Physical Therapy for Kids with Disabilities
- 12 17, 2019
- |Diseases and Conditions
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Emerging techniques are great for treating developmental and functional problems, including problems at birth, disorders and traumatic injuries. Sadly, physical therapists who employ these ideas can be tough to find. The emerging method is neurodevelopmental therapy, or NDT.
Foundationally, Neurodevelopmental Therapy is a way to look at issues on a targeted, individual level. Physical therapists use hands-on exercises and high-tech equipment to guide patients through activities. For instance, think of a girl who can't grab a fork might have that goal. The therapist might guide the child through lifting the hand, locating the utensil and noticing what that's like and then lifting it. It's one step at a time, and guided by touch from beginning to end.
The most valuable part of this Neurodevelopmental Therapy method is patient goal-setting. For children with special needs, Mom and Dad may set the goals. For grown-ups dealing with problems such as TBI and stroke, the goal could involve walking, standing and more. Some physical therapists who have used these strategies say that the patient's ideas about their treatment can make all the difference.
Beyond feeling like it's working, Neurodevelopmental Therapy truly works. People treated with it need fewer supports and find it easier to get to proper positioning. Gains can be made in eating, speech, movement and much more.
For children with disabilities, pediatric physical therapists can use Neurodevelopmental Therapy to help them have more control. This can include learning to support oneself, climb stairs, or even crawl or stand. The best pediatric physical therapists believe that some improvement is within reach of almost everyone, even those with the most serious conditions.
The scientific research about Neurodevelopmental Therapy isn't very extensive, but the topic isn't controversial. Many of the studies have been done on just a few patients, so aren't widely generalizable. But the ideas are pretty commonsense and a growing number of physical therapists for children and other specialists are starting to use it.
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