A physical disability is something that affects how a person’s body works.
It can make it harder for someone to move, walk, or do everyday activities, but they can still do many things — sometimes they just do them in a different way.
A physical disability can be:
- be mild or severe
- affect a child or young person's development
- be hidden.
Every child or young person with a physical disability is unique. Physical disabilities can range from:
- degenerative conditions
- trauma (physical and birth)
- chromosome disorders
- musculoskeletal conditions
- limb differences
- complex medical needs.
Sometimes children are born with a physical disability and this is seen by the doctors in the hospital and they are diagnosed soon after birth but at times a child will not have their physical disability picked up until later. This might mean you see signs of the disability at home before they are recognised by a medical professional.
We have gone into more depth about some physical disabilities below but please remember, you cannot use this information to diagnose your child. Children all develop at different rates and there maybe nothing to worry about. Take your child to their GP or speak to their paediatrician or health visitor if you are worried.
You can search for and read about any conditions we have not covered at NHS.co.uk.