Cerebral palsy can be described or classified in different ways - by:
- its impact on movement – spasticity, dyskinesia and ataxia
- the part of the body that it affects – hemiplegia, diplegia and quadriplegia.
The impact of cerebral palsy in terms of motor ability or function is commonly described by:
- its impact on gross motor skills (e.g. walking) and mobility – using the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS)
- its impact on fine motor skills (e.g. the ability to handle objects) – using the Manual Ability Classification System (MACS).
