More and more people are talking about brain injuries and disorders, for everything from football to soldiers returning from the battlefield. The focus is awesome, and now novel techniques are being discussed that may help patients. One new method is known as NDT (Neurodevelopmental Therapy). 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 impairments on a very personal level. Pediatric physical therapists use hands-on techniques and high-tech equipment to guide patients through tasks. For instance, think of a child with special needs who can't walk due to the disorder or injury might break it up into incremental goals. One would probably be moving the feet and balancing using the patient's own muscles. In this case, the pediatric physical therapist would help the patient hands-on.

An important part of this Neurodevelopmental Therapy method is patient goal-setting. For kids with disabilities, goals may be set by the parents. For grown-ups dealing with injuries or stroke, the goal could be about balance. Elite physical therapists who try these methods say that a patient's view of their own treatment is very important.

Besides the intuitive sense that it works, Neurodevelopmental Therapy 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 a variety of functions.

For kids with disabilities, physical therapists can use Neurodevelopmental Therapy to help them have more control. They can learn to bear their own weight, climb stairs, or even learning to crawl and grasp objects. The best pediatric physical therapists believe that some improvement is realistic for almost everyone, even those with severe disabilities.

The scientific research about Neurodevelopmental Therapy isn't very exhaustive, but the subject isn't really being challenged. Many of the research papers were about small groups of 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 have adopted its techniques.

If you're facing difficult problems with function and mobility, consider finding a Autism support groups San Diego California expert for a few sessions.