Month: August 2011

Asking questions about Conductive Education

Gillian Maguire Leave a comment
Giving an accurate, informative and easily understood explanation about Conductive Education is not the easiest thing to do. This week I found on the Internet the frequently asked questions with answers that was put up on the Foundation for Conductive Education website in 2000.

http://web.archive.org/web/20000607190055/http://www.conductive-education.org.uk/html/faq’s.html

I passed this link on to Andrew who has been commenting on it too at

http://www.conductive-world.info/2011/08/faqs-for-2011.html

I presume the term FAQ is still commonly understood as many sites, especially those concerned with financial payments still have such a page.
This seems to me to be a good way of  getting the basics understood. It can provide succinct clear answers to questions about the philosophy, principles, terminology, use of the furniture and perhaps the most frequently asked question of all – ‘Is it a therapy?’
There has been some discussion recently about the use of this term used to describe Conductive Education in the US so a new set of FAQs might just help to reinforce the facts and highlight inaccuracies commonly accepted. These could consider the use of the word orthofunction too and elaborate  the pedagogical  aspects as they are in 2011.

What will be known about Conductive Education in 2211?

Gillian Maguire Leave a comment

I have just been to see the Staffordshire hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold items ,which were found in an English  field by an amateur metal detector in 2009. This is an unique collection  and no-one has any idea yet what most of the pieces  are, or were, except they have military connections and no female jewellery was found with them.

http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/about

Such  beautiful, wonderful, intricate workmanship and who made it, used it etc,  is not yet known and may never be.

I wondered idly  if anyone hundreds of years hence will know what Conductive Education is or was, or anything about it, wonder what conductors did, or be able to find real accurate information about it.

When I got home I looked at Facebook.

Today arguments abound about whether its ‘therapy’ ‘pedagogy’ ‘a sort of physiotherapy’ done by conductors or therapists. At the moment there is a thread on Andrew Sutton’s facebook page about this and how conductors are implementing their profession in the US under the rules and regulations concerning teaching there.
Its a shame that a social networking site is used for such serious and important discussions where it can get lost amongst the ephemural statements on sleep loss and weekend partying.
Even so, I hope this shows that more conductors will  stand up for what they do, what its called, not just leave it to a few, that more will let the world know what they are doing and how, preparing to leave a lasting legacy of what is  real  and accurate.

Conductive Education news – what am I missing?

Gillian Maguire Leave a comment

Last week I was sent a link to a German newspaper reporting the work of a parent-led centre in Germany and focusing on the transfer of children from the centre to a mainstream school.

http://www.ovb-online.de/land/petoe-kinder-nehmen-abschied-1336456.html

This made me realise that most of the news items I include in my monthly lists are in English and I must be missing those in other languages. Un fortunately my language skills are very poor so I have been sticking to what I know best, English. In an attempt to change I have set up some Google alerts which I hope will internationalise my lists not only with language but also include countries I would otherwise miss.

If anyone is aware of any news, reports etc that could be included in my lists please do forward the links to me.

Conductive Education – getting it right?

Gillian Maguire Leave a comment

Today a posting on Facebook by Andrew Sutton refers to a discussion thread about Conductive Education that has been written by mums of disabled children. Their knowledge of Conductive Education is patchy to say the least, with some of their comments based on hearsay rather than experience. Definitely inaccurate too, as ‘pain’ and ‘therapy’ are frequently referred to.

http://community.babycentre.co​.uk/post/a11845555/conductive_​education

I would like to hope that they come in contact with the mother whose latest blog posting gives a more accurate picture of Conductive Education and a clear description of it.

http://riddingfamily.blogspot.com/2011/07/conduction-education.html

This Canadian mum speaks for a lot of mothers I am sure, and I hope others will publicise their own experiences of just how good Conductive Education can be for a cerebral palsied child.