Emerging techniques are great for treating brain problems, including problems at birth, disorders and traumatic injuries. Sadly, physical therapists who try these ideas can be difficult to find. The new method is known as neurodevelopmental therapy, or NDT.

At its core, NDT is a way to look at problems on a targeted, individual level. Physical therapists use hands-on techniques and high-tech tools to teach activities. For instance, think of a kid with neurological problems who can't walk due to the health problem might set little goals. One could be moving the feet slightly using the patient's own strength. The physical therapist would guide the child hands-on.

NDT is patient-driven, because each patient has set goals. In the case of children, goals may be set by the parents. For adult patients dealing with problems such as TBI and stroke, the goal could involve walking, standing and more. Some physical therapists who try these techniques say that each patient's view of their own treatment can make all the difference.

Besides feeling like it's working, NDT truly gets real, powerful results. Physical therapists say their patients need less help and fewer devices and improve at proper positioning. Goals can be set, and reached, in speech, eating, movement and other occupational therapy tasks.

For children with disabilities, physical therapists can use NDT to help them be less dependent. They can learn to support themselves, maneuver stairs, or even learning to crawl and grasp objects. Practitioners of this method believe that some degree of improvement is possible for almost all people, even those with severe disabilities.

The scientific research about NDT isn't very exhaustive, but the subject isn't controversial. Many of the studies have been done on relatively small sample sizes, so aren't widely generalizable. But it all makes sense and a growing number of pediatric physical therapists and other specialists are trying it.

If you need help with mobility, function or even speech and language, consider finding a asperger San Diego, CA expert for a few sessions.