More and more notice is going toward brain injuries and disorders, for everything from football to soldiers returning from the battlefield. The conversation is great, and now new techniques are being discussed that may help people recover. One new method is known as NDT (Neurodevelopmental Therapy). This can be used in many kinds of therapy, including therapy for kids with disabilities.
At its core, Neurodevelopmental Therapy is a way to look at problems on a targeted, individual level. Pediatric physical therapists use hands-on treatments and high-tech equipment to train patients on tasks. For instance, imagine a child with neurological problems who can't walk due to the disorder or injury might set small goals. One would probably be lifting the feet slightly using the patient's own muscles. In this case, the pediatric physical therapist would guide the child with touch and support.
A particularly important part of this Neurodevelopmental Therapy method is patient goal-setting. For kids with disabilities, families play a role. For grown-ups dealing with injuries or stroke, the goal could be about balance. Some of the best physical therapists who have used these methods say that a patient's perception of treatment makes a huge difference in their healing processes.
Besides the intuitive sense that it works, Neurodevelopmental Therapy truly gets real, powerful results. Patients might need less help and fewer devices and improve at proper positioning. Goals can be set, and reached, in speech, eating, movement and other occupational therapy tasks.
For kids with disabilities, pediatric physical therapists can use Neurodevelopmental Therapy to help them have more control. They can learn to bear their own weight, maneuver stairs, or even stand up without help. The best pediatric physical therapists believe that at least a little improvement is realistic for almost all people, even if they have been diagnosed with lifelong conditions such as cerebral palsy.
The body of research on Neurodevelopmental Therapy isn't very exhaustive, but the subject isn't controversial. Many of the studies have been done on relatively small sample sizes, so aren't widely generalizable. But it all makes sense and a growing number of physical therapists for kids with special needs and other specialists are starting to use it.
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