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Children's Hemiplegia & Stroke Association
Support for Children with Mild to Moderate Hemiplegia, Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy due to Infant Stroke or Childhood Stroke

Welcome to the Children's Hemiplegia and Stroke Association, CHASA, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, offering support and information to families of infants, children, and young adults who have hemiplegia or hemiplegic cerebral palsy.  Hemiplegia in children is due to a number of different causes and includes blood vessel disorders (stroke), infection, trauma, tumors, and other rare causes. The most common cause of hemiplegia in children is infant stroke or childhood stroke.

Childhood Stroke Awareness Day
May 3, 2008
(Always the first Saturday in May)
Childhood Stroke Awareness 2008 Campaign Website

NEW Infant and Childhood Stroke Fact Sheet - revised April 2008

NEW Upcoming 2008 Family Events

NEW Video demonstrating how to tie a shoe with limited use of one hand

NEW CHASA has established the Megan Chesney Scholarship Fund in honor of Megan Chesney, a delightful teen who has supported CHASA families in many ways over the past seven years. Read more about Megan's efforts to help teens and young adults who have hemiplegia.

NEW Help CHASA Stop Stroke in Children by donating funds for research. CHASA Research Awards are presented to institutions or organizations on behalf of a principal investigator in support of pilot studies in infant or childhood stroke/hemiplegia research. 
Make a donation to the CHASA Research Award fund.

Online E-mail Support Group for families of children who have mild to moderate hemiplegia, hemiparesis, or hemiplegic cerebral palsy. Several of these families have children who have survived an in utero or childhood stroke. Others have hemiplegia due to brain bleeds, prematurity, genetic causes, or infection.

Local Support Groups for families of children who have hemiplegia, hemiparesis, or hemiplegic cerebral palsy.

Newly Diagnosed Parent to Parent Support - We will match you with mentor families who have been through and understand those stressful early days experienced by parents after their child receives a diagnosis of hemiplegia or unilateral stroke.  Parents can talk with you via email or phone. They cannot provide medical advice.

Stroke in an infant or child is one of the major causes of hemiplegia, hemiparesis, or hemiplegic cerebral palsy.  Approximately 95% of the families involved with CHASA have a child who is an infant unilateral stroke survivor.  To learn more about stroke in infants and children, visit our Kids Have Strokes website.

Site Index, located at the bottom of this page, will provide you with links to a variety of information that will help families of children who have hemiplegia deal with the day to day issues which challenge our children.  

Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy, Prenatal Stroke, Hemiparesis - Support for Families by the Children's Hemipleiga And Stroke Association

Site Index  more detailed links at the bottom of this page

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Hemiplegia
Cerebral Palsy
Rehabilitation or Therapy
Online Support
Local Support
Resources in your State
Family Retreat
Daily Living
Education
College
Medical
Seizures
Newly Diagnosed
Parents
Insurance/Finance
Sports
Scrapbook
About CHASA 
History
  
Who We Serve

You Can Help
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Contact Us

Children's Hemiplegia and Stroke Association
Suite 305, # 149
4101 W. Green Oaks 
Arlington, TX  76016   

Ongoing Projects of CHASA

Online e-mail support group, Hemi-Kids, offers parents a place to discuss concerns. Some of the topics discussed include hemiplegia, hemiplegic cerebral palsy, pediatric stroke, causes of hemiplegia or stroke in infants or children, treatments, physical therapy, occupational therapy, dealing with schools, IEP, learning disabilities, behavioral difficulties, emotional issues. Parents also offer emotional support, ask and answer questions, and provide "shoulders to lean on". They've been there and understand what you're going through.  Membership is free and includes access to over 300,000 archived messages with search feature.

CHASA website provides over 300 pages of information on topics that are helpful for families of children who have hemiplegia or hemiplegic cerebral palsy.  Content is provided by parents of children who have hemiplegia, children and young adults who have hemiplegia, doctors, and therapists.

Local support database. We can help you locate other families of children who have hemiplegia in your state or country.  We have created databases for families in each state and country so that you can find support closer to home. This is important for doctor and therapist referrals, tips on dealing with the local school system, and allowing their child who has hemiplegia the opportunity to actually meet another child with hemiplegia. At CHASA do not want these children to feel alone, so much of our efforts go to help connect families of children who have hemiplegia.  

College Scholarships offered to young adults who currently have hemiplegia or hemiparesis due to a childhood stroke or other cause. 


What are some of the common treatments received by children who have hemiplegic cerebral palsy?

Treatments for hemiplegic cerebral palsy are intended to improve strength and range of motion, prevent contractures, and increase function.  Physical therapy, occupational therapy, braces or orthotics, electrical stimulation, medications, and surgery are some of the treatments received by children who have hemiplegic cerebral palsy.  

Children may also receive speech and language therapy and special educational services to help with learning differences.

 

What is hemiplegia or hemiplegic cerebral palsy? 

Hemiplegia, also known as hemiplegic cerebral palsy when diagnosed in children,  is a condition involving paralysis or partial paralysis of one side of the body. In child or infant hemiplegic cerebral palsy, there is damage to part of the brain and this may occur in utero, at birth, or later, as a result of accident, illness or pediatric stroke.  Hemiplegia is sometimes known hemiparesis, meaning a partial paralysis of one side of the body.

Signs of hemiplegia, hemiparesis, or hemiplegic cerebral palsy may include:

 

Perinatal arterial ischemic stroke is the most common known cause of cerebral palsy in term and near-term infants.  Arterial ischemia occurring during the 3 days surround birth is reported to be responsible for 50% to 70% of congenital hemiplegic cerebral palsy.

For infant and childhood stroke information visit the Kids Have Strokes website

Information on infant and childhood stroke, including diagnosing stroke in an infant or child, causes of pediatric stroke, childhood stroke facts, how you can help increase awareness of pediatric stroke, and updates on the latest in utero, infant, and childhood stroke research.  You'll also find a list of pediatric stroke researchers and a list of infant and childhood stroke clinical trials and studies which need participants.

Cerebral Palsy, Child Paralysis, Infant Paralyzed

Local Support We'll help you locate other families of children who have hemiplegia in your state or country.

The  HEMI-KIDS EMAIL SUPPORT GROUP is a place where parents can talk with other parents about their questions or concerns regarding their child.  Parents are discussing  things like how to cope, physical therapy, speech therapy, diagnosis of stroke or hemiplegia, sibling issues, dealing with the school system and much more. 

NEW Cerebral palsy after perinatal arterial ischemic stroke

NEW Fingertip force control during bimanual object lifting in hemiplegic cerebral palsy

Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy and toe-walking

Changes in muscle activity in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy while walking with and without ankle-foot orthoses

Gait strategy of uninvolved limb in children with spastic hemiplegia

Analysis of reaching and grasping movements in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy

Cerebral Palsy Research Registry

For infant and childhood stroke research news, visit the Kids Have Strokes website.


Fourteen years ago, CHASA's founder learned  that her daughter was a stroke survivor at the young age of seven days. They learned that she could have hemiplegia. When the child was four months old, her physical therapist began to see the signs of hemiplegic cerebral palsy.

These parents searched for other parents to talk with about infant hemiplegia and infant stroke. They couldn't imagine handling all the therapies and medical issues without the support of other parents. This was the beginning of the Children's Hemiplegia and Stroke Association (CHASA).  CHASA is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and is the result of the part-time volunteer work of two moms of children who have hemiplegia.

If you would like support or information, please join our online support group where you'll find other parents who understand the issues surrounding a child who has hemiplegia or childhood stroke. 

The Children's Hemiplegia and Stroke Association is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization. 
Tax ID: 75-2831215

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Purchase items by clicking on the image above and amazon.com will donate part of the proceeds to CHASA.
Site Index
Pediatric Stroke
Visit the New
Kids Have Strokes
website for information on infant and childhood stroke

Medical
Alteriovenous Malformations
Cerebral Palsy
Hemiplegia
Hemispherectomy
Hydrocephalus
Medical Links

Periventricular Leukomalacia

Research Clinical Trials

Seizures
Spasticity

Surgery for Epilepsy

Vision

Medical Dictionary

Newly Diagnosed
Definition

Finances

Types of providers  
Early Intervention Services
Infant Development
Disability Links

Rehabilitation or Therapy
(see Upper/Lower Extremity for physical and occupational therapy)

Baclofen

Conductive Education

Hyperbaric Oxygen
Sensory Integration
Stem Cell Therapy
Therapeutic Riding
Hippotherapy
Therapy Equipment

Upper Extremity Therapy
(arm, wrist, hand)

Occupational Therapy

Hand Play
Hand Splints

Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy

Surgery Upper Extremity

Lower Extremity Therapy
(leg, foot)

Gait

Orthotics

Physical Therapy

Surgery Lower Extremity
Orthotics

Sports
Benefits of Sports for Children with Cerebral Palsy

Baseball, softball
Dance
Fishing
Gymnastics
Hiking
Karate
Skating

Skiing

Soccer
Swimming
Tennis
Summer Camps

          
Disability Sports
Organizations and information
Events and competitions
Recreation for children with special needs
Paralympic games
National disability sports alliance

Speech or Language
Definitions

Aphasia

Apraxia

Dysarthria

Communication Devices
Speech Therapy
Speech Play
Language in the child with hemiplegia or stroke

Education
Assessment (Testing)
Advocacy
Behavior

Bullies

Classroom Tips

Executive Functions

Learning Differences

Mental Retardation
IEP
504 Programs
Special Education programs
Letters to the Teacher
School Survival

School Talks
Typing or Keyboarding
Education Resources
Mental Health
Music

For Parents
Parents Speak
Answering Questions
Words of Encouragement
Coping with the Holidays
How to cope
Grief
Sibling Support

For Kids

Daily Living
Adaptive Living

Dressing

Shoes

Shoe Exchange

Tying Shoes

In the Kitchen

Eating

In the Bathroom
Potty Training
Hygiene

Driving

Vacations

Therapy Dogs

Medical Alert Bracelets

Other Daily Living
Resources

For Teens
College

Daily Living

Driving
School survival
Transition Services

Support
Email Support group for parents and families 

Hemispherectomy Support

Local Support

Resources in your State

College Scholarship

Other Support Links

Family Retreat and Medical Conference 2006

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