Adolescence is period of the most marked growth and change. A physical handicap places a greater burden on the teenager. The increase in body weight and size, coupled with poor motor control, spasticity, and impaired balance reactions, makes it impossible to transport the added weight efficiently.

The purpose of this study is to assess changes in motor skills in the areas of gait, writing, and speech in adolescence, The subjects of this study were 77 adolescents with cerebral palsy, aged 13~20 years (mean, 16.7 years) who were attending the special middle and high school.

The results were as follows;

1) Then mean ages started walking and speech were 6.1, 6.8 and 3.6 years, respectively.

2) Those cases who show continuous improvement in the adolescent years in walking were 51.9% (40/77), in writing and speech were 55.8% (43/77), respectively.

3) Those who experienced worse in gait during adolescence were 41.6% (32/77), in writing 10.4% (8/77), and in speech 18.2 (14/44).

4) The factors related to worse in gait were marked growth, diseases, stoppage of treatment, and trauma.

5) The group who experienced worse in gait showed higher frequency of the development of contractures (78.1%), the use of orthoses (59.4%), and receiving treatment (87.5%) than the group who did not with the frequency of contractures 37.8%, wearing orthoses 28.9%, and receiving treatment 64.4% (P<0.01).