Centre for Early Development and Conductive Care
Children whose delay in spontaneous motor development becomes increasingly apparent may lose very valuable time if intervention is not started early enough. Having to ascertain whether or not the infant is healthy and whether or not it is at risk of pathological development imposes he same level of responsibility on our experts as to recognise and identify he pathological process. Waiting to no purpose, playing for time due to uncertainty will diminish the results that could be achieved with early development.
To newborn babies who presumably suffered damage to the central nervous system, early conductive education is vital as the brain has a residual capacity which can be activated and thereby the functions of the injured, defective brain area replaced.
Infants and young children attending the Pető Institute's Centre for Early development and Conductive Care participate in a comprehensive education programme that promotes motor activity, cognitive development, self help skills, manipulation and play activity. Early development of speech, development of body scheme, transmitting knowledge, supporting education in the family and preparation for kindergarten education are also involved.
Early education is provided in various forms. The residential mother and toddler group is mainly for children and families living outside the central area of the country. Our outpatient groups provide conductive care to children residing in or around Budapest. Children whose condition or age does not allow development within the group are educated individually.
Conductive Kindergarten
In our kindergarten we educate 3 to 6/7 year old children with central nervous disorders (CP) and special educational needs while our integration groups offer integrated education to able bodied and disabled children. Our kindergarten is an integral part of the Hungarian education system. Conductive education is practised in daily and residential groups. The daily groups are organised for children living in the Budapest area while those from the countryside are admitted to the residential groups. The groups are made up of 14 to 16 children.
The comprehensive programme of the kindergarten groups guarantees all-round development both for children with motor disabilities and non-CP children attending the integration groups. The education programme is implemented in the frame of the daily routine which makes the shaping of desirable behaviours and needs, the transmission of knowledge and the development of abilities and skills possible. In the conductive programme the personality is seen and educated in its integrity rather than being divided into functions to be developed. As deficient operation is caused by the disintegration and not the lack of the particular functions, successful operation is achieved by learning interrelations and pursuing goal-oriented activities rather than by practising single functions. We take advantage of the interaction of functions; active learning is used for teaching the child how to reach the goal.
Motor education aimed at arousing the need for coordinated movement and an active behaviour, teaching an independent way of life, intellectual education and development, speech development, the formation of emotional and volitional characteristics and kindergarten education are inseparable components of the programme which is also ideal for the non-CP children participating in integrated kindergarten education.
Our mission is to show individuals suffering from injuries to the central nervous system and their families the way to a full life and to make society aware of the opportunities to help.
Physician and educator Andras Pető developed his conductive education system in the 1940s. His method opened up a new path for the rehabilitation of children and adults whose motor impairments originate from damage to the central nervous system. His approach was first taught and practised in the predecessor of the Institute now named after him. Conductive education is based on the idea that despite the damage, the nervous system still possesses the capacity to form new neural connections and this ability can be mobilised with the help of a properly guided teaching and learning process. That is the reason why Professor Pető called his method "conductive" (Latin origin).
Conductive School
Our primary school is an integral part of the Hungarian school system. The system of requirements corresponds with the National Primary School Curriculum. The school offers mainstream education for school aged children with central motor disorders and intact intellect from grade 1 to 8 and for children with motor disabilities and learning difficulties from grade 1 to 4. Children whose motor development has reached the optimal level can be integrated into a mainstream school as a regular pupil as appropriate for their age. Our school accepts children from all over Hungary. Pupils may attend on a daily or a weekly residential basis.
Apart from transmitting the amount of knowledge prescribed for primary schools, the most important function of the school is the habilitation and rehabilitation of pupils on a pedagogical basis.
Due to the damage they suffered, many of our pupils struggle with severe communication disorders in addition to their motor impairments. Thus within their education special emphasis is placed on the various methods of speech development e.g. augmentative communication or speech therapy. Introducing them to the computer and teaching them computer literacy on professional level and/or computer-assisted written communication are also of vital importance. In order to facilitate social integration we continuously run as o-called life modelling programme which is part of our education programme. Attaining self help activities is imperative, thus the programme includes the shaping of social customs as well. In this frame the pupils pursue activities that are drawn from life.
Adults' Education Unit
Conductive education, as created by András Pető, has been accessible also to adults with motor disabilities for more than 60 years. Achievements like re-learning walking, improvement of posture and motor coordination, re-gaining independence, taking up employment and self-fulfilment are assigned by many clients to this method and the conductors. Conductive education is recommended for patients with Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, ataxia, stroke and injuries to the spinal cord, the skull and the brain.
Clients attend on an outpatient basis and participate in group sessions twice a week for two hours. Development and instruction is carried out by experienced and highly qualified professionals: conductors. The comprehensive conductive education for adults builds on the development of motor coordination, relaxation, impetus after relaxation, assuming proper posture, improvement of walking, walking rhythm, fine motor and self help skills, accuracy of changing position, achievement of greater efficiency when turning over, sitting up, standing up, starting to walk and stopping. The primary aim is smooth implementation in everyday life. It is also essential to develop memory, attention, communication and concentration where necessary.
College for Conductor Training
The András Pető Institute of Conductive Education and College for Conductor Training is a non-governmental institution of higher education maintained by the International András Pető Public Foundation. Since 1963 the College has trained professionals to educate and rehabilitate individuals with motor disabilities originating from damage to the central nervous system.
Currently the training of conductor-teachers and conductor-kindergarten teachers is in the phase of closing down and a BA level conductor training with the opportunity to specialise in primary school or kindergarten pedagogy has been launched since Hungary joined the European higher education area (Bologna system).
The alternatives of specialisation prepare conductors theoretically and practically for their role in special needs children’s integration into mainstream communities. In the new system of higher education crossing-over between specialisations is also possible.
The primary opportunity for qualified conductors to study on MA level is pedagogy which is generally accepted by higher education institutions of teacher training. The College for Conductor Training, however, aspires to conceive an MA course in conductive education in the very near future. On top of offering enhanced theoretical and practical studies in conductive education, the course will include neurorehabilitation, psychology, pedagogy, management theory, marketing and economy.
Professionals holding a conductor’s certificate are in demand all over the world. Apart from the Practising Institution of the András Pető Institute of Conductive Education and College for Conductor Training job opportunities in Hungary open mainly in the public education, health and social areas.
Due to its participation in Project 4.1.2 of the Human Resources Development Operational Programme the College has been refurbished. Entrances have been rendered handicapped accessible, modern lecture rooms with appropriate equipment have been established and the Mária Hári Library and Regional Resource Centre has been enhanced with new premises and adequate space.
The College is organising open days for secondary school pupils interested in conductor training and will participate in the “Educatio 2008” exhibition on higher education.
Mária Hári Library and Regional Resource Centre
Funds from the European Union and the National Development Plan in the frame of the Human Resources Development Operational Programme have made the refurbishment of the Mária Hári Library and Regional Resource Centre possible.
On the first floor of building A, above the main entrance visitors find
- a museum illustrating the history of conductive education and Dr. Mária Hári’s life,
- the library,
- public Internet facilities and
- two IT classrooms for students.
On the open shelves readers will find 30 thousand volumes covering the following areas:
- Psychology (including specific areas e.g. motor disorders and other disabilities), social psychology, philosophy, sociology.
- Neurology, child neurology, paediatrics, anatomy, spine diseases, orthopaedics, medical rehabilitation, encyclopaedic works, reference books and specialised works (e.g. literature on autistic symptom complexes is available both in Hungarian and foreign languages).
- Pedagogy: Literature on various alternative pedagogies (Montessori, Freinet, Waldorf), pedagogy for special needs, kindergarten pedagogy, visual education; collections of games, songs, poems and rhymes and on developmental education is available to lecturers, students and conductors.
- School books for the lower classes of primary school; lecture notes and teacher’s basic methodological handbooks concerning environmental studies, mathematics, physical education, Hungarian language and literature, visual education, music and singing; collections of curricula; other manuals and dictionaries assist preparation.
- A selection of fiction, videos, music CDs and multimedia material is available for relaxation, entertainment and learning.
A newsroom, a study, light and comfortable rooms for readers and a children’s corner are expecting visitors day by day.
The Pető Institute won valuable support from the European Regional Development Fund for improving the infrastructure of the College for Conductor Training and for making the building handicapped accessible. We are proud to announce that the College has been enhanced with a new main entrance, a number of lecture rooms and a resource centre.
