What happens when kids and their parents get together on a Saturday morning in March? Friendships are strengthened, learning is communal, and beautiful artwork is created. That’s exactly what happened at the second annual Cerebral Palsy (CP) Family Spring Social held at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del.
Cerebral palsy is the most common motor disability in childhood. CP is a disorder that affects a child’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. “Cerebral” means having to do with the brain, and “palsy” means weakness or problems with using the muscles. Like many disabilities, there are varying degrees of severity—some children might only have a mild impairment while others are severely affected.
At the CP Family Social the goal was to bring children with CP, and their siblings, together to show how all kids, when given the right tools, can be creative, expressive, and empowered.
Lisa Bartoli, an art therapist with Art Therapy Express Program, Inc., along with Nemours staff and volunteers, aided the children during an inclusive visual arts session. The mission of the Art Therapy Express Program is “building a bridge between each student’s capabilities and his/her imagination and to provide a place where even the non-verbal individual can speak through the arts.” At the CP Family Spring Social, all of these amazing kids spoke loud and proud.
Cerebral Palsy resources:
Cerebral Palsy Center on Nemours.org
Cerebral Palsy Center on KidsHealth.org
