As the person with cerebral palsy reaches adulthood finding a new set of doctors often means limited options. The Cerebral Palsy Research Network acknowledges this difficulty, and is currently working to make telehealth options a possibility for our adult community members.

In the meantime we encourage you to search the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM) database of professionals. This is a voluntary list/database of members that is a helpful starting point for people with cerebral palsy and finding doctors and therapists who self-identify as treating patients with cerebral palsy. It’s important to note that this list does not mean that the AACPDM is endorsing the professionals included.

In addition, some of the children’s hospitals and medical centers throughout the United States continue to provide care into adulthood.

If you are not able to find a knowledgeable professional through the AACPDM website, you can post an inquiry on the MyCP Forum and we will do our best to find you an appropriate provider.

Some of these include:
• UCLA
• Cincinnati Children’s
• Gillette Specialty Care
• Johns Hopkins
• University Michigan Medical Center
• Nationwide Children’s Hospital
• Rady Children’s Hospital
• UNC
• Shirley Ryan Ability Lab
Yale University

The Weinberg Family CP Center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York also provides adult orthopedic care and refers to local providers for specialty care.

You may also wish to join our community registry, MyCP where you can interact with community members and clinicians about your experiences with cerebral palsy. Although this is not a space to receive medical or treatment advice, you can ask for information on the state of evidence for a particular condition. You may also ask peers about their experiences with a condition or even with the challenges they have faced in securing health care specialists.

Do you need financial assistance in traveling to or covering co-payments?  Our friends at Cerebral Palsy Positive might be able to help.

For more information on cerebral palsy and finding doctors, download our free cerebral palsy tool kit.