This study examined the evolution of individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) from childhood to adulthood. Seventy-two adults with a diagnosis of CP born between 1934 and 1980 were studied. Individuals were recruited and data comprehensively collected using case notes and through direct assessments of the majority of participants from three rehabilitation units in Bologna, Padua, and Rovigo in Italy. The main findings can be summarized as follows: contact with health and rehabilitation services was radically reduced once individuals reached adulthood; more individuals who were integrated into mainstream schools achieved and maintained literacy than those who had attended special schools; in a high number of participants, motor performance deteriorated once into adulthood. Independent walking or other forms of supported locomotion were lost in many on reaching adulthood. Of those who continued to walk, walking deteriorated in terms of distance. It was concluded that even though CP has been considered as predominantly a childhood pathological condition, the evolution of the effects of CP do not stop at 16 or 18 years of age. For this reason, the traditional child- (or infant-) oriented approach concentrating mainly or exclusively on the achievement of independent walking, may not be an ideal approach to children with CP. Instead a more independence-oriented therapeutic approach would be appropriate.

This study examined the evolution of individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) from childhood to adulthood. Seventy-two adults with a diagnosis of CP born between 1934 and 1980 were studied. Individuals were recruited and data comprehensively collected using case notes and through direct assessments of the majority of participants from three rehabilitation units in Bologna, Padua, and Rovigo in Italy. The main findings can be summarized as follows: contact with health and rehabilitation services was radically reduced once individuals reached adulthood; more individuals who were integrated into mainstream schools achieved and maintained literacy than those who had attended special schools; in a high number of participants, motor performance deteriorated once into adulthood. Independent walking or other forms of supported locomotion were lost in many on reaching adulthood. Of those who continued to walk, walking deteriorated in terms of distance. It was concluded that even though CP has been considered as predominantly a childhood pathological condition, the evolution of the effects of CP do not stop at 16 or 18 years of age. For this reason, the traditional child-(or infant-) oriented approach concentrating mainly or exclusively on the achievement of independent walking, may not be an ideal approach to children with CP. Instead a more independence-oriented therapeutic approach would be appropriate.Cerebral palsy (CP) has been viewed for many years predominantly as a paediatric condition and for this reason the therapeutic approach to it has not focussed much on the transition into adulthood. Many individuals with CP, however, show a survival rate not far from average or near average as indicated by Cohen and Kohn (1979) and Evans and colleagues (1990). Both these studies stressed that there was a survival rate of over 60% in affected children who had survived the first year of life, even among those with the most severe disabilities. In the more mildly involved individuals with CP survival was found to exceed 90%.Furthermore, the number of adults with CP is growing due to advances in specific medical care and to the increased life expectancy of adults in general. Despite this, services for adults with physical disabilities are often inadequate, even in developed countries. In contrast to the care provided for children with disabilities, organized health care for these patients has been described as very poor, with a notable reduction of provision once a patient reaches adulthood (Ingram 1964;Lang 1982;Hirst 1983 Hirst , 1984Bax et al. 1988;Thomas et al. 1989). Apart from the disparity between the amount of care provided to these patients as youngsters and then as adults, another major issue is the different types of approaches used by professionals who work with children and adults with disability. For instance, Bryce (1983) suggested that the apparent low priority given to adults with CP is, at least partly, because physiotherapists consider that their efforts are better concentrated on the young child. The child-(o...

In conclusion, although the importance of encouraging the development of physical abilities remains, in certain cases we cannot simply wait for years to see whether a child will eventually become an effective walker as a result of physiotherapy or orthopaedic interventions. Powered mobility should be considered as a means of providing efficient, autonomous locomotion for children with severe motor disabilities, so enabling them to become more active participants in their own lives rather than remaining spectators. Children with moderate levels of motor impairment could be encouraged to see wheelchair use as beneficial in some circumstances and not an irreversible failure.

Zusammenfassung: Öffentlich-private Partnerschaften gelten als protypisch für hybride Formen der Governance. Sie veranschaulichen im Bildungsbereich zugleich eine Nähe im Verhältnis von Staat/Politik, Zivilgesellschaft und Ökonomie und haben im Zuge der letzten Bildungsreformen vielfältige Gestalt angenommen. Mit Blick auf das Netzwerk SchuleWirtschaft und seinen Vernetzungen zu Bildungseinrichtungen und bildungspolitischen Instanzen wird der Frage nachgegangen, ob und in welcher Weise öffentlich-private Partnerschaften eine ökonomisch-politische Sicherungsweise darstellen. Dabei scheinen imaginäre Szenarien der Risiken- und Gefahrenabwehr als Deutungshorizont für die Plausibilisierung dieser Regierungsweise eine Rolle zu spielen.Abstract: Public-private partnerships have been portrayed as a silver bullet to solve all kinds of problems in the public sector and are considered to be typical of hybrid forms of governance. At the same time, they illustrate a new proximity in the relationship between the state, civil society and the economy. With a view to the Network SchuleWirtschaft and its several ties to educational institutions as well as educational policy decision makers, it is examined, whether and in which manner public-private partnerships represent a way of maintaining economic, political and social stability. In this context, imaginaries of risk and danger prevention play a certain role as a horizon of interpretation of the plausibility and power of this mode of governance.

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