New methods are used for treating developmental and functional problems, including many kinds of congenital, acquired and traumatic problems. Sadly, physical therapists who use these principles can be tough to find. The new method is neurodevelopmental therapy, or NDT.

At its core, NDT is a way to look at impairments on a very personal level. Pediatric physical therapists use hands-on exercises and the latest machines to guide patients through tasks. For example, consider the case of a boy who can't hold a fork might decide she wants to learn. The physical therapist might guide the kid through picking up the hand, finding the object and recognizing how it feels and then picking up its weight. It's one step at a time, and hands-on from the time the session begins until the task is accomplished.

The most valuable part of this NDT method is patient goal-setting. In the case of children, families play a role. For grown-ups dealing with injuries or stroke, the goal might be learning to reach to the side without falling. Some physical therapists who try these methods say that each patient's ideas about their treatment makes a huge difference in their healing processes.

In addition to the fact that sessions are encouraging, NDT truly gets real, powerful results. Patients might need fewer assistive devices and less adaptive equipment and improve at proper positioning. Improvement is possible in eating, speech, movement and much more.

For kids with special needs, physical therapists can use NDT to help with things that will make these kids less reliant on others for care. They can learn to support themselves, learning to climb stairs, or even crawl or stand. Experts believe that some degree of improvement is possible for almost everyone, even those with severe disabilities.

The scientific research about NDT isn't very extensive, but the subject isn't hotly contested, either. Many of the studies have been done on just a few 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 starting to use it.

If you're facing difficult problems with speech, eating and mobility, consider finding a asperger San Diego, CA expert in your area.