caused by injury to the developing brain in early childhood. Spasticity is one of the possible symptoms — a permanently increased muscle tone that leads to stiff, restricted movement. Not every child with cerebral palsy has spasticity; there are also hypotonic and mixed forms.

What role does botulinum toxin play in treating cerebral palsy?▾

Botulinum toxin is injected into specific spastic muscles to reduce muscle tone temporarily and make movement easier. The effect usually lasts several months and creates a window in which intensive therapy works particularly well. At HOME4MOTION Kids we plan therapy deliberately around these treatment dates, to draw the greatest possible benefit from them.

Can a child with cerebral palsy learn to walk?▾

That depends greatly on the severity and on which parts of the body are affected. Many children with milder to moderate presentations learn to walk independently with consistent therapy, often with assistive devices. Where all four limbs are more strongly involved, walking is usually more limited. Early and continuous gait therapy clearly improves the chances in every case.

Taking the next step together.

In the free initial consultation we look together at where your child is now and how we can best support them.

Request an appointment 📞 +43 (0) 507 400

Free & without obligation · Mon–Fri 08:00–16:00