What is the best treatment method?
Bleck, 1984, noted that a rare study conducted to determine the efficacy of Neuro-developmental Treatment (N.D.T.) physical therapy for students with cerebral palsy showed no significant differences between the treated and untreated children after a one year follow-up. The 47 children used in the study were all under the age of six and were randomly divided into three treatment groups. One group received N.D.T. therapy for 12 months, the second group received no therapy for 12 months and the third group received no therapy for six months followed by six months of therapy. At the time this study was conducted, the N.D.T. model of physical therapy was being used basically in “pull out” programs whereby the therapist would work with the student using discrete trials in artificial environments such as medical treatment units. It was assumed that these motor patterns would then be remembered in other environments and would automatically be used for functional activities. Karl and Bertha Bob
