Final issue of RACE journal now available

When the journal, Recent Advances in Conductive Education, edited by Andrew Sutton and myself, was started in 2001, it aimed to publish original research and facilitate continuing professional development for conductors and everyone with a concern for Conductive Education worldwide. Over the last eight years it has strived to do this.

As it has become more difficult to obtain material for publication and the practicalities of putting an issue together more arduous, it was decided, reluctantly, to finish the run with volume 7 number 2. A detailed explanation of this decision is given in the editorial of this last issue.

This has now been published. It was due out in December 2008 but due to unforeseen circumstances, has been delayed until now.

The final formatting and technical production was completed by Elliot Clifton, and Andrew and I went into the National Institute of Conductive Education (as it was open on Friday morning) and copied, stapled and finished the production process. All those with subscriptions should receive their copy shortly.

The contents consist of an editorial, two articles and two book reviews as follows:

Editorial

Articles

Reflections upon conductive upbringing A pedagogic essay – Susie Mallett

Abstract: In the English-speaking world since the late nineteen-sixties, the term 'Conductive Education' has largely displaced the concept of 'conductive upbringing' (English translation of the system's Hungarian name), with unknown effects upon how this work is perceived. Drawing from her personal experience as a trainee-conductor at the Peto Institute in Budapest, at the start of the nineties, the author describes the total conductive upbringing that Hungarian children and conductors shared there, the children being brought up by conductors largely apart from their families. Foreign children experienced a different, less total regime that parents soon sought to export home. Drawing then upon her subsequent, experience, working as a conductor in Germany, she presents the principles of her goals on developing her own practice for conductive upbringing, as total as what she knew at the Peto Institute but family-based rather that institutional. Three case studies describe a to-date eleven-year involvement with one family of a child with cerebral palsy and a much shorter, intervention, of one year, with another. In the third, the term 'conductive lifestyle' is suggested as more appropriate than 'upbringing' when speaking of adult work, and a to-date twelve-year involvement with the life of a lady who has had a stroke is described.

Management report: Conductive Education programs in North America – David C. Dvorak

Abstract: Development of Conductive Education services across North America has been driven by parents of children with motor disorders seeking to establish Conductive Education programs local to their homes. During 2006-7, some fifty programs were found in various listings. Only thirty were found to be operational, twenty-five of which responded to brief enquiry on the management challenges that they experienced. Center administrators’ responses clustered mainly in five areas, finance, conductors, overall management, leadership and marketing/publicity. Respondents also offered suggestions as to how these issues might be addressed, helping in the creation of a Management Report on Conductive Education Programs in North America.

Reviews

Eva Beck - Feladatsorok a konduktív nevelésben – reviewed by Tunde Rozsahegyi

Nia Wyn - Blue Sky July – reviewed by Gayle Westcott

The end of something is always a mixture of sadness and celebration and the three of us involved in the journal over the years feel both in equal measure. Sad that its the last issue, and pleased to have finally completed it. I would like to convey the editors' appreciation and thanks to Elliot who helped so much in a voluntary capacity with all the technical bits we did not understand.

Perhaps the journal may be restarted in the future or replaced by another publication - we shall have to wait and see.

Anyone interested in purchasing a copy of this issue or any of the previous issues, should contact Melanie Brown at the Foundation for Conductive Education mel@conductive-education.org.uk