Intersecting pathways: The overlap between cerebral palsy and co-occurring neurodevelopmental conditions

This narrative review will synthesize evidence on the critical, and often under-recognized, overlap between cerebral palsy (CP) and co-occurring neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), particularly autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Although CP has traditionally been conceptualized primarily as a motor disorder, a growing body of research indicates that NDDs frequently co-occur, contributing to the complexity of assessment, diagnosis, and long-term management. Understanding this overlap is essential for developing more accurate, tailored and faster diagnostic pathways and delivering integrated, multidisciplinary care. This review will synthesize available evidence on: a. Descriptive characteristics of the overlap, including the prevalence of NDDs in individuals with CP, differences across CP subtypes, shared etiological factors, and variations in age of diagnosis. b. Diagnostic challenges arising from the overlap, such as symptom similarity, diagnostic overshadowing, and the limitations of current assessment tools in accommodating multi-level impairments. c. Impact of the overlap on functioning, including mapping the domains of functioning (according the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health; ICF) affected by this co-occurrence and examining whether this co-occurrence reflects a sum of the conditions or whether it represents a distinct phenotype. d. Future directions for improving care, including clinical, research, and broader societal implications.