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What is Conductive Education?

Conductive Education® (CE) is an innovative learning system that merges the elements of education with rehabilitation.  First developed in Hungary over 60 years ago, CE deals not only with the physical needs, but also with the social and psychological issues facing people of all ages with neurological conditions.  It is a method of teaching and training the injured brain to communicate with the muscles and the body. 

“Conductors”, or specially trained instructors/therapists, work with program participants to help them gain, or regain, physical mobility and self-sufficiency one small step at a time.  Unlike most medical or therapeutic models of treatment, Conductive Education® attempts to change the way people see their own abilities, and to raise their awareness of the way their body works.  Each small group session is a series of tasks that are designed to help improve basic skills which are required to form more complex movements.  Tasks are designed to focus on co-ordinating the physical, mental and emotional factors by making the body and the mind work together.  The repeated process of setting and attaining small goals helps develop independence and self-esteem, and encourages participants to keep working.  As active participants in their healing, clients actively work their muscles and not rely on equipment or elaborate machines any more than is absolutely necessary.  When muscles are not used actively they quickly begin to atrophy and weaken.  Our sessions are small group where clients are guided through the series of tasks and assistance is given as needed.

“For you to make improvement, you must put forth the effort, we can not do it for you.”

Following a stroke, many of the pathways or neural connections from the brain to the muscles, which we have developed over the years, have been destroyed or damaged and many will never return.  Our brain may no longer recognize our bodies position in space let alone how to take control of it.  The good news is that the brain has a great deal of plasticity and redundancy and it is possible to help restore some of the lost function by training other portions of the brain to take over.  Although it is not an easy process and will take a great deal of time and dedication, however, it is possible to make improvement!  Every brain injury is unique and the amount of progress that any one individual makes has to do with many factors such as the severity of the injury and the participation of the client.  In traditional therapy, most people are told "anything you haven't got back in the first 90 days you might never get back".  Significant gains are possible using CE. 

 Some of the areas in which Conductive Education® can help include:

•        balance, breathing and co-ordination
•        sitting up without help
•        developing hand-eye co-ordination
•        establishing security and self-confidence
•        learning or improving self-expression
•        dealing with crowded environments
•        bowel and bladder control
•        verbal and non-verbal communication
•        developing self-sufficiency, reducing dependence on others

A new session of Conductive Education starts the week of January 4th, 2010 at the Functional Performance Health & Wellness Centre.  All new participants must complete the Adult Application Form or Child Application Form.  Returning participants must complete the Registration Form. 

For more information regarding this program, contact the March of Dimes Conductive Education Program at (905) 270-2941.