What is conductive education?
Conductive education (CE) is a system of learning developed
by the Hungarian doctor András Petö and is sometimes known as the Petö system
or method. CE is used by people with
movement disorders resulting from neurological illness or injury (for example
Parkinson’s, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, stroke or head injuries) to
help them to lead independent and fulfilling lives.
Petö’s work was revolutionary: it combined medical knowledge
with teaching methods to provide an integrated system of education and
rehabilitation, which challenged conventional medical approaches. Rather than assuming that the course of an
illness is mapped out as a result of damage to the central nervous system, Petö believed that,
through teaching and learning, people with Parkinson’s can regain conscious,
cognitive control of movement, replacing the automatic movements caused by the
condition.
Unlike most complementary treatments CE is not a therapy, but
a learning process that should be
used all day, every day. It is based on
the belief in the capacity of individuals for change. CE is an expression of a
philosophy that claims that individuals can learn and that they can change if
they learn. It focuses on active
learning, not passive treatment, and the partnership between the educator or
‘conductor’ and the individual so that learning skills and understanding how to
perform movements can be developed, rather than thinking about those movements
that have been lost.
CE cannot cure Parkinson’s or any other neurological
disabilities. But it can offer a means
to control the physical symptoms, improve motor function and increase
independent living, by providing practical techniques and the motivation to
achieve goals. Problems of movement are
treated as problems of learning, and the focus is on how to learn rather than
what to learn. With sustained effort
over a period of time, CE can assist individuals in overcoming their
difficulties.
There are five important elements required to facilitate the
process of CE. These are:
- the conductor – this is the professional who delivers the
programme of learning. He or she is
qualified to degree level and specialises in neurological conditions. It is
essential that there is a mutual trust created between the individual and the
conductor by establishing of an active learning environment
- daily routine – this covers all activities from
waking to sleeping, including self-care, education, work, hobbies and interests
- task series – tasks, which are developed to meet group and
individual needs, are broken into elements with appropriate goals. Tasks take place in a lying, sitting and
standing position and aim to teach the person how to control all the movements
required for problem-solving in their daily life
- intention / rhythmical Intention – CE links speech,
thought and movement by the conductor verbalising the task and providing a
count in which to complete the movement. Participants actively count while
performing the movements as this helps to reduce the time between intending and
carrying out the movement. In order to teach the person with Parkinson’s to
initiate a movement effectively, tasks are performed on the count of one and
held until five. This helps to focus on
the movement and teaches how to overcome symptoms to complete the movement more
easily and successfully. Linking speech
with thought and then movement also helps to provide a strategy to perform the
movement in everyday situations away from the session
- the group – this is usually condition-specific to
ensure that individual needs are fully met. Groups are frequently matched
according to age, life style or specific needs of each person.
CE’s key aims are to:
- teach the person how to gain conscious control over their
movements and communication as one step towards improving quality of life
- construct a different and new method of problem solving
everyday activities
- encourage personality development, making the individual
active rather than passive, and formulating solutions to any difficulties in
motor, functional and behavioural communication
- enhance confidence, self-esteem and motivation
- teach family members and carers how to enable the person to
remain active within their own environment.
