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Physical activity in the life of a woman with cerebral palsy: physiotherapy, social exclusion, competence, and intimacy
- Authors:
- GASKIN Cadeyrn J., ANDERSON Mark B., MORRIS Tony
- Journal article citation:
- Disability and Society, 27(2), March 2012, pp.205-218.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
People with cerebral palsy often lead sedentary lives which can compromise their health and functional well-being. This case study aimed to understand the impact of inactivity in depth at an individual level. A 29-year-old minimally active woman with cerebral palsy (Alana) was interviewed about the meanings and experiences of physical activity throughout her life. Her responses suggested that she had adverse childhood experiences with physical activity, including: having to perform difficult, and sometimes painful, physiotherapy; wearing callipers to assist her walking; demonstrating limited competence at physical activity; being excluded from physical education and other organised physical activity at school; and feeling socially isolated from her classmates. These experiences appear to have contribute to feelings of difference/inferiority and Alana’s subsequent avoidance of physical activity, which, in turn, might have contributed to premature functional decline. It is suggested that physical activity levels in people with cerebral palsy might be increased through focusing on enhancing childhood experiences. Strong social motives seemed to underlie decisions to be physically active. Parents, teachers, and other caregivers need to assist children with cerebral palsy to integrate into the physical (and, therefore, social) worlds of their peers.