Physical Therapy for Children with Special Needs
- 11 6, 2019
- |Physical Therapy
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Emerging methods are used for treating developmental and functional problems, including many kinds of congenital, acquired and traumatic issues. However, physical therapists who use these principles can be hard to find. The emerging method is known as neurodevelopmental therapy, or NDT.
At its core, NDT is a way to look at impairments on a very personal level. Pediatric physical therapists use hands-on techniques and advanced equipment to train patients on functional tasks. For example, imagine a boy with special needs who is unable to stand due to the health problem might break it up into small goals. One might be lifting the feet and balancing using the patient's own strength. In this case, the pediatric physical therapist would help the patient hands-on.
The most valuable part of this NDT method is patient goal-setting. In the case of children, families play a role. For adult patients dealing with injuries or stroke, the goal could be about balance. Some of the best physical therapists who ise these techniques say that the patient's ideas about their treatment is very important.
Besides the fact that sessions are encouraging, NDT truly gets real, powerful results. Physical therapists say their patients need fewer assistive devices and less adaptive equipment and find it easier to get to proper positioning. Gains can be made in a variety of functions.
For kids with disabilities, pediatric physical therapists can use NDT to help them be less dependent. They can learn to support themselves, climb stairs, or even crawl or stand. The best pediatric physical therapists believe that some degree of improvement is within reach of almost everyone, even those with severe disabilities.
The research about NDT isn't very extensive, but the subject isn't really being challenged. Many of the research papers were about small groups of patients, so aren't widely applicable. But it all makes sense and a growing number of physical therapists for kids with special needs and other specialists have adopted its techniques.
If you or a family member struggle with speech, eating and mobility, consider finding a disability therapy casper wy expert in your area.