Cerebral Palsy and Conductive Education

If you are a parent in British Columbia with a child who has cerebral palsy, you will want to acquaint yourself with information about conductive education. Conductive education provides a means of  support for your child’s progress that augments traditional physiotherapy currently on offer in the province.

Conductive education is available in British Columbia to a limited degree; however, up until 2010 it has been necessary to bring in specialists from other parts of the world.  Information about conductive education has become more readily available during the last ten years and parents of children with cerebral palsy in British Columbia have been working hard to improve the conductive education offerings in our communities.  As of July, 2010, the latest news is that that a conductor will be moving to the Lower Mainland and will be starting her own business.

If you haven’t heard about conductive education, here is a write up by Dr. Mari Hari explaining the principal hypothesis of conductive education.

The primary aims of Conductive Education are:

• To set up an active life-style.
• To develop cognitive functions.
• To provide a complex but unified educational programme.
• To teach the process of intending.
• To help disabled children to learn to walk, attend school and go to work. (Of course, not all achieve this!)
• To provide a programme that in some cases can be built into the framework of special and ordinary schools.

Here are some articles and links on the topic which may provide a starting point to discover more information about conductive education.

Websites

Conductive Education Weblog This creative and informative weblog is written by a UK born conductor who currently lives in Nurnberg. She works with children and also in collaboration with therapists in adult rehabilitation (including stroke survivors.)

Conductive Education in BC A superb weblog by a father of a boy who has cerebral palsy.  He is also very knowledgeable about initiatives in British Columbia and elsewhere. Check out the links to other weblogs and websites posted on his site.

The virtual conductive education library

Articles

“Mind and Muscle:  Peto Institute Brings Hope to Children with Cerebral Palsy

A link to electronic copies of various articles about Conductive Education

Dad’s Discovery Changes his Son’s World

Conductive Education.  A Canadian Future?

Books and Products

Dina: A Mother Practices Conductive Education (Peto System)

Conductive Education ( By Maria Hari)

Other Non-Conductive Education Books (These books provide non-CE perspectives)

Teaching Motor Skills to Children With Cerebral Palsy (Includes a thorough explanation of Cerebral Palsy)

Gross Motor Skills in Children With Down Syndrome (Not related to Cerebral Palsy but contains interesting information about how children develop and a list of skill sets that are a useful reference – even when considering children without Down Syndrome)

Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Parent’s Guide

Organizations

Peto Institute website (click on the English tab above for English information) “The conductive educational program is all embracing and highly complex; it includes everything that characterizes a healthy child’s everyday life from meal times and hygiene to play and learning. The program satisfies all physical, intellectual and social requirements needed for developing an integrated, healthy personality. The concept of conductive education is that gaining information and receiving ethical, emotional and aesthetic education are not separate but highly interrelated processes. The program pays special attention to self-care, voluntary functions and motivation.”

Rainbow Centre for Conductive Education

Scottish Centre for Children With Motor Impairments

The PACE Centre Transforming lives

Rising Star Learning Center (See their related slide show and intro video)

Related

What is Cerebral Palsy

Steps to Independence Class Pittsburgh on Facebook

Audio and Video:

Whoopsadaisy is a UK based charity that provides families with access to conductive education. They have provided the following informative video overview about  conductive education:

The following video shows a child’s first steps at PACE:

More videos from Pace (A selection of over 25 videos showing various aspects of the PACE programme.)

Audio clips of parents and students at the PACE centre

Update:  August, 2010

Conductive Education Revisited (Don’t call me lady.)

Update: October, 2010

We received the following information from Anne, the conductor who has recently moved to British Columbia. If you would like to know more about a Conductive Education programme, please refer to the website indicated below.  Welcome to British Columbia Anne!

I am Anne the conductor, who just recently moved to BC (you mentioned me indirectly in your post about Conductive Education). I am trying right now to get parents and professional to know more about Conductive Education and about available services here in the greater Vancouver Area. It seems to be very hard to get in touch with parents who have a child with Cerebral Palsy or other Movement Disorder. In my search I came across your website and would be thankful if you could post my information on your website. I started a blog and am in the process of building up my website which address is http://www.movingaheadcc.com.

I would be very happy to answer any questions about CE or the programs I am trying to set up.

Looking forward hearing from you

Anne Wittig