Ataxia results from damage to the cerebellum, the brain’s major center for balance and coordination.  The condition may affect the limbs, trunk, eyes, and other structures.  In normal development, the brain gets signals from the eyes, the inner ear, and position sensors in the joints (primarily the neck) that it uses to figure out where the limbs are.  For a child with cerebral palsy, not all the signals are working together, resulting in a limitation in the ability to find balance.

Children with ataxia will usually have an uncoordinated walk or gait.  Often they will walk quickly to compensate.  (Balancing on a bicycle is always easier for a rider going fast.)  They also have difficulty standing still in one place without moving.  They may adopt a wide-based stance.  Unlike some other forms of motor dysfunction, ataxia can improve until the age of eight to ten years old, when the balance and coordination system reaches maximum improvement.

Practice is the best way to improve ataxia.  There are no drugs or medications that can help with this disability.  A physical therapist can structure balance exercises and activities to maximize a child’s abilities.  The strategy might include walking on a balance beam or using a therapy ball.

Children’s future ability for self-care in daily activities, such as dressing and feeding themselves, will greatly improve with diligent practice during the years before the age of eight to ten.

Another characteristic of ataxia can be shakiness or tremors in the hands.  The effect is similar to the problems some endure as a result of aging.  When these tremors are present, they can make the fine motor control needed for tasks such as writing more difficult.

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