Jobs for conductors

Now recovered from a nasty tummy bug which made last week very uncomfortable, I can look at the outside world again. I notice today that Andrew has mentioned a conductor job going in Spain and I have had a request to mention the conductor-teacher post still unfilled in the US.

I quote:

...the need for a certified CE teacher here in the Washington , DC area. This school district is the one that has been working with Sixten’s Foundation (http://www.sixten.org/) and has successfully launched its pilot program last year.

This post has been advertised on the Employment center page of the new Conductive Education Communications Center website, but perhaps it needs more time to become a regular browsing page for conductors.

http://conductiveeducation.net/employment-center/

Also the Job Centre on the Foundation for Conductive Education's website has been having technical problems for some time now and might not be being viewed. Another thought is that maybe in these difficult financial times, conductors are staying put rather than moving around and looking for work.

Good luck to all those looking for a job and also to those wanting to recruit.

Photos taken in the Peto Institute

I was sent a link to some photos on the Internet which I thought I would mention on this blog.

Conductive Education centres all over the world have posted pictures on their websites illustrating their work with children, but these are very different. They are black and white, not colour, and carefully shot so they are more like works of art in their lighting and composition. Very interesting.

Click on the following link to see these forty-nine photos taken by Stuart Freedman of children in the Peto Institute, that have been posted as a slideshow. They are not dated and include a number of pictures of a British boy, Joe Pallot.

http://www.photoshelter.com/c/stuartfreedman/gallery-slideshow/G00007BLxf9u_EGI/?start

Stuart Freedman, is a photographer who has worked around the world from Afghanistan to Sierre Leone, and been published in der Spiegel, Paris Match and Newsweek. More information and other examples of his pictures can be found at

http://www.stuartfreedman.com/index.htm

New book about Conductive Education

Books on Conductive Education are not large in number so it is always of great interest when a new title comes out. This week I heard that a new book has been published in Germany this September on Conductive Education, written by a therapist.

Baumann, Angelika (2009) Die Beziehung zwischen Körperbehindertenpädagogik und Konduktiver Förderung in Bildung und Erziehung.

Oberhausen: ATHENA - Verlag. 592pp. ISBN 3898963659 Price 34.50 euros.

This has been written in German and the title translated into English is -

The relationship between physical disability, pedagogy and Conductive Education in education and upbringing.

Details can be found at

http://www.phoenix-kf.de/index.php?n1=&n2=&r1=I&r2=&BB_ID=25

And a brief abstract (in German) is available on Amazon at

http://www.amazon.de/Beziehung-K%C3%B6rperbehindertenp%C3%A4dagogik-Konduktiver-F%C3%B6rderung-Erziehung/dp/3898963659/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258299125&sr=1-2

Unfortunately my knowledge of German is a little weak to say the least, and so I cannot say anymore. However, I will look forward to receiving your comments and reviews which I will post on this blog.
　
　
　
　
　
　

Internet News no.6

This is a selection of news items found on the Internet in the past few weeks that may be of interest.

Conductive Education

http://english.mti.hu/default.asp?menu=1&theme=2&cat=25&newsid=264602
Hungarian president, Solyom, will visit the Tui Glen foundation for neurological rehabilitation, which maintains links with the Hungarian Peto Institute for Conductive Education.

http://www.dudleynews.co.uk/news/4658542.Dudley_Parkinson_s_support_group_benefits_from_supermarket_shoppers/
Supermarket raises funds for Parkinson’s sufferers.

http://southdownsliving.blogspot.com/2009/10/vera-lynn-charitable-side-of-forces.html
Big fundraising event for Dame Very Lynn School for Parents in Sussex

http://www.edgazette.govt.nz/Vacancies/Vacancy.aspx?VacancyId=565433
Management vacancy for centre in New Zealand

http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/4659585.Founder_of_Megan_Baker_House_charity_resigns_as_leader/
Megan Baker House founder resigns as leader of the centre in Herefordshire

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1917041
Fundraiser benefit for March of Dimes

http://www.crescent-news.com/news/article/4682132
Fundraiser for little boy attending Sara’s Garden

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/your_money/New_jobs_need_new_degrees
New degree in CE offered by Aquinas College

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=60536525
Video on adult work at the National Institute of Conductive Education

http://www.peoplenewspapers.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=E2F53C4F6B614F7B91AB36319693A230&AudID=DA7D68F24889442D98449D08560D8327

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/healthyliving/family/stories/DN-nh_kidfit_1013gd.ART.State.Edition1.4bc1e5c.html
Stories about CE at I Can Do All Things in Texas

http://www.guardian.co.uk/publicservicesawards/joe-mawdsley
Award for Joe Mawdsley, founder of Rainbow House, Cheshire

http://www.freep.com/article/20091109/NEWS06/911090330/1001/News/Michigan-news-10-million-drug-bust-in-Thumb-area
Fundraiser for Conductive Education center Metro Detroit

http://www.wowjobs.co.nz/job/Conductor+08+FTE-iris-auckland-218247
Details of a job in New Zealand

Blogs that mention CE

http://southdownsliving.blogspot.com/2009/10/would-you-walk-over-hot-coals-to-help.html

http://southdownsliving.blogspot.com/2009/11/incredible-mission-undertaken-for-dame.html

http://greimannkappa.blogspot.com/2009/11/great-day-on-job.html

http://themoose.aquinas.edu/2009/11/11/interested-in-special-education/

Cerebral palsy

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091001/babies_091001/20091001?hub=Health
Cooling premature babies’ brains appears to help limit brain damage

http://www.northwaleschronicle.co.uk/news/78878/llanberis-cerebral-palsy-climber-to-make-history.aspx
Man with cerebral palsy becomes first with condition to qualify as indoor climbing instructor

Multiple sclerosis

http://www.examiner.com/x-11509-Multiple-Sclerosis-Examiner~y2009m11d10-New-drug-once-used-as-bird-poison-shows-promise-for-Multiple-Sclerosis
New drug may help MS

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/11/06/early-relapse-of-ms-may-mean-fewer-issues-later.html
Early relapse may mean fewer issues later

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/11/09/obese-teenage-girls-run-a-greater-risk-of-developing-multiple-sclerosis-115875-21807906/
Obesity may create greater risk of developing MS.

Parkinson’s disease

http://www.viartis.net/parkinsons.disease/news/091113.htm
Michael J Fox’s foundation funds four new approaches to Parkinson’s disease.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/6350921/Can-drugs-for-Parkinsons-Disease-cause-uncontrollable-desires.html
Drugs for Parkinson’s have compulsive side effects

http://news.therecord.com/Life/article/627960
Space perception may be reason for ‘freezing’ in Parkinson’s.

Stroke

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hkqiBIF0sct2MYYFjLhpYmhgy8hQ
Doctors link migraine to strokes

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/besttreatments/2009/nov/10/common-infections-may-increase-stroke-risk
Common infections may increase stroke risk

http://u.tv/News/Revolutionary-drug-for-stroke-victims/8aba35f5-3469-488e-9544-a4bdb75206c6
New drug helping save lives in Northern Ireland

Disability issues

http://lifeandstyle.independentminds.livejournal.com/698875.html
Families with disabled children receive little support from outside the family in UK

Reviews of the documentary - When a mother's love is not enough

The documentary was broadcast last night and unfortunately I was not able to watch it and have not tried the Internet yet. Others did see it and a number of reviews have appeared in the media.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/6539642/When-a-Mothers-Love-Is-Not-Enough-BBC-One-review.html

There are 18 comments on this.

http://channelhopping.onthebox.com/2009/11/09/when-a-mothers-love-is-not-enough-review-special-television/

The end of this review calls the programme 'a worthwhile piece of entertainment' and has five comments on it.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/last-nights-television--when-a-mothers-love-is-not-enough-bbc1-james-mays-toy-stories-bbc2-john-sergeant-on-the-tourist-trail-itv1-1818096.html

No comments so far on this one.

Would anyone like to add to these with their thoughts ?

When a mother's love is not enough

This the title of a documentary on BBC1 television on Tuesday 10 November at 10.35pm and should be of interest to all those with disabled children as it presents it as it is. Rosa Monkton (best known for being a friend of Princess Diana) has a daughter with Down's syndrome and in this film she meets and interviews other families struggling to raise a disabled child.

In the Radio Times it says:

The emphasis here is deliberately - and courageously -on the hardships that come with caring for disabled children rather than the joys...All the parents - including Monckton - and able-bodied siblings talk freely about their lowest points. Some even admit to thinking about harming their children. It's not easy to watch as families battle to keep it together and prepare for a difficult future.

On Tuesday morning there will be a piece about this on BBC1 Breakfast News (between 8.15am and 9.15am) as Julie Evett, a parent who appears in the film and Rosa Monckton are interviewed.

The documentary should be accessible via the BBC's website for those unable to watch it on television

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ntmbf

New Conductive Education portal now up and running!

Today I received the press release re the new CE portal which is now up and running. Rather than try and summarise it I have reproduced it here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 5, 2009 Contact: M.J. Szimanski
Publisher@conductiveducation.net
202.560.75 1 6


Conductive Education Communications Center (CECC) Launched at

www.ConductiveEducation.net

Website Portal will Connect and Inform Parents, Educators and Legislators with Conductive Education Resources and News for Children with Cerebral Palsy and Related Disorders


WASHINGTON, DC – The Conductive Education Communications Center (CECC) website, blog and discussion forum was officially launched today at

http://www.conductiveeducation.net/.

The CECC website is specifically designed for parents, certified Conductive Education teachers and specialists, other therapists, center and facility owners, service providers, legislators, attorneys, the media and those involved with the care and education of children with cerebral palsy and related neuromuscular disorders.

The Conductive Education Communications Center offers areas including a blog, links, a resource toolbox, videos, attorney resources, worldwide Conductive Education centers, an employment center (for those seeking both Conductive Education employment and applicants), recent and relevant articles, news and perhaps most importantly, a discussion forum for parents, educators and others to discuss Conductive Education resources and experiences. Contributions from parents, educators and others will also we welcomed.

According to the Peto Institute (http://www.petoinstitute.org/), Conductive Education’s founding organization, “Conductive education is a unique system of teaching and learning for children with motor disorders such as cerebral palsy and spina bifida. It is designed to improve motor skills and increase independence of many aspects of common living.

Conductive Education was developed at the Petö Institute (http://www.peto.hu/) in Hungary over 40 years ago and has now been widely established in Hungary, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, Israel , and others. There are other centers using principles of Conductive Education in Malta and New Zealand as well.”

For further information on the Conductive Education Communications Center , please contact the publisher at publisher@conductiveeducation.net. Sponsorship and advertising opportunities are available.

New content is still to be added and a little tweaking to be done. I am sure Mike Szimanski would appreciate any feedback that you may wish to give and it will be interesting to see how it develops.

Award for Conductive Education

Another award for someone in Conductive Education was announced today. Six years ago the Guardian public service awards were created and are run in conjunction with Hays Specialist Recruitment. The awards are for all organisations involved in public services including those in the public, private or voluntary sector. For further information see:

://www.guardian.co.uk/publicservicesawards/about-the-awards

The Award for 2009 has been given to Joe Mawdsley, founder of the Rainbow House Centre in Cheshire. The article states:

In April 2001, four months after her five and three year old sons' were diagnosed with the rare genetic life-threatening disorder (CDG), Mawdsley created Rainbow House, a self-help group delivering conductive educational and holistic therapies to six children including her own boys. Mawdsley funded the centre for two years using her disability allowance. In 2003, Rainbow House became a charity tending 112 youngsters weekly, in Chorley, its East Lancashire and Cumbria branches.
Officially opened by Princess Royal in 2007, the emotional, physical and behavioural rehabilitation centre now treats 187 children aged from 7 months to 21 years old. And there is a two year waiting list. It employs 32 staff plus an on-site physiotherapist and provides tailor-made treatments from 7.30 am until 6.30pm for 50 weeks a year. Last year, in Mawdsley's drive to raise £1m annual maintenance, this indefatigable mother-of-three addressed 85 charitable groups nationwide and organised countless communal events.
Despite living with a ticking time-bomb, Mawdsley remains positive stating: "My boys shouldn't sit up, talk, feed, toilet themselves or walk - albeit with crutches - but they do . They were fine at birth. But at 13 months, Tom, now 11, was discharged from hospital to die. At 4 months, Will, now 13, stopped supporting his head. Looking into his eyes, it seemed his light had been switched off -nothing there. I've been desperate and suicidal. Occupational and physiotherapies proved ineffective, so I arrived with 21 months old Will, floppy like jelly in my arms, at Merseyside Association for Conductive Education. Three months later he crawled, sat and uttered his first word- 'No!'"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/publicservicesawards/joe-mawdsley

A wonderful result, Joe, and great publicity for Conductive Education.

Access to new portal now available

The new portal for CE is now up at

www.conductiveeducation.net

and I have managed to register for the Forum. Andrew has blogged that he has found it impossible to do so, so perhaps adjustments have now been made. Do try.

I hope to look at the website more closely and will say more later.