The Cerebral Palsy Foundation’s Attendance at International Cerebral Palsy Conferences, EACD 2026 & CPODS
June 3-6, 2026 | Galway, Ireland
The theme for this year’s European Academy of Childhood-onset Disability (EACD) conference in Galway, Ireland was “Mol an Óige agus Tiocfaidh Siad,” which means, “Encourage the young and they will flourish.”
It’s our mission at the Cerebral Palsy Foundation to be a catalyst for creating positive change for people with cerebral palsy — which echoes this theme — even beyond childhood.
EACD Galway 2026 brought together researchers, clinicians, educators, advocates, individuals with disabilities, and families from around the world to participate and join discussions on cerebral palsy diagnosis and how healthcare professionals communicate with children, individuals, and families.
CPF’s Community & Communication Officer, Nicola Welford, joined a panel discussion and shared her perspective as a parent advocate for her daughter with cerebral palsy and Valerie Pieraccini, CPF’s Vice President of Education & Training presented on the Early Detection and Intervention for Cerebral Palsy Collaborative, a partnership between the Cerebral Palsy Foundation and United Cerebral Palsy that is democratizing access to early detection and intervention knowledge across diverse communities.
We’re so grateful to our staff, Scientific Advisory Council members, partners, and colleagues who attended EACD on our behalf and continue to advance research, improve care, and champion a future where every person with cerebral palsy can thrive.
The Cerebral Palsy Foundation is also proud to be a Silver Sponsor for this year’s EACD Galway 2026.
June 6-7, 2026 | Galway, Ireland
What does a cerebral palsy diagnosis mean and how should it be communicated?
Earlier this month, adults with cerebral palsy, parents of children with CP, advocates, clinicians, and researchers came together at the Cerebral Palsy Operational Diagnosis Summit (CPODS) to help answer this question.
Through months of collaboration and surveys, individuals with lived experience played a critical role in informing not only the diagnostic framework itself, but also how a cerebral palsy diagnosis should be communicated to children, adults, and families.
Their perspectives helped ensure that the conversation extended beyond clinical criteria to include what matters most to the people living with cerebral palsy every day.
CPF’s VP of Education and Training, Valerie Pieraccini shared:
“The Cerebral Palsy Operational Definition Summit was incredible. It was an honor to be a part of this group of people with so much passion, brilliance and vision. Our understanding of cerebral palsy is undergoing a paradigm shift and thankfully, we are moving away from ‘wait-and-see’ to ‘see and detect’. As we apply new knowledge to our fundamental understanding of cerebral palsy, I am convinced we can bring overdue change.”
Thank you to everyone who contributed their time and their voice to this important work! Your insights are helping shape a future where people with cerebral palsy and their families are not just participants in the conversation, but valued partners.
We’re still awaiting next steps and outcomes from the Summit, but we’ll be sure to share more when we can!