Doing the “Talk”

The disclosure to a family of a child's cerebral palsy is an important transformative event that has potential lasting implications. This article highlights specific challenges, the results of research into the disclosure process and what attributes should be sought for in this encounter by health care providers. Illustrative case vignettes are presented to concretely demonstrate the "dos and don'ts" of the disclosure. Suggestions will also be provided to improve the disclosure process.