A growing amount of notice is going toward brain issues, from sports concussions to congenital defects. The attention is awesome, and now innovative treatments are being discussed that may help people recover. One new method is known as Neurodevelopmental Therapy (or NDT). This can be used in occupational, speech, language and physical therapies, including therapy for children with special needs.

Basically, NDT is a way to look at issues on a targeted, individual level. Therapists for kids with disabilities use hands-on techniques and high-tech equipment to teach tasks. For instance, consider the case of a kid who can't grasp a fork might decide she wants to learn. The physical therapist might guide the child through lifting the hand, finding the object and noticing how it feels and then lifting it. It's one step at a time, and guided by touch from the time the session begins until the task is accomplished.

NDT is patient-driven, because each patient has set goals. For children with special needs, Mom and Dad may set the goals. For adults dealing with injuries or stroke, the goal could be about balance. Elite physical therapists who try these methods say that a patient's ideas about their treatment can make all the difference.

In addition to the fact that sessions are encouraging, NDT truly works. Professionals in the field report that need less help and fewer devices and find it easier to get to proper positioning. Gains can be made in speech, eating, movement and other occupational therapy tasks.

For kids with special needs, physical therapists can use NDT to help them have more control. This can include learning to support oneself, climb stairs, or even crawl or stand. Experts believe that some improvement is realistic for almost everyone, even those with severe disabilities.

The scientific research about NDT isn't very exhaustive, but the subject isn't controversial. Many of the research papers were about 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 trying it.

If you need help with function and mobility, consider finding a disability therapy casper wy expert to help.