Thursday, 27 May 2010

Schools for Parents

I have just received the following Google alert, as Scope has updated its website.

http://www.scope.org.uk/services/early-years/conductive-education-1

Scope, a charity working for the disabled in the UK has created a network of Schools for Parents that offer various Conductive Education Services. A charity was set up by parents of cerebral palsied children in the 1950s to support and care for those with cerebral palsy and it was called the Spastics Society. In the 1990s it became involved in Conductive Education but this was not developed  and sustained as suggested at the time. It has now changed its name to Scope  and over the past few years has gradually widened  its support to include all disabled people and their families. A network of Schools for Parents has been created over the years  that offers various Conductive Education Services.   A list of these can be found on their website at

http://www.scope.org.uk/services/local-groups/schools-parents

Twenty-six schools are listed alphabetically by name and not geographically. These are a mixed collection and consist of centres operating for some years, e.g. The Rainbow Centre, STEPS Leicestershire Conductive Education Centre, The London Centre for Children with Cerebral Palsy  and some part of established special schools e.g Percy Hedley, Villa Real, Horton Lodge. along with small centres such as the Norfolk School for Parents.

Some centres have conductors and some offer the principles of Conductive Education, one even says that the staff have been trained in the Peto method, but not where or how. This makes it difficult to understand exactly what is on offer, but  I am sure any parent wishing to find CE for his/her child would follow up on this information and find out more about each School using the contact details given  and probably making a visit.

Sunday, 23 May 2010

Review of New Conductive Education Library

As it is just over a month since I started posting items on the virtual catalogue at 

http://www.virtualcelibrary.blogspot.com/  

I thought it might be worth reviewing how the catalogue has grown and look at the number of visitors to the site.

I am pleased to say that since early April, 108 items have been entered in the catalogue under 8 different subjects and 794 visitors have been recorded. A  few comments have been made, all very positive.

 Initially I included only items that were freely available to all but am now also putting up the locations for those needing payment to view. I know this can be frustrating for those who hope to access the material immediately, at no cost, but including them does at least flag up their existence and potential use. Some academic libraries do allow public access for reference purposes (in the UK at least) so it would be worth while contacting a university near you if you wish to track down any article.

There are quite a number in the pipeline to be posted and I am checking the Internet regularly for items to add. If you know of any that I may have missed or be unaware of, please do let me know.

Monday, 17 May 2010

Research / Evaluation list on new Conductive Education Library

A number of new titles have been added to this subject this morning, some free and some needing payment for access.


See  http://www.virtualcelibrary.blogspot.com/

Internet News no.11

This is a collection of items found on the Internet over the past weeks. There is not as much as usual as things do seem to be quiet at the moment.


http://www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net/news/news.asp?id=6865&title=Builders+merchant+takes+to+the+road+for+charity
Scooter ride to raise funds for Megan Baker House centre in UK

 http://blackcountrysociety.blogspot.com/2010/05/bc-motor-scooter-riders-charity-ride.html
Blog posting about scooter ride for Megan Baker House

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/8123875.KESTON__Family_nears___55_000_target_for_little_Libby_Lee/
UK family raises money for operation and Conductive Education

http://cgi.ebay.com/SOY-CANDLES-16oz-JAR-ALL-NATURAL-GREAT-CAUSE-/120561648800
US family sells candles to raise money for Conductive Education

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=118434331506966&v=info&ref=search
Conductive Education and personal training

http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/whereilive/8111232.Mum_ready_to_take_the_plunge/
Parachute jump to raise funds for CE.

http://ns.reporter-times.com/stories/2010/04/20/columnl.qp-9411309.sto
Story about Jackson center in US

http://wpmobserver.com/WPMObserver/article.asp?ID=3545
12 year old experiences CE in Orlando, Florida

http://jimbenderoxford.blogspot.com/2010/04/these-people-need-this-communitys.html
Request for help with funding the purchase of a wheelchair and CE services at Ability Camp.
http://www.intouch.org/site/c.cnKBIPNuEoG/b.5906357/k.6EB2/Running_on_His_Strength.htm
Seven year old Natalie runs a race after learning to walk with Conductive Education.

http://www.wigantoday.net/news/pals_lace_up_for_rainbow_ramble_1_761358
Fundraising walk for Legacy Rainbow House in North West England.
http://www.issaquahpress.com/2010/05/04/bus-drivers-steer-efforts-toward-a-child%E2%80%99s-treatments/
Bus drivers raising money to send child to Conductive Education Learning Center in Grand Rapids

http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2010/05/06/altavista/news/news22.txt
Event to raise money to send little girl to Blue Ridge Conductive Education Center in US

http://www.chorleycitizen.co.uk/news/8165118.Chorley_charity_founder_makes_final_3_of_national_award/
Founder of CE Centre in North West England makes the final three in the Extraodinary Woman Award in the UK.

Sunday, 16 May 2010

New items in virtual catalogue

Up until now all items listed in the New Education Library have been those freely available on the Internet. I am now starting to add items that require payment to view and these can be found, marked with two red stars to flag up that payment is necessary, amongst the free documents. 

At the moment the free items are far more numerous than those to be paid for, but perhaps over time this will change.

Thursday, 13 May 2010

Very difficult decisions

A thought provoking and potentially distressing article was published in the Daily Mail  (UK) today   about options offered to parents of  premature babies who will be severely disabled.

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1277944/Two-new-pieces-research-raise-profoundly-troubling-question-Is-wrong-premature-babies-alive.html

Saturday, 8 May 2010

More items listed in virtual catalogue

Some more has gone into the virtual catalouge  at http://www.virtualcelibrary.blogspot.com/

Items on Conductive Education and politics and Conductive Education and developement have now been posted.

Please let me know if there are other items you have found. I know that there will be more about questions asked in the UK parliament, and I am working on it.

Wednesday, 5 May 2010

Using information on the blogs

I have received an email saying how useful the virtual catalogue on the New Conductive Education Library blog is proving to be. This is very gratifying and makes all the hard work worthwhile.

Thank you, Viba.

She also asked whether I was happy for her to link the blog to a Discussion Group on Google. Naturally I was very happy to say that this was fine. Anyone can link to my blogs, copy, cut and paste the posts, as long as they do acknowledge where they have been taken from. My main aim in producing the lists etc is to help others find what is available, and be able to compare, criticise, comment on the items so listed.  Learn more about, and from, the literature Conductive Education.

So feel free to use whatever you like under the conditions mentioned, and let me know how useful it is.

Sunday, 2 May 2010

Top 40 bloggers

Yesterday in The Times Magazine an article was published listing the 40 bloggers that everyone is talking about. Written by Ben Machell and Killian Fox, it  covered subjects which included fashion, technology, motherhood, food, politics, family, literature, media and news. One woman  has even become a professional blogger and earns her living from it.

http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article7108518.ece

No mention of any blog about Conductive Education - or any related subject for that matter. This was not really a surprise but it would have been great to see one included.

 Perhaps we should look at some of the selections and learn from their authors!

Changes to New Conductive Education Library

I realised this afternoon that I had posted  a draft collection of blogs on the New Conductive Education Library blog by mistake. This has now been rectified, and I hope that I will receive suggestions for further additions.

Saturday, 1 May 2010

New additions to virtual catalogue

Several changes and additions have been made to the virtual catalogue today on the New Conductive Education Library blog.

References concerning Conductive Education with adults have been added to the virtual catalogue today. Only a few of Susie Masllet's posts have been included as clicking on the link will lead you to her labels list where it is possible to access 25 posts on her work with adults.

A list of blogs has also been posted and these have been divided into Information blogs and parent blogs to reflect the different contents.

A link to a list of Conductive Education newsletters has also been added to the righ hand side of the blog.

As always comments and suggestions will be welcome.

Wednesday, 28 April 2010

Conductive Education history

New posting about Conductive Education history on the Internet is now up on the virtual catalogue at the New Condictive Education Library blog.

http://www.virtualcelibrary.blogspot.com/


Information about any items not included will be very welcome.

Monday, 26 April 2010

'Making the statistic' in Conductive Education

I have received an enquiry asking where statistics on the number of children with cerebral palsy receiving/received Conductive Education can be found. Well, as far as I know there are none. Individual providers may well keep their own for administrative purposes and to include them in Annual Reports, but these are not made available in an obvious public way or collated by anyone.

 The Peto Institute did produce some statistics quite a while ago, a copy of which is in the National Conductive Education Library, and Maria Hari often talked about 'making the statistic', including them in her early presentations. These, of course, are now way out of date.

I referred the enquirer to the National Library of Conductive Education where it may be possible to find some figures in student dissertations, conference proceedings or research articles. Quite a time consuming process.

How useful they can be, I am not sure, but if anyone is willing to send me any figures they know of, I will try and produce an overall picture and put it on this blog.

Wednesday, 21 April 2010

Bibliographies on New Conductive Education Library

A list of bibliographies found on the Internet has just been posted on the New Conductive Education Library site ( see link on right hand side).

This list is divided into two sections; one, a list  of individuals work and the second a list by subject. This second list consists of lists compiled by me over the years and published on the Foundation for Conductive Education's website. Hard copies  should still be available in the National Liibrary. 

Even though the Foundation's old website has been withdrawn now, these are still available on a web archive. Please note the dates. Some were compiled more than ten years ago and need updating but  make a useful starting place.

Please do let me know if any others are available online.

Monday, 19 April 2010

Changes to Newsletters directory

 A couple of changes have been made to this list as I have added a new one for France and ACENA in North America has now made its newsletter available to members only.
If anyone knows of any new ones that can be added to the list or ammendments that need makiing, please let me know.

Saturday, 17 April 2010

The New Conductive Education Library

Gradually over the years documents, articles, reviews etc on Conductive Education have been posted on the Internet and I thought it might be useful to bring these together in a 'virtual' catalogue. This catalogue will include all such items that can be tracked down.

 Go to http://virtualcelibrary.blogspot.com/  for the first entries.

A  number of items are waiting to be classified and these will be added in the near future.

Format 
As I do not have the relevant software or expertise in devising my own, I have started this catalogue in a blog format which is easy to use  for me, the compiler, and you, the user. This may change at a later date.

Arrangement
Items are arranged by subject, 'classified', using the scheme I devised whilst Librarian at the Foundation for Conductive Education, and include all known bibliographic details where possible. There is a list of subjects on the right-hand side, just click to access items in that area.

Please note that none of the items will be evaluated for quality. That is a job for readers: it is not the role of a library. Inclusion in this catalogue indicates solely their existence on the Internet.

All suggestions, thoughts, or information about documents you have found, that may be included in this catalogue, will be very welcome.

Sunday, 11 April 2010

Latest issue of Inter Connections Electronic Information Bulletin

A new issue of the Inter Connections Electronic Information Bulletin is now available at

http://www.icwhatsnew.com/bulletin/current/index.htm

There are a number of links to conferences which may be of interest, and also a link to a piece about MEPs urging disabilities to be part of Europe 2020.

It is possible to subscribe to this bulletin which is free. Just clink on the 'subscribe' button.

Tuesday, 6 April 2010

Internet News no. 10

There does not seem to have been much on the news front this month but here is a selection which may be of interest.



Conductive Education

http://janetharrold.blogspot.com/2010/03/conductive-education.html
Parent fundraising via blog to send daughter for CE in Florida

http://www.bclocalnews.com/fraser_valley/abbynews/news/87007362.html
brief mention of CE in piece about parents' efforts to find help for their son.

http://conductiva.eventbrite.com/
Announcement of free public lecture by Krisztina ? in California on 4 April

http://my.hsj.org/Schools/Newspaper/tabid/100/view/frontpage/articleid/349614/newspaperid/2012/Fourth_annual_Kaiyas_Cup_approaches.aspx
Fundraising for CE for Kaiya in Franklin Lakes, NJ.

http://www.selkirkjournal.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2514504
Mention of Movement Centre, Manitoba in this article about methods tried by parents of boy with cerebral palsy

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/newshome/MP-takes-part-in-10km.6192566.jp
MP takes part in 10km run to help Rainbow Centre, Fareham, Hants.

Cerebral palsy

http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/new-treatment-for-cerebral-palsy-144871.php
Study to investigate stem cells as way of treating cerebral palsy.

http://www.jackbristol.com/newscentre/bristols-news/bristol-mum-launches-books-to-help-parents-of-disabled-children-4087
Mumpublishes series of books to help understanding of cerebral palsy by children.

http://southdownsliving.blogspot.com/2010/04/skydive-for-dame-vera-lynn-trust.html
Another sky dive to raise funds for Dame Vera Lynn Trust.

Multiple sclerosis

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1263512/I-stung-1-500-bees-I-feel-great-MS-sufferers-pioneering-therapy.html
Bee stings credited with helping a ms patient regain her quality of life.

http://www.newswise.com/articles/clinical-benefit-of-multiple-sclerosis-drug-discovered-at-rush-university-medical-center
Clinical benefit of new MS drug has now been approved in US.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/183841.php
There may be two types of MS.

Parkinson's disease

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/06/2865086.htm?section=justin
Medical scientists are baffled by a phenomenon in which sufferers of Parkinson's disease who cannot walk are able to ride bikes and ice skate.

http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/news/Article/994464/Charity-rebranding-change-vision-strategy/
A change of name for Parkinson's Disease Society.

http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/an-accidental-education-exclusive-excerpt-from-michael-j-foxs-new-book/article177211.html
Excerpt from Michael J. Fox's new book

http://www.dotmed.com/news/story/12149/
Under 45s not always diagnosed correctly with Parkinson's.

Stroke

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/apr/03/love-and-hope-motivate-parents-efforts-erase-effec/
Report of baby who had severe stroke which went un-noticed by docotors.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jo-Evl3cbTIP4qjFN0rkhLXghb1wD9ED1UDO3
People with variable blood pressure at greater risk of stroke.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5i_JrsZwA7IX4Zoqobl7y291LG8vQ
New blood thinning drug could prevent stroke in those with high risk

Sunday, 4 April 2010

More about Scientific Studies on Conductive Pedagogy

Andrew Sutton has posted more information about my Classic no 8 on his blog

http://www.conductive-world.info/2010/04/classic-yes.html

He fills in some of the background that I was unaware of, which makes very interesting reading. Thank you, Andrew.

Do have a look.

More changes to centres list

The centres list for countries beginning with letter A to C has now been extended to include letters D to F.

If there are any errors to be corrected, or centres not included , please let me know so that I can amend accordingly.

Many thanks to those who have been sending me such information, and please keep it coming so that the lists are as up to date and accurate as possible.