What is NDT?

A question arising in the minds of most parents when they start therapy for their children. Oftentimes, parents are the outsiders looking on as the therapist manoeuvres and handles their child. The wide array of positions and equipment used during sessions may overwhelm parents and they usually have a thousand doubts in their minds. Let us debunk a few misconceptions and get a better understanding of what your therapist is doing during those sessions!

NDT (Neurodevelopmental therapy) is a treatment technique used by practitioners to facilitate a child’s normal movement pattern while encouraging active participation whenever possible. The NDT approach focuses on the goals of participation in society according to your child’s level and capabilities. You can imagine NDT as a mirror dance, where the Therapist and your child work simultaneously into a movement dance.

These movements brought about with the therapist’s guided touch are called facilitations. Facilitations encourage correct movement patterns and are always given as the child performs any participative or functional activity. As the therapist guides movements you will also notice her preventing or inhibiting(stopping) movements with abnormal patterns. An advanced training helps your therapist understand the incorrect movement patterns and muscles that need to be activated or hold back those that are overworking.

NDT therapist analyzes the child as a whole , and at the same time can look at a task and dissect it to find the critical parts. The final goal is to then work on those tasks to improve the whole movement pattern of the child. Contrary to some beliefs, an NDT therapist encourages the child to move as much as possible on their own, only guiding gently when necessary.

Infact, NDT therapy isn’t just about getting a child to walk. It is about improving the lives of children and families. It is teaching the kids to be able to get their own toys, their own shoes, or to eat on their own.It is about helping them play on the playground, kick a ball, or climb the steps in the theatre to watch a play. It is about making lives better through movement! and that’s what our Sneh Pediatric Rehabilitation Education and Research Center (RERC) is all about.