Children with cerebral palsy in the eight to 12 age group experience a similar quality of life to their peers, a major new study has found.
It said the proper social and educational policies must now be in place to ensure that they can take part in society as fully as other children.
The study, published in The Lancet, said that for many people the finding that children with cerebral palsy see their quality of life as similar to children in the general population may seem surprising.
"However, from the child's perspective, their impairment is incorporated in their sense of self from birth, and they embrace growth, development and living with the same excitement as non-disabled children," the study said.
The report studied children with cerebral palsy in seven countries, including Ireland. It used an instrument called Kidscreen which assesses quality of life across 10 categories.
The research showed that for children with cerebral palsy the type and severity of impairments did not affect their quality of life in six categories.
These categories included psychological wellbeing, self-perception, social support, school environment, social acceptance and perception of financial resources.
The research found that in four categories specific impairments were associated with poor quality of life.
"Children with poorer walking ability had poorer physical wellbeing; children with intellectual impairment had lower moods and emotions and less autonomy; and children with speech difficulty had poorer relationships with their parents," the study revealed.
It also found that pain reduced children's quality of life across all categories.
The study's authors said that quality of life on most aspects of life "is not associated with impairments and is therefore likely to be determined largely by social and environmental factors, although these might differ between children with cerebral palsy and those with no disability".
The researchers said the results would be of practical benefit to the parents of children with cerebral palsy.
"Parents can be upset when their child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy, but they can now be reassured that most children with cerebral palsy, who provided information, experience similar quality of life to that of other children their age."
The Lancet study said there was widespread acceptance of the need for disabled children to be integrated fully into society. "The change now needed concerns attitudes," it said. "Pity and sorrow should not be directed to disabled children because our findings indicate they experience most of life as do non-disabled children."
It said "maximum effort" was needed to support the social and educational policies that recognised the similarity between the lives of disabled children and those of other children.
It said it was important to ensure "their rights as citizens, rather than as disabled children, to participate in society as fully as other children".
In all, 818 children from the seven countries took part in the study.