The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics

The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) is a developmentally sensitive, biologically respectful approach to working with children, young people and adults who have experienced early adversity, trauma and neglect.

NMT is not a therapy or a specific therapeutic technique; it is essentially a clinical problem solving approach that integrates several core principles of neurodevelopment in order to build a more complete picture of each child, family, and their broader community.  One of the key advantages of the NMT assessment is it helps to shed light on the neuro-developmental impacts of early life adversity, trauma and neglect on specific brain-related skills from the brainstem through the cortex. This process helps to organise a child or adult’s developmental history and current level of brain functioning in ways that optimally inform each step in the planning and sequencing of therapeutic interventions. The NMT model was pioneered by Dr Bruce Perry and his team at the Child Trauma Academy.

The Neurosequential assessment reflects the evolving development of the brain from the moment of conception.  This helps to:

  • Identify the potential impacts of early adversity on developing brain systems in an evidence-based, developmentally sensitive and trauma-informed way
  • Generate a brain metric that maps the impacts of adversity, trauma and neglect across four key domains: Sensory integration, self-regulation, relational and cognitive functioning
  • Guide the selection and sequence of developmentally sensitive therapeutic interventions, educational activities and enrichment experiences that match a child’s developmental age rather than chronological age
  • Develop therapeutic opportunities that recapture the normal sequence of development beginning with the lower parts of the brain (e.g. brainstem) first

For more information or to request an NMT assessment please contact us here