New Neurodevelopmental Therapy Method Shows Promise

New methods are being used to treat neurodeficiencies, including problems at birth, disorders and traumatic injuries. Unfortunately, physical therapists who employ these ideas can be difficult to find. The emerging method is known as neurodevelopmental therapy, or NDT.

Basically, Neurodevelopmental Therapy is a way to look at problems on a very personal level. Therapists for kids with disabilities use hands-on treatments and advanced tools to teach tasks. For example, consider the case of a kid with neurological problems who can't walk due to the disorder or injury might set small goals. One would probably be lifting the feet from the footrest on a wheelchair using the patient's own strength. In this case, the pediatric physical therapist would help the patient by touch throughout.

The most valuable part of this Neurodevelopmental Therapy method is patient goal-setting. For kids with disabilities, families play a role. For adults dealing with issues like stroke or TIB, the goal could involve walking, standing and more. Some physical therapists who try these strategies say that each patient's perception of treatment is very important.

Besides feeling like it's working, Neurodevelopmental Therapy truly gets real, powerful results. Patients might need fewer supports and find it easier to get to proper positioning. Improvement is possible in eating, speech, movement and much more.

For kids with special needs, physical therapists can use Neurodevelopmental Therapy to help with things that will make these kids less reliant on others for care. They can learn to bear their own weight, climb stairs, or even stand up without help. Practitioners of this method believe that some degree of improvement is possible for almost any patient, even if they have lifelong conditions such as cerebral palsy.

The scientific research about Neurodevelopmental Therapy isn't very exhaustive, but the topic isn't controversial. Many of the studies have been done on small groups of patients, so aren't widely applicable. However, the method seems to make sense and a growing number of pediatric physical therapists and other specialists are starting to use it.

If you need help with mobility, function or even speech and language, consider finding a autism social groups San Diego California expert in your area.