A person with cerebral palsy is born with a condition that permanently impairs normal muscle movement.

Cerebral palsy is a permanent movement disorder that occurs before birth, at the time of birth or soon after birth. The disorder is caused by an abnormality in the brain. The brain is unable to send messages to the nerves that control muscle movement and, as a result, muscles do not function properly. Cerebral palsy can affect the muscles of the face, neck, trunk, or limbs.