Cerebral palsy is a condition in which there may be abnormal brain development or injury to the brain as it develops. This can occur before, during, after birth or during early childhood when the brain is growing. Cerebral palsy in itself is not one specific disease and is an “umbrella term” which applies to a collection of conditions where there is primarily a disorder of voluntary movement and/or co-ordination. Children with cerebral palsy have difficulties in controlling muscles and movements as they grow and develop. The nature and extent of these difficulties may change as children grow but cerebral palsy itself is not progressive: the injury or impairment in the brain does not change. 

Cerebral palsy can have mild to severe manifestations. Often Cerebral Palsy does not necessarily incapacitate the patient entirely as part of the brain which controls our thinking is different from the part which controls our movements. Hence many people with cerebral palsy can have normal intelligence inspite of motor and movement difficulties.