MARK RILEY

     Mark is 12 years old and has Cerebral Palsy, but he doesn't let that get in his way.  He is outgoing and energetic, and likes to"pop wheelies" in his wheelchair-or "cruiser" as he calls it.  Mark has a twin brother, Michael, who is not disabled and a little sister, Suzette.

     Because Mark has cerebral palsy he does not have sufficient motor control to write with a regular pencil.  He writes with either a large pencil or one with a special pencil grip.  Sometimes he dictates his written work onto a cassette tape and gives that to the teacher.  Mark explains to his friend Melody James that "My muscles don't work too good so I can't walk and I can't talk too good either.  Mark sees his cruiser as an extension of himself and a large part of his identity, and often mentions that the invention of the wheelchair was a very liberating thing for disabled people.

What Is Cerebral Palsy?

     Cerebral palsy is something that you are born with and it means that often the person cannot walk or talk normally.  Some people with cerebral palsy walk well and with no difficulty.  Others use braces or crutches, while others need a wheelchair all the time.  Sometimes the person's speech and mouth muscles are affected so that the words sound garbled and the person drools when she/he speaks.

     Cerebral palsy means that the messages from the brain to the legs or to the mouth are not complete.  It's sort of like a short circuit.  A message from the brain that says "legs move!" never reaches the legs.  A message from the brain that says "talk loud and clear!" never gets through.  Although it's hard for many prole with CP to talk, their slow and labored speech doesn't mean they are mentally impaired.

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