New Conductive Education services starting in January 2014

January 2014 sees the start of Conductive Education services in Bristol, UK.

 The Bristol CE Pilot Project is part of Megan Baker House's outreach services and will be run by Natalie Sanchez, a British conductor. This is a first for this part of the UK.

Services start  on 10 January with a parent and child group ( 6 months to 5 years) on Friday afternoons 1.30-3.30 and later in January a teenage/young adults with cerebral palsy group is being arranged..

Please contact  Megan Baker House for more information or contact Natalie Sanchez, who is running the service, on 07851143378.

I will post further information as I receive it.

Books from Conductive Education Press. Tell me what you think

In all forms of retail it helps to know what the market wants and needs, and what it is prepared to shop and pay for. More importantly who is doing the shopping. Conductive Education Press is no different.

Conductive Education Press was set up to provide a solid base of information about Conductive Education and put facts on record, create a body of books establishing the history, philosophy and development of the conductive world. Quite a big aim, but as Conductive Education teaches, you must try and achieve your goals in little steps if necessary. It is a slow process: since CEP began in 2009 seven books have appeared.

We have asked for feedback but have received very little, which is disappointing and frustrating. Reviews are important for us, and also those who are thinking of buying and reading our books.

The system of print on demand offers important advantages. With respect of information on sales, the printer, Blurb allows us to know how many books we have sold,  provides a record of sales month by month, and also maintains a  daily graph of hits for the site. Unfortunately for our purposes, however,  it does not tell us who and where the book orders are coming from, whether it is from the UK, Europe, US or Australia, China. We do not know whether it is individuals, organisations, charities, libraries, or centres who are buying. We are flying 'blind'.

Knowing what is wanted, and by whom, is bound to influence our plans and could indicate a gap not previously considered, that needs filling. Critical comments are also vital.

Readers' thoughts, positive or negative, can be sent by email, or published through any of the usual ways in which people access the Internet, such as a Comment under this to this posting.  CEP has a place for Comments at the foot of its own home page, and Blurb's site provides a place for comments on each of its pages for our specific books:

http://e-conduction.org/CEP/

http://www.blurb.co.uk/b/3695419-andras-peto#author-bookshelf

By the way, so far no second hand copies have appeared on the market which I hope is a good sign! 

Adult Conductive Education sessions in the US - update

On 7 November I posted information about the future sessions of Conductive Education being offered in the US for those with Parkinson's by Maria Heine.

http://www.gillian-maguire.info/2013/11/new-conductive-education-services-for.html

This included a link to a blog detailing the plans.

On receiving a note from an interested party telling me that the link was no longer live I contacted Maria and was informed that the URL had indeed changed and that the new location is

http://secondchancece-blog.com/

A link to the adult services in the US can be found at the bottom of the home page. This leads to  the following information:

4-DAY INTENSIVE SESSIONS:In 2014 we will be starting 4–Day Intensive Sessions, throughout the United States, in the following cities:

• Boston (MA)

• San Francisco (CA)

• Los Angeles (CA)

• Classes will run for 3 hours/per day, for 4x days

• To be offered at regular intervals, every 8-Weeks

• Instructed by Maria Heine

• Small class sizes will allow for individualized focus and development for each participant

• Open for Partners and Carers to attend and observe

 Contact details are also included.

Email hacking

Andrew Sutton's email has been hacked and people have been getting notes asking for money. This is a scam as he has posted on his blog at


http://www.conductive-world.info/2013/11/it-is-scam.html

It seems that it is getting harder to be safe from this,  but we must all be careful and change passwords etc regularly and check all such requests carefully.

Things that András Pető said

Over the years I have seen many quotes assigned to András Pető without any information about the source, or even who he said it to. Preparing the CEP quotationary of András Pető and his Conductive Education enabled me to collect remarks of  Pető and about him, give each one a source, and  hopefully clarify things for people. Sixteen sources were used and full references for these given at the back of the quotationary. There may be more sources and if so, I would love to know about them.

Today I came across a quote from András Pető that was new to me and wonder if anyone can tell me the source for that.

Ask me not what I can do for children with Cerebral Palsy, but ask me what they can learn to do for themselves. 

 If a second edition is produced new sources can be reviewed and included.

New Conductive Education services for adults in US

Today a link appeared in my email in box which led to an announcement by Maria Heine on her new blog. For sometime now she has been providing Conductive Education in the Home Counties of the UK and now she is starting up some services for adults in the US, commencing in early 2014.

For further information and contact details, see:

http://secondchancece.wordpress.com/us/

Adults have generally had fewer services to choose from and perhaps this will help to increase awareness and options for adults with neurological disorders in North America.

Some definitions of Conductive Education

I have seen today that Andrew Sutton has posted on his blog a piece about definitions of Conductive Education. Recently I have been investigating this very thing and compiled a list of definitions from various dictionaries which I had hoped to publish later, but will now do so here. 

As you will see some of the definitions are very brief and are often re-produced in various places.

Those that I have found are listed below:

Free dictionary online
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

conductive education
n

(Social Science / Education) an educational system, developed in Hungary by András Petö, in which teachers (conductors) teach children and adults with motor disorders to function independently, by guiding them to attain their own goals in their own way

Oxford dictionaries

http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/conductive-education

Conductive education  noun

[mass noun] British  

a system of training for people with motor disorders, especially children, which aims to reduce their dependence on artificial aids.


wordreference.com
http://www.wordreference.com/definition/conductive%20education

conductive education n[oun]

an educational system, developed in Hungary by András Petö, in which teachers (conductors) teach children and adults with motor disorders to function independently, by guiding them to attain their own goals in their own way.

Collins English Dictionary

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/conductive education

noun  

an educational system, developed in Hungary by András Petö, in which teachers ( conductors ) teach children and adults with motor disorders to function independently, by guiding them to attain their own goals in their own way

Oxford Advanced Learners' Dictionary

http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/conductive-education

a treatment for people with cerebral palsy that was developed in Hungary and that involves special physical exercises and learning methods

Dict.cc (german english dictionary)
http://www.dict.cc/english-german/conductive+education+CE+%5BPet%C5%91's+system%5D.html

conductive education  [Pető's system]

Petö-Therapie / Pető-Therapie {f} [konduktive Förderung nach Pető]

Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conductive_education

Conductive Education,or CE, is an educational system that has been specifically developed for children and adults who have motor disorders of neurological origin such as cerebral palsy. It is based on the premise that a person who has a motor disorder may not only have a medical condition requiring treatment, but may often have a major problem in learning that requires special education. The spread of CE throughout the world has probably in large part been due to the advocacy of families who appear to have lost confidence in the existing systems of treatment. These families strongly regard CE as a potentially effective response to their needs. Because of the successes and interest in Conductive Education, other scholars have begun to examine the CE approach. Research studies of the efficiency of conductive education have been inconclusive, however.

International Encyclopedia of Rehabilitation
http://cirrie.buffalo.edu/encyclopedia/en/article/46/

This has quite a long piece, too long to reproduce here, but it concludes with:

To sum up, conductive education is a system that is established on the basis of scientific medical theory. It performs an active and effective function in treating children with cerebral palsy. The theory and techniques of conductive education comply with the rules of physical and mental development of disabled children and should be disseminated and promoted. In line with the continuing development of a civilized society, conductive education should be recognized, accepted, used and developed by more and more people. This will spur on the healthy development of the rehabilitation industry of disabled children. At the same time, we should acknowledge that there is a large gap between the ideals and practice of children's rehabilitation and that the road is very long.

Make of these what you will. 

Perhaps a new statement is needed that not only explains exactly what Conductive Education is (clearly and succinctly, if that is possible) but also includes links to sources with more detailed and accurate information.

Anybody willing to have a go?

Problems with keeping Workplace map up to date

The introduction of the Conductors' Workplace Map has been generally welcomed and gets regular visits which is good to know. Since it was first posted earlier this year I have attempted to add new places and note any changes in the details of those already entered so that it is useful. 

Out of date information is no good to anyone.

I asked  you all to help with this by letting me know openings and closures of places and I have had a number of responses which allowed me to up date information on the map. As much information as possible  - name of centre, contact person, postal address, website and email, services for children and/or adults - makes it easier to include.

To insert a pin in the map for a place, I need to know the full postal address so that map co-ordinates can be found to make sure the pin goes in the right place. In most cases this has been provided and the pin duly inserted. Recently a lady from New York advised me that she was involved in a new centre about to open and I hoped to put a pin in the map for her, but I cannot do this without the necessary information. Hopefully she will send it soon.

I realised the other day that the website of the Cork Centre for Conductive Education was no longer up on the Internet and I have no email to try and contact them. Does anyone know if it has moved,  still operating, or closed?  I am about to note it as closed on  the map and will be delighted to put it back if it is still 'alive'. 

Please keep helping me with updates so I can make the information as current as possible.

I cannot do it without you.

Conductive Education Press books 20% off until 31 October

All titles published by Conductive Education Press have 20% off until 31 October. All you have to do is enter the code OCTOBER20 when asked if you have a promo code.

Just go to  http://www.blurb.com/user/store/cepress

and make your choice from the seven books listed there. It is possible to look at the first dozen pages to get an idea of the contents of each title. Just click on the cover of a title and then on 'preview'.

Happy reading, and don't forget to let us know what you think. Feedback  is possible on the CEP bookstore on Blurb - click on a itle and then on  'comments' 

 or on CEP's page of Conduction's website.

www.e-conduction.org/CEP

Conductive Education Press would like to know what you think

Authors and booksellers worldwide find comments and reviews of their books extremely useful as indications of popularity of authors and possible sales. 

Conductive Education Press is no different. 

CEP publishes materials to make Conductive Education, its history, background and philosophy clearer and more accessible. So far CEP has published seven books the latest being the CEP Quotationary of András Pető and his Conductive Education and Never, never quit! by Ralph Strzałkowski.

CEP would appreciate  feedback from those who buy and read them.

Please do feel free to comment  on Blurb - all titles can be found at  http://www.blurb.co.uk/user/cepress  

Just click on  view all, select a particular title and then click on 'Comment'

 e,g Select  CEP quotationary of András Pető and his Conductive Education, and you are taken to    http://www.blurb.co.uk/b/4627506-cep-quotationary-of-andras-peto  

     Select 'comment' and write what you think.

You may also comment  on relevant  postings on
 Conductive Education Information  and Conductive World 

e.g.

http://www.conductive-world.info/2013/10/like-it.html

http://www.gillian-maguire.info/2013/10/another-new-book-from-conductive.html

World Congress 8 in the news

 

Over the past week I have been keeping an eye on the media for any items about the 8th World Congress for Conductive Education.  I know a press conference was held on the first day.

 

I have been able to track down the following items, one from the US, and the rest from  Germany.

 

 If I have missed any, especially in German (as my German is not very good), please let me know.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1499020

http://www.inar.de/in-den-startlochern/

http://www.ovb-online.de/rosenheim/inklusion-wichtiges-thema-3152547.html

http://www.alligator.org/news/local/article_58563028-322d-11e3-86db-0019bb2963f4.html

Not as much as would have been hoped.

Book event at the World Congress

A number of publications will be announced at the 8^th World Congress for Conductive Education in Munich at the book event on Friday.  These are in three languages – English, German, Spanish,  and come from England, Mexico and Germany.

It is wonderful to see so many additions to the Conductive Education literature from  all over the world.

The publications are:

CEP Quotationary of Andras Peto and his Conductive Education. Birmingham: Conductive Education Press  
£12 plus p & p

Strzałkowski, R. Never, never quit; My Conductive Education. Pieces of mind, memories and opinions from the desk of Ralph Strzałkowski, Esq. Lawyer on Wheels. Birmingham: Conductive Education Press.

£12 plus p & p

Both available from www.e-conduction.org/CEP

McDowell, G. George's Travelogue. Nürnberg: CN Press

10 euros

Bugya, É. Conductive cookery book.  Nürnberg: CILA
10 euros

Both available from small66711@aol.com


Fermin, C., and others, Guia práctica de la Educación Conducida. (Practical guide on Conductive Education)  
Price not known

Available from  sermara@aol.com

Elliott, A. Challenge me cards (in German) Originally published in English by Jessica Kingsley in 2009. 

Already launched in a separate event at the Congress:

Tatlow, A. Konduktive Förderung für Kinder und Jugendliche mit Zerebralparese

Originally published in English in 2005 by SAHK as  Conductive Education for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy .

 

I do not have more details for the last three.

 

If there are any others, please do let me know.

 

 

 

Savings on books from Conductive Education Press

Until 31 October a 20% discount is available on orders for books from Conductive Education Press using the promotional code OCTOBER20 at the appropriate point in the checkout system.

 

This  applies to the two new titles published this month.

 

Books can be ordered by clicking on the Book badges in the right hand column of this blog or going to www.e-conduction.org/CEP

Enjoy!

Another new book from Conductive Education Press

                        

Never, never quit
My Conductive Education                                                                  
Pieces of mind, memories and opinions
From the desk of Ralph Strzałkowski, Esq.
Lawyer on Wheels

Birmingham: Conductive Education Press

 ISBN 978-0-9569948-6-8     £12.00

 

 I am very pleased to announce the publication of another book by Conductive Education Press.

Ralph Strzałkowski has cerebral palsy. He went to the Pető Institute as a child and is presenting a paper about his conductive childhood at the 8th World Congress this week.

 

Ralph is now living in the US and working as a lawyer. He became involved on the Conductive Education centre set up in Gainesville, Florida and this led to the start of his blog at

http://blog.lawyeronwheels.org/.  

Never, never quit is a collection of  postings from this relating to his experiences and reminiscences of Conductive Education.

As the back of the book explains further:

Rafał (now Ralph) Strzałkowski was born in 1979, in Warsaw, Poland, with cerebral palsy, ten years before the fall of the Iron Curtain. From 1986 to 1990 he attended the Pető Institute in Budapest, Hungary, as a weekly boarder. After that it was back to school in Warsaw, then law degrees at Warsaw University, and the University of Florida. Today Ralph is an attorney admitted to law practice in Florida and in Washington DC.

He is also an activist. This year he inaugurated DAAF, the Florida Disability Access and Awareness Foundation.

This book is a collection of 53 postings from his blog Lawyer on Wheels, selected for the unique light that they throw upon Conductive Education as remembered from the experience of a child, reflections upon his adult life that bear the stamp of his particular upbringing, and some of his further Conductive Education experiences in the United States.

A view of Conductive Education from someone who has experienced it is very rare and Ralph's memories provide a very interesting account of what it is like to be a recipient, live with a disability and manage it.

This is available for £12 plus postage & packing  from

www.e-conduction.org/CEP

or by clicking on the book badge on the right hand side of this blog.

Also available is the recently published CEP Quotationary of András Pető and his Conductive Education.  as mentioned in my previous posting.

http://www.gillian-maguire.info/2013/09/new-book-from-conductive-education-press.html

This collection of quotes from him, about him, and his work, helps us to a greater understanding of both the man and his system.

On Conductions' website www.e-conducion.org quotes from the book appear, a different one each time you open the front page of the website.

Enjoy and do let us know what you think. Feedback is very welcome.

New book from Conductive Education Press

   

CEP Quotationary of András Pető  and his
Conductive Education

Birmingham: Conductive Education Press. £12

   

ISBN 978-09569948-5-1

 

Yesterday the latest publication from Conductive Education Press was released on Blurb and can be found at 

 

http://blur.by/1dNtUxs

 This collection of quotes  reveals thoughts, experiences and various interactions with András Pető aimed at increasing knowledge of his work and about the man himself.

 

As stated on the back of the book:

András Pető left two inheritances.

One was the practice of conductive pedagogy, variously konduktív nevelés, Conductive Education, konduktive Förderung – an uncrystalised Chinese whisper that has since mutated down generations and across societies. Some such practices may have much in common with András Pető's and his associates', some very little – all are concrete activities, practised, or experienced, observed and analysed. They are what you see.

The other is the heritage of recollections of András Pető himself, what he did, how he was, and perhaps what drove him. Who was this Will-o'-the-Wisp, András Pető, what words of his echo down to us? How did people at the time understand that mystery in their midst? This second inheritance is far harder to find, to separate from myth and fantasy in what you hear and what you read.  

This quotationary's 307 quotations contribute some distilled essence, including 48 sayings or reported sayings from the man himself, plus vivid direct reports from friends and associates, and the observations of some of those who have tried to nail his fleeting shadow.

These quotations come from 40 named sources, and are referenced to 15 different texts.

Originals were in German, Hungarian and English, all are presented here in English translation. 


A preview may been seen by clicking on the book badge in the right hand column of this blog.
 
As always your comments on this book will be very welcome. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honorary conductors for 2013 announced

Since the first World Congress of Conductive Education in 1990, the names of those who have been made honorary conductors are announced and presented with an award during the Congress. This will happen at the  8th World Congress that is taking place in Munich, 9-12 October and the recipients have now been announced..

The criteria for this award  are:

The College Senate of the András Pető Institute of Conductive Education gives the Honorary Conductor Award. It was established in 1990 to recognise the work of non-conductors in the field, which is well known both in the homeland and internationally. Nominations are initiated by leading persons and are submitted to the International Pető Association (IPA) Executive Committee. Final nomination is submitted to the Senate of the András Pető Institute which is authorized to make a final decision about acceptance.

I was lucky enough to be made one in 2010 and went to Hong Kong to receive my award. It was a huge surprise and wonderful to be selected.

The recipients for 2013 have been announced and there are only two people this time.

Beate Höß-Zenker (Germany) and Norman Perrin (UK).

Very well deserved, congratulations to them both!


A list of past honorary conductors can be found at

http://www.ce-worldcongress2013.org/default_en.asp?mid=64&iid=168
 

Live seminar presentation from Paces, Sheffield

Today  a Special Educational Needs seminar is being broadcast live over the internet from Paces Sheffield.

 

 

http://www.paces-school.org.uk/

 

 Speakers include :

 

Janine Wigmore/Amanda Goulding  of Calderdale Parents and Carers

 

Debs Aspland  who is a co-author of the blog Special Needs Jungle and a mum to three children with various Special Education Needs.

 

Sarah McKimm, a solicitor working with IPSEA (Independent Parental Special Education Advice), a national charity which advises parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities.

 

Two seminars are planned and the next one is 25 September.

 

The chance to 'be there' is  a new thing for me and just shows how accessible the Internet has made everything, offering opportunities  to 'participate' in events that it is not possible to physically go to.

 

Such a system would be a valuable resource in  Conductive Education, where it is difficult to bring people together, and enable better and more frequent communication. Maybe the World Congress organisers are considering it for next month!

 

No doubt costs and technology will be important factors in making this possible.

Some cheery news

A centre in the North West of England is hoping to expand if they can raise some more money.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/big-wish-help-more-kids-6026676


Stick 'n' Step set up in 2002 and currently offers two free sessions a week to over 70 children from nine months to 18 years from the North West and Wales. Two of their 'graduates' are now at university despite their doctors' expectations.

http://www.sticknstep.org/


In these difficult financial times it is good to know that a centre could expand and develop its services for even more children with just a bit of extra money. 

News source for Pető Institute

 Stories about the Pető Institute's financial situation  have been circulating in the Hungarian media for a couple of weeks now and I have managed  find a source that links to them all.

 

http://www.hirkereso.hu/search?q=Peto+Intezet&timelimit=10000&archivum=-1&x=23&y=4

 

 

 

Hirkereső legnagyobb hir portál (Biggest news portal)  lists 134 items in newspapers and television right back to March 2013, with the latest being yesterday. Numbers 1-117 cover August and September 2013, so there are quite a lot to look at, but  a lot consist of  repeat information, rather than new 'facts'.

 

It provides  a very good way of tracking new reports and keeping up with the situation.

 

Translation facilities for non-Hungarian speakers can be found on the Internet.

More help with all that paperwork!

Its the start of the new academic year and I notice that Ben Foulger has brought out a new more comprehensive version of his Tracker system for record keeping.

 

http://conductiveit.com/new-term-new-ideas/

 

 All those involved in such administration  will know how much time it takes and how complicated it can become if not organised efficiently. Most of us are not 'into' paperwork and anything that helps has to be a good thing.

 

His new options include pre consultancy questionnaires that can be filled in online, and the option for participants, relatives, and carers to have some access to their records.

It looks as though Ben has it covered and is still offering a free trial for 14 days. Have a look at

http://www.participanttracker.com/

Changes in Conductors' Workplaces

A few months ago the map of Conductor workplaces was launched, and I have been keeping it up to date as and when I hear of any new places, and changes in the addresses and services of places already on the map.

 

http://intelligentlove.org/institution/map

As summer is now over and people are gradually getting back into work mode, I wonder if some of those workplaces have changed their addresses, services, or even closed, so I would be grateful if you would send me any updates or new information.

This service will only be kept current and accurate with your help, so please do contact me with any information you may have.

Thank you.

New books to come from Conductive Education Press

I can hardly believe that it is nearly a year ago that the book András Pető was published and, after a brief respite to re-charge our batteries, we have been planning and preparing titles for 2013.

The first, due out very soon, is a quotationary titled:

CEP Quotationary of András Pető  and his Conductive Education.

Birmingham: Conductive Education Press. ISBN 978-0-9569948-5-1

This contains over 300 quotations by 40 people, (including András Pető) from 15 different sources. You can imagine that it has taken quite a while to assemble these quotations, arrange, and reference them. Soon you will be able to see them for yourselves and learn more about this complex man and the origins of conductive pedagogy.

The second, is a collection of blog postings by Ralph Strzałkowski:

Strzałkowski, R. (2013) Never never quit; my Conductive Education. Pieces of mind, memories and opinions from the desk of Ralph Strzałkowski Esq, Lawyer on Wheels.

Birmingham: Conductive Education Press. ISBN  978-0-9569948-6-8

Ralph's own recent announcement of this on his blog can be found at:

http://blog.lawyeronwheels.org/2013/08/the-title.html

Ralph attended the Pető Institute as a young boy and reports, reflects and examines his experiences there, what Conductive Education has done for him and how it continues to influence his life. This is possibly the first such personal account of a child's experiences of Conductive Education, certainly in English.

A third new title is in the pipeline, and will be out round Christmas or the New Year.

More information will be posted soon.

Watch this space.

 

Júlia Dévai's bibliography

Yesterday news of Júlia Dévai's hundredth birthday appeared on Andrew Sutton's blog at

 

http://www.conductive-world.info/2013/07/100-years-old.html

 

Who is Júlia Dévai, you may ask. Well, she played a major role in the development of András Pető's Conductive Education from 1947-1952 and worked with him in his Institute. 

 

In recent years she has spoken and written about this period in her life and I first came across her when a paper that had been read at a conference in Israel, was donated to the National Library of Conductive Education in the late 1990s. When Andrew and I were preparing our recent publication András Pető, I contacted her to ask permission to include her paper in the book. She responded by offering to re-write it, including more detail, and that is what we published. In 2012 the Hungarian- language version of this was also published in a book, edited by her daughter, Sophia Kalman. 

 

Investigating further I realised she had produced other reminiscences too of the early days of conductive pedagogy, so here is a list of them all to celebrate her 100th birthday:

 

Devai, J. (1997) The first years with András Pető ; the birth of Conductive Education.

Unpublished paper read at Conductive Education conference, Tsad Kadima, Jerusalem, October 1997.

 

Dèvai, J. (1999) The first years with András Pető: the birth of Conductive Education. In  Forrai, J., ed., Memoirs of the beginnings of conductive pedagogy and András Pető.  Budapest and Birmingham: Új Aranyhíd and Foundation for Conductive Education, pp. 151-156.

Dèvai, J. (2005) Emlékeim. In Balogh, M. (ed.) Hári Mária (1923-2001). Budapest: Pető Institute,

 pp.46-52.

Dévai, J. (2007) My memories. In Balogh, M. ed., Hári Mária and her Conductive Education.

 Budapest: Pető Institute, pp. 46-53. [English translation of Emlékim]

 

Dèvai, J. (2012) Personal memories from the days of the beginning of Conductive Education. In

 Maguire, G. and Sutton, A.  ed., András Pető. Birmingham: Conductive Education Press, pp.45-70.

 

Dèvai, J. (2012) Egyszer volt, s ma is van: a sokarcú Pető – a konduktív nevelés kezdetei. In Kálman, Z., ed., Negyedszázad a kommunikáció bűvöletében. Budapest: Bliss Alapitvány, pp.73-101.

New service available for Conductive Education

The latest posting on the conductiveIT blog announces a new service for those working in Conductive Education.

 

http://conductiveit.com/blog/

 

 

conductiveIT has now launched  ParticipantTracker, for those working in Conductive Education, and possibly other health professionals too.  Ben Foulger has produced some software which will make record keeping easier and available at the touch of a key on your computer. As a conductor who spent a lot of time recording participants' progress, he realised the potential for such a system, enabling less time to be spent on admin and more on practice. Greener too, as minimum of  paper  is necessary!

He is offering a free trial period at the moment so do go to

 

 http://www.participanttracker.com

 

 

and find out more. The FAQ section will answer all your questions I am sure, but you can email Ben from this website  for further information if necessary.

Blast from the past and what is to come!

Recently I was sent a link to an item on the old Foundation for Conductive Education website.

http://web.archive.org/web/20010303171104/http://www.conductive-education.org.uk/html/news/library.html

When the National Library of Conductive Education was ten years old  this piece was put on the Foundation for Conductive Education's website and has a couple pictures of the library and me. The first was taken  shortly after it was established in 1991 at the old Birmingham Institute of Conductive Education  and the other in 2001 at the National Institute of Conductive Education. Shortly after this piece the library moved again into bigger premises in Cannon Hill House where it still is. I was made redundant in 2009 from the post of Librarian as part of a financial belt tightening.

I am still involved in Conductive Education, but in other projects. On thinking about this, I realised that there are, in fact,  quite a few :

     I started the virtual library of Conductive Education  at

    http://www.e-conduction.org/?page_id=115
 
    which now has over 400 items listed and nearly thirty   complete documents in its Depository.
    More to be added to both soon as time permits.

    My lists of CE centres and conductor consultancies have now been converted into a Map of Where
    Conductors Work  using the technical expertise of Ben Foulger.

    http://intelligentlove.org/institution/map

   With Andrew Sutton I have been involved in producing five titles for Conductive Education Press,

   http://www.blurb.com/user/store/cepress

   and we have plans to publish another book, a quotationary, very soon, with another to follow for
   the World Congress.


Watch this space for more details on both titles.

Not bad going! It just goes to show that you never know what the future may bring.

New book coming soon from Conductive Education Press

A few months ago the possibility of publishing a book of blog postings made by Ralph Strzalkowski about his time at the Pető Institute, and his life as a man with cerebral palsy was put to Ralph by Conductive Education Press, and he agreed. Since then we have extracted relevant postings and intend to publish at the time  of the forthcoming CE World Congress, in October, at which Ralph will be a key-note speaker.

Today Ralph has posted on his blog his thoughts about this at

http://blog.lawyeronwheels.org/2013/06/the-book.html

This book may be an eye-opener, as a child's  perspective of Conductive Education has not been published before. Parents, professionals and researchers have all reported their experiences, thoughts, and opinions, but the memories and experiences of the children have not featured in CE literature. A very different and interesting perspective.

Ralph shows himself to be determined, realistic, hard-working  and personifies Pető's principle that 'you should never give up'.

Further information about the book will follow soon. Watch this space.

London Centre set to expand

The London Centre for Children with Cerebral Palsy

 http://www.cplondon.org.uk/

which opened in 1988 with a mother and baby group, is hoping to move into bigger premises and is exhibiting the plans for developing and moving into the former Green Man pub in Muswell Hill Road.

http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/10491911.Charity_supporting_sick_children_displays_plans_for_new_school/

The centre is exhibiting the plans  because:

We are very keen to hear what local residents think of the plans before we submit a planning application and we hope as many residents as possible are able to attend our public exhibition to see the plans and meet our team.

 Their current premises have become too small for their current services for children up to the age of eleven, and the  new building will be twice the size, allowing for new services for older children.

 

 

It is good to see that in this current financial turndown that it is possible for Conductive Education centres to not only survive but expand too.

Norman Perrin named as an honorary conductor for 2013

The World Congress of Conductive Education takes place every three years and the next one will be in October this year in Munich.

http://www.ce-worldcongress2013.org/default_en.asp

At these congresses a number of people are awarded honorary conductor status for their contributions to Conductive Education. The first group of these, announced in 1990 at the First World Congress in Budapest, included Andrew Sutton, and I was surprised to be included myself in  2010.

This year Norman Perrin, a British parent who established and runs his own centre, Paces, in Sheffield, Yorkshire has been named as honorary conductor. Norman, parent of Sarah, who has cerebral palsy, has worked tirelessly for Conductive Education since the late 1980s publicising its benefits, attending conferences and meetings, lobbying politicians,writing papers, and now his blog, whilst dealing with the day to day running of Paces.

 

In the past there have usually been a number of people selected, but I have looked on the Congress website, the International Pető Association website and the Pető Institute website to try and discover who this year's might be, but without success. There is nothing there, maybe it will come later.

In the meantime, congratulations, Norman, a well deserved honour!

ECA Newsletter and Conductors'' Workplaces map

Today I received a copy of the ECA (European Conductive Association ) Newsletter in my email inbox. This publication is new to me and I assumed it was a new  venture, but on checking the Association's website I found that there have been five previous newsletters, the first coming out in December 2010.

www.conductiveeducation.eu


This latest one, number 6, will probably go on-line soon.

The last item in the Newsletter was about the Conductors' Workplaces map and it was a surprise, and very nice too, to see my name mentioned as the creator of this. Although I did all the input of information, it could not have been done without the help of others - Ben Foulger who set up the software used, and Andrew Sutton and Susie Mallett, who helped by giving me lots of URLs to check and use. Like most things, this was a 'team' effort.

It was great to see mentioned that everyone needs to help with maintaining this and keeping it up to date, by letting me know about any new places or closure of any on the map.

Thank you ECA for mentioning it and I will look forward to receiving more workplaces information as a result.

By the way, this is my first posting using my new toy - an I-pad - and it has been a bit of a learning curve for me!

Conductive Education pocket book

Today I was told about a new book about Conductive Education -

The Conductive Education pocket book.

This can be found at

http://issuu.com/jessicakatenoel/docs/cepocketbook

Jessica Kate Noel  produced this in August 2012 for her Masters project in Advanced Architectural design at the University of Strathclyde. It is  based on her experiences as a conductive education assistant at the Lighthouse Summer School.

http://www.lighthouse-trust.org/Enter.html

The introduction states  :

A simple reminder of  programmes and tasks as practiced at the Lighthouse Trust Summer School

Examples of lying, standing, sitting, and moving from 'a to b' are included with illustrations.


.

Availability of papers on Conductive Education read at conferences

Today I read a posting  by Susie Mallett about a cerebral palsy conference in Bled. 

 

http://www.susie-mallett.org/2013/05/normal-0-21-false-false-false-de-x-none_18.html

 

She notes that there was a presentation made by a conductor, Gabriella Czifra, who also chaired the first plenary session, and asks where she can find out more information about the presentation.

 

These days conference proceedings are not always published as many presentations are made using Powerpoint and not written up as they would once have been, so only those present at the conference are aware of events or developments in the field. It made me wonder yet again, how often presentations and participation by conductors occur in conferences which go unnoticed or unreported. 

 

 In the past I have asked people either to send me copies of their presentations so that I may include them in the Depository on Conduction's website,

 

http://www.e-conduction.org/?page_id=67

 

or let me know of any plans to publish elsewhere on the Internet or in hard copy.

 

Can I repeat that request again?  In particular, can I ask you, Gabriella, to send me your presentation so that it can be placed in the Depository and be available to a much wider audience?

 

 Surely it is so important for the future of Conductive Education  to write, publish and record developments?

No news is not good news

Since April 2009 I have been posting lists of Conductive Education news items on this blog. Gradually these have developed into lists of fundraising activities for services all over the world, rather than interesting feature articles, developments etc.

 

 Why this has happened, I don't know.

 

Perhaps newspapers and magazines have turned to other things, the latest education theories, therapies for instance, and lost interest in CE. Perhaps those in CE aren't so active in publicising their work or submitting articles to magazines.

 

 I do not know how much interest there has been in the brief items I have been listing,  as I have not had feedback for them.

 

Therefore, rather reluctantly, I have decided  to cease producing such lists and just blog separately any newsworthy story as it is published.  If anyone has a good interesting story or article published please do let me know (in case I am unaware of it), and then I will be happy to blog it.

My lists, CE Centres and Conductor Workplaces

I believe there has been some confusion and miscommunication about my lists of CE Centres and the new virtual map of Conductors' Workplaces.

 

 

The links to the lists which appeared on the sidebar of this blog, have been deleted (although the original postings are still in place), and all information contained in them has been updated and is now available via the virtual map at

 

 http://www.intelligentlove.org/InstitutionList/view_map.php

 

In future please do go the virtual map for information about where conductors are working and to find out if there is conductor-led practice in a particular country.

 

As always I will be grateful for new information about these workplaces because I will need your help to  keep the map up to date.

Conductive Education Press now a 'proper' publisher

Conductive Education Press has  now published five titles

http://www.blurb.co.uk/b/3695419-andras-peto#author-bookshelf

 and is now considered a 'proper' publisher as we discovered on receiving a letter from the Agency for Legal deposit Libraries (ALDL).

http://www.legaldeposit.org.uk/

At ALDL's request  I have posted off several copies of two of Conductive Education Press' titles  to the Agency. Copies of the other titles will be sent too. The Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003 and the Irish Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 make it a legal obligation  for copies of new UK publications to be deposited with the Bodleian Library Oxford University, Cambridge University Library, National Library of Scotland, National Library of Wales and Trinity College Dublin and the Agency makes sure these obligations are met. This means  that Conductive Education Press is now a 'proper' publishing house and its books will now be a part of the above august national collections.

 

I had already been sending copies  of our publications to the British Library depository in Yorkshire,  mistakenly thinking that this was all we had to do.

 

Now we know the correct way is to send to ALL of the above and, naturally, will concur. How nice to know that Conductive Education Press's books  will now be  part of the historical record of British publishing.

Are you being served?

On the front page of this blog is a note in the right hand column stating:

      Welcome!

         Please contact me if you think that I can help in any way with

         information on books, articles, papers, news on Conductive

         Education. If I can't help, I will know someone who can!

        Email me at gmaguire1@yahoo.co.uk

 

 

Over the past few years I have been happy to help with any information that I can and have responded to enquiries from parents, conductors, centre managers, and potential service users all over the world, sometimes at length and providing a variety of links, references etc.

This week I had a reponse thanking me for information I had sent.

 I was really pleased, and then  realised that this was unusual because once my reply has gone out, sometimes with documents attached, I rarely receive any acknowledgment, or even thanks. If I have not helped in the way hoped for, I never know. If the information  has been useful, I still don't know. This is leading me to wonder whether this service is not satisfactory and perhaps not worth continuing with, or not appreciated.

Constructive feedback would be very welcome and help me to respond appropriately the next time.

What else can I do? 

More workplaces now on the Map

Over the past week I have been able to add six new workplaces to the Workplace map at

http://intelligentlove.org/InstitutionList/view_map.php


This has been possible as several people have sent me the details, which is wonderful.   Conductors sent me details about the schools in Australia and Sweden, Rony Schenker  details of the Apartment in Israel, and Andrew details for the workplaces in Russia and France.

Many thanks to you all.

Please keep them coming and also don't forget to let me know when any close or no longer have a conductor, as  I can not keep this up to date without you.

If your workplace is not up there, tell me and send details!

gmaguire1@yahoo.co.uk

Conference this Saturday 8 March in London

This weekend the annual conference of CEPEG will take place in London at Tottenham Hotspur Football Stadium from 9.30 - 4.30.

Details are a little sparse but can be found at

http://www.cepeg.org.uk/2013/02/8th-annual-conference-9th-march-2013/

This is the 8th of such conferences.

On Friday evening there is a reception from 5-8pm at 'our London centre' which I assume is the London Centre for Children with Cerebral Palsy as further details are up on the centre's website at

http://www.cplondon.org.uk/2012/12/20/cepeg-8th-annual-conference-2013/

New journal news

On looking around the CEPEG website I noticed that the hoped for new journal of Conductive Education is not ready for publication,  but articles will be uploaded on to the website in the meantime.

 

http://www.cepeg.org.uk/publications/

 

Producing a journal is not easy, as I know after editing and producing  Recent Advances in Conductive Education for eight years from  December 2001 -  August 2009.

Conductors' Workplaces Map - an update

I have now uploaded more places that I have on my lists and there are just over 350 of them. Amazing! I did not expect the number to be so high and there are still more to include.

Details about the map and how it works have been comprehensively described in Andrew's blog posting at

http://www.conductive-world.info/2013/02/where-conductors-work.html

Details of some places that I didn't know about have been sent to me which is terrific.  If I am going to keep this current I will need your continued  help.

 If any of the information changes, any new workplaces need adding, any places no longer operating or employing conductors, please do let me know and I can alter the entries accordingly. If  a place closes or no longer employs coductors I will make a note in the entry of this. This will mean that the map will also show a history of places that have come and gone, but only from 2013 onwards. It would be an impossible task to record all those centres and employers already gone.

In compiling this map I am indebted to two lists in particular. One of German places  found in

http://www.bkf-petoe.de/pdf/Konduktive_Foerderung_web.pdf

and the other, a list of places in Hungary produced by the Peto Institute in 2009

http://chez.gbart.hu/ogyei/tartalom/anyagok/modszertaniAnyagok/konduktorok-cimjegyzeke.pdf

Possible Award for Legacy Rainbow House next month

The Legacy Rainbow House centre in Lancashire has just been shortlisted for the Red Rose Awards in the non profit category.

http://www.redroseawards.co.uk/about-the-awards/

There are 21 awards up for grabs for businesses in Lancashire and the closing date for entries was 24 January 2013. The shortlists were drawn up last week and the awards will be made on 14 March in Blackpool.

It looks as though 2012 was the first year of the Awards and the winner for the Non Profit category was Carers Central (Preston).

 

Joanne Maudsley founded Rainbow House in 2001, and  has worked very hard over the years to keep her centre going. See the link below for further information.

http://www.thelegacy-rainbowhouse.com/more_info.asp?current_id=57


Both she and the Centre have won awards in the past too.

Good luck with this one!

More places on the map

I have spent quite a bit of time this weekend putting more workplaces on the Intelligent Love map and am beginning to think I have square eyeballs now!

 

http://intelligentlove.org/InstitutionList/view_map.php

 

Nearly 100 more places in Hungary, Israel, Germany and the US now have pins in the map, making almost 300 altogether. These are not all centres but include hospitals, nurseries, schools and nursing homes which have at least one conductor working there.

I have quite a long list of places waiting for pins, probably getting on for 100 or so. You wouldn't have thought there would be so many, would you?
 

 

I have discovered that some places are no longer operating and some conductors are not running their consultancies anymore. This is a shame, but these things happen, and new places are starting up all the time.

 

I have had some emails telling me of closures, and new operations, which is great. Please keep this up as it is impossible for me to maintain all this information on my own.

 

I would like to hear if this map is useful to you and in what way.