Cerebral Palsy Alliance: Early detection centres receive ‘life-changing’ funding boost

One in 700 Australian is children born with cerebral palsy and experts say access to early intervention therapies can be life-changing, even for babies as young as two months old.

More Australian children living with cerebral palsy will be able to benefit from early intervention therapies, thanks to a funding boost from the Coca-Cola Australia Foundation.

The $14,000 grant, awarded to the Cerebral Palsy Alliance, will “help make early diagnosis of cerebral palsy possible”, occupational therapist Jane Berry said.

Berry, who works at the CPA’s Randwick Early Diagnosis Clinic, said for the one in 700 Australian children born with cerebral palsy, early detection can be life-changing.

“Babies aged 12 months or younger can be referred to the [Early Detection] Clinics who are at risk of having cerebral palsy,” Berry said.

“We see babies as young as two to three months of age [and] in the past five years, we have seen over 400 babies across our three clinics.”

Cerebral Palsy Alliance occupational therapist and Early Diagnosis Clinic co-ordinator Jane Berry. Picture: Supplied

She said the average age of diagnosis for babies attending the clinics was eight months old.

“This is much lower compared with five years ago before the clinics started, when the average age of diagnosis in Australia was around 18 months to two years,” Berry said.

“It is very important to start therapy early because the brain learns so fast during this time. Families also benefit from knowing what is happening with their baby.”

Seven-year-old Anika Facer was referred to the Cerebral Palsy Alliance as a six-week-old baby, a move her mother Kylie Facer said was “a complete blessing”.

“Having Anika’s therapies start at such a young age can only have helped her development,” the Hunter Valley mum said.

“Every child should have the right to access these services, including kids in rural and remote areas.

Anika Facer has been helped through the Cerebral Palsy Alliance early diagnosis clinics. Picture: Supplied

“And it should be a connection that is made at the time of brain injury being identified. That’s where Cerebral Palsy Alliance’s expertise kicks in – through their research, they understand the importance of early diagnosis and intervention having an amazing ability to rewire the brain.”

The CPA was one of 38 charities sharing in more than $568,000 as part of the Coca-Cola Australia Foundation’s 2023 Employee Connected Grants program.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners employee Tabitha Satkunarajah nominated CPA for the grant after her daughter benefited from attending the Early Diagnosis Clinic in Randwick.

“Cerebral Palsy Alliance is an organisation incredibly close to my heart,” she said.

“When my daughter was born, she was deemed at high risk for Cerebral Palsy due to neurological complications.

“Thanks to the wonderful team of experts at CPA and their world-class early diagnosis facilities, she’s now a thriving and energetic four-year-old, living life to the fullest.”

Originally published as Cerebral Palsy Alliance: Early detection centres receive ‘life-changing’ funding boost