Indications of cerebral palsy are often noticed first by the parents. These symptoms manifest usually before the child is 18 months old, but if it is a severe case of cerebral palsy, indications are visible even before three months. Motor skills may be affected to the extent that the common "developmental milestones" like sitting, crawling, rolling over, smiling and walking are all delayed. Some children are impassive; others do not react to noises while some children experience difficulty in following the movement of objects. Irregular breathing, difficulty in sucking and feeding and limited range of motion is also evident.

A few children are mentally retarded while some have superior intellect. Because there is no control of the muscles in the throat and mouth, there could be an abnormality in speech. As the motor areas are most likely to be affected, even swallowing saliva could be very difficult. When swallowing is affected, eating is a problem and the risk of inhaling liquids into the lungs is great. Behavioral, learning and reading problems are also triggered off by cerebral palsy and the situation could become really difficult. Children tend to throw more tantrums than usual and could become violent and difficult to control.

While motor movements are affected there could also be a loss in muscle tone. Hypotonia refers to loose and flaccid muscles while hypertonia refers to muscles that tend to become stiff and rigid. In both conditions, the muscles cannot be used optimally. Sometimes it is very hard to detect CP. The muscles on one side only may function so well that the defect on the other side goes unnoticed for a very long time. Walking on the toes could also be indicative of CP. Uncoordinated and uncontrolled jerky motions of limbs, clenched fists; unusual postures may also be seen. Changing from one position to another is also difficult for the child. In some cases, muscle tone is affected to such an extent that the feet are turned inwards while walking. Since the limbs cross at the knees, the gait is often referred to as "scissors gait".

It is often found that the limbs are shorter on one side and non-intervention could lead to curvature of the spine itself. Difference in muscle tone on both sides could lead to unequal pressures on joints, which could later stiffen. Most children with cerebral palsy experience seizures, but these seizures are not evident because of so many other abnormalities.

Defects in tooth enamel and an inability to brush their teeth properly make the children with cerebral palsy prone to dental cavities. Thus children suffering from cerebral palsy could have different symptoms. On an average it is seen that no two children experience the same symptoms. There is no cure for cerebral palsy, but with early detection of CP, it can be made more manageable.