Which Disability Benefits are available to me if I have Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a shorthand term used to classify a group of non-progressive and non-contagious motor conditions. CP is believed to be the result of non-progressive disturbances that occurred in the brain during the fetal or infant stages.
The physical disability affects body movement – muscle control, muscle coordination, muscle tone, reflex, posture, and balance. A person’s fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and oral motor functioning can also be inhibited.
Cerebral Palsy Symptoms & Treatments
Every CP case is unique to the individual. It can vary wildly based on the type or timing of injury to the developing brain. For example, one person may be completely paralyzed, and require constant care, while another may have partial paralysis, slight movement tremors, and doesn’t require as much assistance.
With a wide disparity in the severity of CP cases, cerebral palsy symptoms can vary just as much. Some general movement & coordination problems associated with CP can include:
• Variations in muscle tone (Eg. too stiff, too floppy)
• Stiff muscles and exaggerated reflexes (spasticity)
• Stiff muscles with normal reflexes (rigidity)
• Lack of muscle coordination (ataxia)
• Tremors, involuntary movements
• Slow, writhing movements (athetosis)
• Favouring one side of the body (reaching with one hand, dragging a leg)
• Excessive drooling or problems swallowing
• Difficulty eating
• Delays in speech development, difficulty speaking
• Seizures
All of the known types and subtypes of CP are considered incurable; therefore, cerebral palsy is regarded as a lifelong condition. Cerebral palsy treatment focuses on preventing and controlling other complications that may arise as a result of the cerebral palsy. Therapies, adaptive equipment, medication, surgical interventions, and alternative medicines have all been utilized in cerebral palsy treatments.
How Can the NBA Help Me?
Considering how severe cerebral palsy symptoms can become, cerebral palsy disability benefits are available through the Canada Revenue Agency to offset treatment costs. But, many differently-abled Canadians who qualify for CP disability don’t submit a claim to the CRA, as the application process can become tedious and lengthy.
Why not have your Canadian disability benefits claim put together by our experts?
The National Benefit Authority was founded as a one-stop, easy-to-access resource that Canadians can turn to for help to claim the Disability Tax Credit that’s both needed, and deserved.
No need to inundate yourself with the potentially overwhelming information to determine your Disability Tax Credit eligibility. Don’t work alone in completing the lengthy Disability Tax Credit application (Form T2201). The NBA will assist with every step necessary to recover your DTC, or Child Disability Tax Credit. Our in-house team specializes in the DTC, and follows up directly with the Canadian Revenue Agency.
As our testimonials can attest to, we’re Canada’s top service provider for all things related to the Canadian Disability Tax Credit. We’ve assisted over 40,000 Canadians in successfully claiming disabled tax credits of upwards of $50,000 per application!
