Neurodevelopmental Therapy for Kids

A growing amount of people are talking about brain problems and cures, from sports concussions to congenital defects. The attention is fabulous, and now new treatments are coming to the fore that may help people recover. One new method is known as Neurodevelopmental Therapy (or NDT). This can be used in a variety of therapeutic disciplines, including therapy for kids with disabilities.

Basically, Neurodevelopmental Therapy is a way to look at issues on a very personal level. Physical therapists use hands-on exercises and high-tech equipment to train patients on functional tasks. For instance, think of a child with neurological problems who can't walk due to the disorder or injury might choose a series of little goals. One might be moving the feet from the footrest on a wheelchair using the patient's own strength. 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, Mom and Dad may set the goals. For adults dealing with issues like stroke or TIB, the goal might be learning to reach to the side without support. Some of the best physical therapists who have used these methods say that each patient's view of their own treatment makes a huge difference in their healing processes.

Besides feeling like it's working, Neurodevelopmental Therapy truly is effective. Physical therapists say their patients need fewer assistive devices and less adaptive equipment while achieving an improvement in proper positioning. Improvement is possible in eating, speech, movement and much more.

For kids with special needs, pediatric physical therapists can use Neurodevelopmental Therapy to help them be less dependent. This can include learning to support oneself, learning to climb 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.

The scientific research about Neurodevelopmental Therapy isn't very exhaustive, but the subject isn't controversial. Many of the studies have been done on small groups of patients, so aren't widely generalizable. But it all makes sense and a growing number of physical therapists for children and other specialists are starting to use it.

If you need help with mobility, function or even speech and language, consider finding a autism symptoms in children San Diego CA expert to help.

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