Development Disorders Differentiating Between Cerebral Palsy and Autism Spectrum Disorder

As you watch your child grow, you expect them to achieve certain milestones, markers of how healthy and functional they are. But what if your little one can’t? You may notice they have difficulty moving or communicating. Maybe they’re unresponsive to affection, or they have trouble grasping simple concepts. In this scenario, your child could be suffering from a cognitive disorder. The two most common conditions with these symptoms are Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Cerebral Palsy. So let’s try and understand the similarities and differences between the two and what they mean for your child, and demystify the causes, symptoms, and treatment of Cerebral Palsy and Autism

What is Cerebral Palsy?

 Cerebral Palsy is a group of disorders that affect muscle tone, movement, or posture. It is connected to damage that occurs to the immature brain as it develops. Early signs include unusual reflexes, floppiness or rigidity of the limbs or torso, abnormal posture, unsteady movements, or a combination of several of these symptoms. The effect of the condition varies greatly from person to person — in some it even affects intellect, though this is not always the case.

What is ASD?

ASD is a spectrum of cognitive disorders related to brain development that affect how a person perceives and understands the world around them. The disorder often causes abnormalities in social interaction, communication, and behavior. ASD begins in early childhood, as young as six months, and you may see symptoms such as lack of eye contact, no babbling or ‘baby talk’, not responding to their name, lack of smiles or warm expressions, lack of communicative gestures, lack of interest or enjoyment in social interaction, etc.

Let’s look at them side by side:

 

	Cerebral Palsy	ASD
Causes	Genetic abnormalities Prenatal infections that affect the development of the fetus Postnatal infections that cause inflammation around the brain Internal bleeding in the brain before or upon delivery Traumatic head injury as an infant Birth-related asphyxia (lack of oxygen to the brain during delivery)	No single underlying cause — though there is some link to inflammation in the brain Possible genetic component Possible, but unconfirmed, environmental causes   Note: There is no link between vaccines and Autism Spectrum Disorder
Symptoms	Variations in muscle tone — too stiff or too floppy Spasticity (stiff muscles, exaggerated reflexes) Rigidity (stiff muscles, normal reflexes) Lack of balance and coordination Tremors or involuntary movements Difficulty walking — walking on toes, etc Delays in motor skill development Favoring one side of the body Delays in speech development or difficulty speaking Learning difficulties Seizures	Has poor eye contact and lacks facial expression Fails to respond to or appears not to hear their name when called Communication issues — can’t start or maintain a conversation, speaks with an abnormal rhythm, repeats words or phrases verbatim, doesn’t seem to understand simple questions or directions, difficulty recognizing nonverbal cues, doesn’t point at objects or share interests, etc. Patterns of behavior such as repetitive movements like rocking, spinning, or hand flapping, harmful activities such as biting or headbutting, specific routines or rituals, fascination in details of objects but not the overall purpose, fixation on an object or activity with an abnormal focus Specific food preferences based on sensory feel Sensitivity to light and sound Problems with coordination or has odd movement patterns, such as clumsiness or walking on toes, and has odd, stiff, or exaggerated body language
Treatment	Muscle and nerve injections Oral muscle relaxants Physical therapy Occupational Therapy Speech and Language Therapy Recreational Therapy Stem Cell Therapy Surgery	Behavioral and communication therapy Education therapy Family Therapy Speech and Language Therapy Occupational Therapy Psychotherapy Stem Cell Therapy Medication to control some physical or psychological symptoms

When put side by side, it is easy to see that there are similarities in how these two conditions present themselves, particularly in early childhood, as well as the treatment of Autism and Cerebral Palsy. That’s why it’s important to not look at symptoms in a silo but to take a holistic approach to minimize misdiagnosis. This is especially relevant as these have been known to co-occur. In such cases, doctors may need to look at similarities in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy and ASD.

Stem Cell Therapy in the treatment of Autism and treatment of Cerebral Palsy

Both conditions can be tied to inflammation in the brain. As such, both are prime candidates for Stem Cell Therapy. Stem Cells are cells that have no assigned role — they can mature into blood cells, muscle cells, and even brain cells, whatever the body needs at the time. These cells can be safely extracted from a person’s bone marrow, processed, and then injected into the area that needs healing. They boast a regenerative property that helps detoxify the surrounding area and can replace damaged cells to reduce inflammation. When applied to neurons, this means that it can promise significant improvement in people who suffer from inflammation in the brain — making it an ideal choice in the treatment of Autism and Cerebral Palsy.

Cerebral Palsy and ASD are both conditions that manifest in early childhood, but this does not mean that children and adults living with one or more of these conditions can’t be happy and otherwise healthy. You could say that the most important similarity between the two is that with the right support, both medically and personally, people who live with these diagnoses can live full and happy lives.