Abstract
There is very little research exploring the lived experiences of young adults with Cerebral Palsy (CP), from their own voices. As such, this research seeks to explore the lived experiences of young adults with Cerebral Palsy, living in the UK.
The systematic literature review explores the experiences of young adults living with CP in the UK through the review question “what are the lived experiences of young adults with CP?”. Ten studies included in the review explored the lived experiences of young adults with CP through a range of qualitative methods, and are critically appraised and thematically synthesised.
Key themes included social support, challenging feelings, prejudice and stigma and independence. Implications for professional practice are considered, with an acknowledgement of the current political and social environment which is impacting and will continue to impact on, service accessibility and support offered. Current literature within the field of CP is sparse and tends to focus on the perspectives of parents, caregivers and healthcare professionals who support young people with CP.
Despite being the most prevalent childhood physical disability, very little research has focused on the perspectives from the young people themselves.
The empirical paper seeks to close this gap in the literature by exploring the lived experiences of young adults with CP who are living in the UK. Nine participants engaged in semi-structured interviews. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) and reflexive thematic analysis were used to thematically analyse the data.
Key themes include educational experiences, employment, preparation for adulthood and others’ perceptions.
Key recommendations for professional practice are considered, as well as for supporting others working with young people with CP. Considerations are made relating to society and how people with physical disabilities access their local community.