More and more people are talking about brain injuries and disorders, from sports concussions to congenital defects. The focus is awesome, and now new techniques are becoming available that may help patients. One new idea is known as NDT (Neurodevelopmental Therapy). This can be used in a variety of therapeutic disciplines, including therapy for kids with disabilities.
At its core, 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 equipment to guide patients through functional tasks. For example, consider the case of a child who can't manipulate a fork might have that goal. The physical therapist might guide the patient through lifting the hand, finding the utensil and seeing its sensation and then lifting it. It's one step at a time, and involves touch from start to finish.
A particularly important part of this Neurodevelopmental Therapy method is patient goal-setting. In the case of children, families play a role. For grown-ups dealing with problems such as TBI and stroke, the goal might be learning to reach to a shelf without falling. Some of the best physical therapists who ise these methods say that the patient's view of their own treatment makes a huge difference in their healing processes.
Besides feeling like it's working, Neurodevelopmental Therapy truly works. Professionals in the field report that need fewer supports and find it easier to get to proper positioning. Goals can be set, and reached, in a variety of functions.
For kids with special needs, physical therapists can use Neurodevelopmental Therapy to help them be less dependent. They can learn to bear their own weight, learning to climb stairs, or even crawl or stand. Experts believe that at least a little improvement is realistic for almost everyone, even if they have been diagnosed with lifelong conditions.
The body of research on Neurodevelopmental Therapy isn't very thorough, but the topic isn't hotly contested, either. Many of the studies have been done on just a few patients, so aren't widely generalizable. But the ideas are pretty commonsense and a growing number of physical therapists for kids with special needs and other specialists are trying it.
If you need help with mobility, function or even speech and language, consider finding a autistic spectrum San Diego, CA expert in your area.