07873 990399Enquire

Home / Who we help / Cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy, children and adults

When the brain finds ease, movement can follow.

Cerebral palsy begins in the brain, so that is where we start. Through slow, connected touch and small, varied movements, we help the brain notice new possibilities and organise the whole body with more comfort and ease. We work with babies, children and adults, and we start from what is already possible.

See if we can helpCall 07873 990399
We reply the same day in office hours.
A boy smiling over his shoulder during a lesson with Sharon Oliensis
World class practitioners
Senior practitioners and ABM trainers who travel to us from the US and Europe, alongside our skilled UK practitioners
One to one
Every lesson is just you or your child and the practitioner, for up to 45 minutes
Intensives
Lessons concentrated over a few days, so the brain can build on each one
Roehampton and beyond
Our main centre is in south west London, with practitioners across the UK and visits to Ireland, Scotland and Wales

You are not alone

What families often tell us first

Most families who contact us have already worked hard for years. These are the things we hear most often.

Effort

Everything takes so much effort

Tight muscles, held breath and movements that cost a lot of energy. Rest can be hard to find, even when lying down.

Plateau

Progress has stalled

Months or years of exercises, and the gains have levelled off. Repeating the same movements is not producing anything new.

Comfort

Discomfort and poor sleep

Pain, reflux, restless nights or a child who struggles to settle anywhere but in your arms.

Hope

Being told what is not possible

Predictions built on a diagnosis, rather than on what your child is actually showing you.

How we work

Working with the brain that organises movement

Most approaches to cerebral palsy work on the muscles: stretching what is tight, strengthening what is weak, repeating a movement until it sticks. But the patterns of tightness and effort are organised by the brain. When the brain does not have a clear picture of the body, it holds on.

Many parents have spent years doing exercise programmes at home, often on autopilot because there is so much else to manage. Movement done mechanically gives the brain very little to learn from. What makes the difference is connection: slowing down, paying attention to how a movement feels and meeting your child where they are. That quality of connection is what the 9 Essentials describe, and it is something parents and carers can learn to bring into everyday life.

In an ABM NeuroMovement lesson, the practitioner meets the person where they are. Using slow, gentle touch and many small variations of movement, they give the brain information it can actually use. Once the brain notices a difference, it can learn from it, and find easier ways to organise the whole body. Nothing is forced, and nobody is asked to do what they cannot yet do.

Comfort is often the first thing to change, and it matters because it is a foundation. A body that is less tense and less tired has more capacity to learn, and each change becomes a building block for the next. People feel it themselves, and those around them see it in how they rest, sleep and engage, and then in how they move. This is true at any age, from babies to adults.

What people often notice

  • Less effort and tension in everyday movement
  • More comfort, easier rest and better sleep
  • Better posture and balance
  • New movements emerging, sometimes ones that were never directly worked on
  • A calmer, more alert and more engaged child or adult

Every person is different, and we cannot promise specific outcomes. We will always tell you honestly what we see.

Cypress's story: cerebral palsy and ABM NeuroMovement
“I literally saw my child come to life. She was so alert and aware during and after her first lesson.”
Abi, mother of Annabelle, who has dystonic cerebral palsy
More about how ABM NeuroMovement works

What to expect

Why lessons can look quieter than you expect

Many parents have seen a child placed into standing, or balanced on a ball. Those moments look like big progress, and it is natural to want them. But when a child is held in a position their brain cannot yet organise, they often hold themselves up with effort and extra tone. That can increase tightness, and it rarely carries over into everyday life.

In a lesson we work on what sits underneath: how the head, spine, ribs and pelvis organise together. It can look subtle from the outside. The changes parents tell us about show up at home: a softer body, easier rest, and new movements the child finds and owns for themselves, including sitting, standing and walking when the brain is ready for them.

We cannot promise specific outcomes. What we can promise is that we will explain what we are doing and why, and show you what we are seeing as it happens.

Watch

More stories

Cerebral palsy case reviews, part 1
Cerebral palsy case reviews, part 2

Next dates

Upcoming intensive dates

Intensives usually run from Wednesday to Sunday, though the format sometimes differs. These are the dates for our visiting international practitioners, and for weekend lessons at our centre. Places are limited, so families usually book a few weeks ahead.

Ask about these datesSee all dates

Getting started

Three steps to your first intensive

  1. Tell us about you

    The enquiry form takes about three minutes. It helps us prepare, so your call is about you rather than general questions.

  2. A call with us

    Around 20 minutes. We talk through what you have tried and what you are hoping for, and share fees and availability. If we do not think we can help, we will say so.

  3. Your first intensive

    Most people start with an intensive of 6 to 10 one to one lessons over a few days. Intensives start from £450 with our UK practitioners, and from £810 with our visiting international practitioners.

See if we can helpPackages and prices

Common questions

Before you get in touch

How old does my child need to be?

There is no lower or upper age limit. We work with babies from a few weeks old, with children and teenagers, and with adults. The brain keeps its capacity to learn throughout life.

Can this help with spasticity or dystonia?

Many families tell us that tone, tension and involuntary movement ease as the brain finds better organisation. We cannot promise a specific outcome. We will tell you honestly what we see after the first lessons.

How many lessons will we need?

Most families start with an intensive of 6 to 10 lessons over three to five days. The brain builds on what it learns, so families who continue month by month, usually over three months or more, tend to see the deepest change. Many of our longest standing families have cerebral palsy.

Do we have to stop other therapies?

During an intensive we usually recommend pausing other therapies, so the brain has space to take in what it is learning and you can see clearly what is helping. Anything medical, and anything your medical team has prescribed, should always continue.

Who are the lessons for?
How would you like to have lessons?
Where could you have lessons? Tick any that work for you.
Lessons are privately funded. Is that something you can plan for?
This work builds over time, and most families see the most value over three months or more. How do you feel about that?