New ideas are used for treating brain problems, including problems at birth, disorders and traumatic injuries. Sadly, physical therapists who try these techniques can be hard to find. The increasingly popular method is known as neurodevelopmental therapy, or NDT.

At its core, Neurodevelopmental Therapy is a way to look at problems on a very personal level. Therapists for kids with disabilities use hands-on methods and the latest machines to train patients on functional tasks. For instance, consider the case of a child who can't grasp a fork might decide she wants to learn. The physical therapist might guide the kid through lifting the hand, finding the utensil and recognizing its sensation and then picking up its weight. It's baby steps, and guided by touch from the time the session begins until the task is accomplished.

An important part of this Neurodevelopmental Therapy method is patient goal-setting. For children with special needs, Mom and Dad may set the goals. For adult patients dealing with issues like stroke or TIB, the goal could be about balance. Some of the best physical therapists who ise these techniques say that the patient's view of their own treatment makes a huge difference in their healing processes.

Beyond the fact that sessions are encouraging, Neurodevelopmental Therapy truly is effective. People treated with it need fewer supports while achieving an improvement in proper positioning. Goals can be set, and reached, in speech, eating, movement and other occupational therapy tasks.

For kids with disabilities, physical therapists can use Neurodevelopmental Therapy to help them be less dependent. They can learn to bear their own weight, learning to climb stairs, or even learning to crawl and grasp objects. Practitioners of this method believe that at least a little improvement is possible for almost any patient, even if they have been diagnosed with lifelong conditions.

The body of research on Neurodevelopmental Therapy isn't very thorough, but the subject isn't really being challenged. Many of the studies have been done on small groups of patients, so aren't widely applicable. But it all makes sense and a growing number of physical therapists for kids with special needs and other specialists have adopted its techniques.

If you or a family member struggle with speech, eating and mobility, consider finding a asperger San Diego, CA expert for a few sessions.