Perfect harmony | Bangkok Post: news

Mon and his mother arrive at the clinic for his weekly physical and occupational therapy appointment. Now three-and-a-half-years-old, Mon suffers from spastic cerebral palsy and has spent more hours of his life in doctors' offices and medical clinics than some people do in 20 years. He is a happy, bright child trapped in a body that has not physically developed in a way typical of children his age. His ability to speak is severely delayed along with his ability to sit up unassisted, to walk and to have stable control over his arms and hands.

Despite all of these challenges Mon is usually smiling and is very compliant with his caregivers. He allows his body to be pinched and prodded through medical exams and therapy interventions, working on muscle control and verbal responses. The whole process leaves him tired and grumpy by midday and some days he is only able to participate in physical and occupational therapy for 30 to 45 minutes before the exhaustion sets in.

Regardless, Mon's doctors and his mother persist with treatments knowing that the more intervention Mon receives as a youngster, the better his prognosis is for acquiring activities of daily living that are consistent with typical development. The more skills Mon acquires, the better his quality of life.