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Advances in Children with Cerebral Palsy and Motor Impairment
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Advances in Children with Cerebral Palsy and Motor Impairment

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Neurology & Neurodevelopmental Disorders".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 February 2026) | Viewed by 5062

Editor

Dr. Elena Beani

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy
2. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Interests: cerebral palsy; technology; assessment; rehabilitation; tele-rehabilitation; AOT; wearable sensors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is now widely recognized that cerebral palsy (CP) requires long-term, multidisciplinary care. In recent decades, significant advances have been made in early diagnosis, neurorehabilitation, and, above all, the use of technologies in pediatric age—offering new opportunities to improve outcomes and quality of life.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, which aims to explore current trends, innovations, and future directions in the care and research of children with CP. We seek to bring together clinical, scientific, and technological perspectives that reflect the multifaceted nature of motor disability in childhood. The Issue will highlight not only advances in therapeutic interventions, but also developments in early diagnosis, neurorehabilitation, neurophysiology, biomechanics, assistive technology, and the organization of health systems. Our goal is to showcase innovative approaches across clinical practice, rehabilitation science, and technology.

We welcome original research articles, systematic reviews, and translational studies. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following addressing:

  • Novel therapeutic interventions and models of care;
  • Robotics, virtual reality, and digital rehabilitation tools;
  • Early detection and neurodevelopmental monitoring;
  • Outcome measures and classification systems;
  • Family-centered and community-based approaches.

By bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives, this Issue will serve as a platform to advance knowledge, inform practice, and promote inclusive and effective care for children living with motor disabilities.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Elena Beani
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cerebral palsy
  • developmental age
  • motor disorder
  • technology
  • ICTs
  • tele-rehabilitation
  • early detection and diagnosis
  • robotics

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 630 KB  
Article
Multicenter Study on Communication, Language and Speech in Italian Children with Cerebral Palsy—Survey, Assessement Protocols and Proposal for a Classification System
by Elisa Granocchio, Claudia Maggiulli, Luca Andreoli, Stefania Gazzola, Ilaria Pedrinelli, Santina Magazù, Daniela Sarti, Marinella De Salvatore, Martina Paini, Sara Rinaldi, Sara Visentin, Anna Salvalaggio, Sara Scotto, Elisabetta Cane, Elvira Bargagni, Elena Giordano, Sabrina Signorini, Miriam Corradini, Ivana Olivieri, Ilaria De Giorgi, Maria Carmela Oliva, Antonio Trabacca, Elisa Fazzi, Serena Micheletti, Cristina Marinaccio, Elena Grosso and Emanuela Paglianoadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Children 2026, 13(5), 586; https://doi.org/10.3390/children13050586 - 23 Apr 2026
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Abstract
Background: Communication, language, and speech disorders are highly prevalent in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and substantially impact social, educational, and community participation. However, few studies have systematically characterized communicative and linguistic profiles using standardized assessments. This paper outlines the work of the [...] Read more.
Background: Communication, language, and speech disorders are highly prevalent in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and substantially impact social, educational, and community participation. However, few studies have systematically characterized communicative and linguistic profiles using standardized assessments. This paper outlines the work of the ‘Italian CP & Language Network’ over the last two years, focusing on identifying research priorities, developing specialized assessment protocols, and proposing a shared classification system for speech and language disorders in children with CP. Methods: A survey was sent to 11 specialized centers to investigate clinical practices and assessment tools. Based on the results and an extensive literature review, the group developed three age- and complexity-based diagnostic protocols and a shared classification system. Results: The survey highlighted high variability in test selection, especially for speech and pragmatic assessment, and a significant need for ad hoc tools for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Three standardized protocols were defined: (1) early language (<48 months), (2) school-age language and pragmatics (4–12 years), and (3) minimally verbal children (6–12 years). A multi-level classification system for language and speech disorders was proposed to improve diagnostic consistency. Conclusions: Standardizing assessment is a critical step toward early identification of communicative vulnerabilities to guide tailored interventions and promote participation and quality of life across developmental stages. The group provides a framework for prospective multicenter data collection to correlate linguistic and speech phenotypes with neuroradiological features and motor outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Children with Cerebral Palsy and Motor Impairment)
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13 pages, 242 KB  
Article
Mixed-Method Follow-Up of Toddler-Aged Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy After an Intense Physical/Occupational Therapy Intervention
by Heidi L. Pottinger, Nicole P. Yuan and Burris Duncan
Children 2026, 13(3), 321; https://doi.org/10.3390/children13030321 - 25 Feb 2026
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: A plethora of articles report the effectiveness of many different interventions for managing cerebral palsy (CP), but there are few long-term follow-up studies of children after an intervention designed to improve function in children with CP. This observational mixed-methods study examined the [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: A plethora of articles report the effectiveness of many different interventions for managing cerebral palsy (CP), but there are few long-term follow-up studies of children after an intervention designed to improve function in children with CP. This observational mixed-methods study examined the functional gains observed more than one year after toddlers completed a 48-week investigation that included 5 days per week for 12 weeks of occupational and physical therapy using the Perception-Action Approach (P-AA). The aim was to observe whether the functional gains made by the children continued to improve, plateaued, or declined at long-term follow-up. Methods: The sample was 23 children with a mild-to-moderate level of CP (Gross Motor Function Classification System I, II, or III) who completed the original study at least one year prior. The follow-up assessment included quantitative data using the Gross Motor Function Measure-66 (GMFM) and the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory-Functional Skills (PEDI-FS). Seventeen of 23 children were evaluated with both instruments. Qualitative data were collected from 14 of the 23 families who completed the PEDI-FS. Those families completed a survey with an open-ended questionnaire that assessed the caregivers’ perspectives about their children’s functioning and the impact of the intervention. Results: Findings from the quantitative data based on prognostic GMFM-66 developmental curves by age for children with CP: seven of the 17 children who had GMFM evaluations showed greater than expected improvement (all 5 with GMFCS II), four met the expected improvement, and six did not. Children with GMFCS II or III maintained their positions relative to the mean on the PEDI-FS mobility subset. Findings from the qualitative data revealed that some parents believed the intervention contributed to the changes in their children’s physical, mental, and social functioning. Many parents indicated that the study helped them overcome financial barriers related to accessing intensive therapies. Most parents reported that their child’s functioning was better than they expected when given the diagnosis of CP. Conclusions: Many months following an intense physical and occupational therapeutic intervention, based on predicted age-appropriate percentiles for motor function, roughly one-third of the children exceeded expectations, and one-third did not meet expectations. Despite the time invested in the intense protocol, caregivers felt the intervention was largely responsible for improvements in their children’s functioning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Children with Cerebral Palsy and Motor Impairment)

Review

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26 pages, 2300 KB  
Review
Promoting Functional Mobility in Individuals with Non-Ambulatory Cerebral Palsy: A Scoping Review of the MOVE Programme
by Riclef Schomerus, Ginny S. Paleg, Roslyn W. Livingstone, Britta Dawal and Liane Bächler
Children 2026, 13(2), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/children13020292 - 20 Feb 2026
Viewed by 2471
Abstract
Background/Objective: Mobility Opportunities Via Education (MOVE) is a structured intervention to enhance independent mobility skills in individuals who are non-ambulatory. This study aims at identifying and mapping the literature related to the MOVE programme and to describe its content according to preselected categories, [...] Read more.
Background/Objective: Mobility Opportunities Via Education (MOVE) is a structured intervention to enhance independent mobility skills in individuals who are non-ambulatory. This study aims at identifying and mapping the literature related to the MOVE programme and to describe its content according to preselected categories, focusing on individuals with non-ambulatory cerebral palsy. Methods: A scoping review was conducted, with thirteen databases searched in May 2024, complemented by reference search and private databases; the search was updated in August 2025. Publications after 1985 were included without restrictions on language, population, or context. Two reviewers independently screened records and extracted data using qualitative content analysis. Results: From 6794 records, 228 publications in 15 languages were included, mainly from the United States and Europe. MOVE was developed in the 1980s during a shift towards age-appropriate, functional interventions for individuals with severe disabilities. It is an early task-specific, activity-based and family-centred approach with retrospectively proposed foundations in dynamic systems theory and motor learning. Implementation follows a structured six-step process, embedding mobility training into daily routines. MOVE has been implemented across populations, settings, and countries, particularly for non-ambulatory individuals with cerebral palsy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Children with Cerebral Palsy and Motor Impairment)
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