Cerebral Palsy Research Network - CPRN

06/05/2026

Planning summer travel with cerebral palsy? ☀️✈️

Traveling with a disability can come with extra challenges, but with careful planning, flexibility and lots of patience, summer adventures are possible. From accessible destinations to helpful travel tips from families and wheelchair users, there are more tools than ever to help make traveling smoother and more enjoyable.

Read the full article for summer travel tips, accessibility resources, and inspiration for your next trip, and tell us some of your favorite destinations and why. 🌍♿

🔗 https://cprn.org/cerebral-palsy-traveling/

ID: A young girl wearing sunglasses and a colorful hat sits in a mobility device at the edge of the Grand Canyon, with the canyon's expansive rock formations and a bright blue sky filled with clouds stretching behind her. The photo highlights accessible travel and the opportunity to experience breathtaking destinations.

06/04/2026

“It’s so important to spread awareness of not only the challenges we face every day, but what our true capacity is with proper accessibility accommodations and inclusivity initiatives.” 💚

Thank you to Bree Andrews for this powerful reminder that accessibility and inclusion create opportunities for people with CP to thrive, succeed, and fully participate in their communities.

ID: A quote graphic from the Cerebral Palsy Research Network featuring Bre Andrews shares her message about raising awareness of both the daily challenges and the true potential of people with disabilities when accessibility accommodations and inclusive initiatives are in place. The graphic includes a photo of Bre, decorative quotation marks, and the CPRN logo.

06/03/2026

Perimenopause and menopause can bring noticeable changes in your body and how you feel. From hot flashes and sleep changes to bone health and heart disease risk, understanding these transitions and how to best support your health and wellbeing is important to discuss with your healthcare providers.

Our Adult Toolkit shares information about gynecological, reproductive and breast health and includes informaiton about perimenopause and menopause.

Check it out today beginning on page 86!
🔗 https://cprn.org/our-toolkits/

ID: Graphic titled "Menopause & CP: What You Should Know" on a teal-green background. The center image shows an older woman sitting on a couch indoors, holding a red handheld fan and appearing to cool herself, representing a hot flash. Below the image, text reads: "Adults with CP may face increased health risks during perimenopause and menopause, making awareness and conversations with healthcare providers especially important." The Cerebral Palsy Research Network logo appears at the bottom, with decorative cream-colored abstract shapes framing the design.

06/02/2026

💡 : Looking for practical tools, information, and support for life with cerebral palsy?

The Cerebral Palsy Research Network offers free toolkits/resources to support individuals with CP, family members, and their caregivers!

• The CP Tool Kit
• The Dystonia in Cerebral Palsy Toolkit
• The Wellbeing Guide for Parents and Caregivers
• NEW! The Adult Cerebral Palsy Toolkit

Whether you are newly navigating a diagnosis, supporting a loved one, or looking for resources for adulthood, there are a lot of resources here for the community!

Explore all of the toolkits: https://cprn.org/our-toolkits/

ID: Graphic from the Cerebral Palsy Research Network featuring a collection of free educational resources. Several CPRN toolkit covers are displayed on a green background, including The Cerebral Palsy Toolkit: From Diagnosis to Understanding, Navigating Life with Cerebral Palsy (The Adult CP Toolkit), and additional guides for individuals with CP and their families. Photos of children, adults, caregivers, and community members are incorporated into the designs, highlighting the diverse experiences of the cerebral palsy community. The CPRN logo appears at the top, and the words "FREE Resources" are prominently displayed at the bottom.

06/01/2026

🧠💪 Want to improve your health and well-being as an adult with CP?

We’ve teamed up with the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) to offer the MENTOR program — Mindfulness, Exercise, Nutrition To Optimize Resilience for Adults. This FREE 8-week wellness program is designed to help adults with disabilities create lasting healthy habits. 🌿

Here’s what you can expect:

✅ Mindfulness - Focuses on mindfulness to give you a clear and focused outlook on your wellness journey, allowing you to continue to meet your wellness goals long after the program has ended.
✅ Exercise - Adapts to your exercise goals and needs, providing comprehensive classes and equipment.
✅ Nutrition - A registered dietitian will help you create a foundation in nutrition to better your health and be mindful about the foods you put in your body.
✅ Resilience - A holistic approach to resilience merges mental, physical and emotional health to optimize the way you live.
Once delivered exclusively in rehab centers, MENTOR is now available in a more accessible and flexible format to fit your lifestyle. As always, check with your healthcare provider before starting any new exercise or wellness routine.

🔗 Learn more about MENTOR: https://cprn.org/mentor-program/

🔗 Discover other wellness programs from NCHPAD: https://www.nchpad.org/nchpad-connect/

ID: Graphic promoting the CP Research Network MENTOR Program, a free mindfulness, exercise, and nutrition program for adults with cerebral palsy offered in partnership with NCHPAD. The image features green and gray branding, highlights the program pillars of Mindfulness, Exercise, Nutrition, Optimize, and Resilience, and includes a photo of two adults, one using a wheelchair. The graphic notes that MENTOR is an 8-week, 40-hour program designed to build knowledge, improve health, and develop sustainable skills.

05/29/2026

Healthcare for Adults with CP:

We are strategically changing adult healthcare visits and interventions to align with concerns and goals that our community members say matter most to them.

The video features CP experts from several specialties, including neurology, orthopedics, physiatry, and CP research, discussing common and sometimes overlooked health conditions affecting people with CP, particularly adults. This video was presented as part of a recent adult health study where community members shared their satisfaction with their healthcare providers.

🎥 Don't miss this educational video on adult healthcare topics in CP and help us make faster progress by sharing it with other people, including healthcare providers:

If you missed the webinar where the study related to this video was presented, you can read the blog post and access the webinar link here: https://cprn.org/mycp-webinar-on-adult-healthcare-satisfaction/

05/28/2026

Missed our webinar on chronic pain in cerebral palsy? The replay is now available to watch on YouTube. 🎥

Dr. Eric Chin shared insights on why pain can affect people with CP so differently and how current research is helping improve pain management strategies for the CP community.

Watch the replay on YouTube:

During this webinar Dr. Eric Chin, a neurologist from Kennedy Krieger Institute, presents research on why pain affects people with CP so differently.Understa...

05/26/2026

☕🎙️ Adults with CP: Looking for community, connection, and conversations around health and wellness?

We’re sharing an episode of the Wellness, Health & Everything Else podcast which features Stephanie Ward, Program Coordinator for the NCHPAD Coffee Club. In the episode, Stephanie shares how the virtual Coffee Club helps people with disabilities build friendships, stay connected, and explore topics related to health and wellness in a welcoming community space.

Tune in to learn more about the inspiring work happening through NCHPAD Coffee Club and the importance of meaningful connection. 💙

🔗

We talk with NCHPAD Coffee Club Coordinator Stephanie Ward. We discuss the history and goals of this program and what to expect in each session!

05/22/2026

Keeping things moving matters 💩

Constipation is one of the most common complaints our community shares with its healthcare providers. Constipation in CP can be caused by many issues, such as:

1. less activity or movement
2. Differences in how the muscles involved in moving the bowels can be impacted by CP. It's not just movement ability that's affected in CP, but also the internal muscles that rely on movement and coordination.
3. Side effects from medications
4. Reducing the use of hydration by some people with CP to limit trips to the bathroom
5. What you eat. Hydration, standing/movement, nutrition, and access to supportive care can all support bowel health.

As one community advocate shared, these challenges can become more difficult with age, making education and proactive care even more important.

Our Adult Cerebral Palsy Toolkit includes helpful information, practical strategies, and resources to support overall health and well-being.

👉 Explore the toolkit today and learn more about what we know about bowel, bladder, and kidney health.

🔗 https://cprn.org/our-toolkits/

ID: A green Cerebral Palsy Research Network graphic featuring the headline “Keeping Things Moving Matters.” In the center is a photo of a person sitting on a toilet while holding their lower back and abdomen in discomfort. Below the image, the text reads: “Constipation is one of the most common complaints our community shares with their healthcare providers.” The CPRN logo appears at the bottom of the graphic with abstract cream-colored design accents in the corners.

05/21/2026

Changing perceptions. Building opportunities. Creating a path for the next generation. 💚

“We have worked for years to have adapted sports included in our district. He is the first wheelchair athlete to compete with his school, laying the foundation for all the kids that come after him and changing perceptions of what kids that require equipment to navigate life can do. They are athletes too.” — Dawn McKeag

Stories like this remind us why representation, inclusion, and access matter. Every barrier broken opens the door for someone else.

ID: A graphic from the CP Research Network featuring a quote by Dawn McKeag about inclusion in adapted sports. The design has a light beige background with a bright pink border and large teal quotation marks in the top left and bottom right corners. Centered in teal text, the quote reads: “We have worked for years to have adapted sports included in our district. He is the first wheelchair athlete to compete with his school. Laying the foundation for all the kids that come after him. And changing perceptions of what kids that require equipment to navigate life can do. They are athletes too.” The quote is credited to Dawn McKeag beneath the text. In the bottom left corner is a circular photo of a wheelchair athlete racing on a track alongside runners during a track event. The CP Research Network logo appears near the bottom center of the graphic.