Friday, June 19, 2009

NDT Certified!


Graduation day!

These are the people I spent three weeks with,
in a dingy Norwegian dance hall,
learning a specific neuro-rehab approach to treating central nervous impairments (e.g., stroke, brain injury, cerebral palsy).

I am now a Neuro-Developmental Technique / NDT certified therapist.
Which, in my profession, is really pretty cool.

However, better than becoming NDT certified, is what I learned in the process-and how I am using what I learned to make improvements for the people I work with.

I wanted to take the course because I work with people with significant mobility deficiencies and abnormalities--some seemingly intractable and difficult to treat--and I wanted to make more of a difference, which I can truly say I do now.
I went to the course not really knowing what to expect.
If I had known in advance how difficult the course would be, and how it would tie up my life from February through early June--I might not have done it.

But knowing what I do now, how could I ever have gone without it?

The way the course was taught, it took a long time to pull all the pieces together, integrate the concepts and information, and finally understand the big picture.

After all of the angst, sedentariness, full days in the classroom followed by late nights doing homework (with pencil and paper), now that it's done, I wish there could be more. I miss the learning and the people--and the photo (above) makes me nostalgic.

I am a changed person.

p.s. I'm front row, third from right, in the white tank top--smiling!

5 comments:

mediumtriguy said...

Congrats! Sounded like it was a lot of hard work. Good job!

Herself, the GeekGirl said...

Congratulations!

ShirleyPerly said...

I figured that was you in the tank top!

Congrats on completing the course. Those skills sound quite valuable but pencil & paper homework? I have a hard time just handwriting Xmas cards once a year ...

Bones said...

Congratulations! I've been reading about your classes and it sure sounds like it's been a tough course. Glad to see you made it through and that it's going to help you to help others

Podium quest said...

sound intense. Congrats for learning & improving yourself, & also for making it out of the dungeon alive