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 are replaced.

Infants and young children attending the Centre participate in a comprehensive education programme that promotes motor activity, cognitive development, self help skills, manipulation, play activities, development of speech and body scheme, transmitting knowledge, supporting education in the family  and preparation for kindergarten education.

 

a) Early Development Groups and Individual  Activity

Depending on the enrolment, the conductive education of children is available until the age of three. Up to the age of six or seven months the counselling of parents is conducted individually, while over the age of six months, in groups. From the age of two, mature children can attend the play school.

b) Parents' School

The Parents' School is maintained for children under the age of six with damage to the central nervous system and who live in the provinces and where individual education is most suitable. The comprehensive development is conducted by the individual and group education of parents.

The parent actively participates in the educational process and then applies what has been learnt. The aim is to create the daily routine at home and prepare the child for group work or normal kindergarten life.

c) Residential Group for Mother and Child

The groups are for disabled children living in the provinces who come for a month at the time. Children and parents continue to apply the daily schedule they have already started at home and they do this with the conductor's support.

The aim is an intensive way of development by involving the parents in the educational process and preparing the child for kindergarten.

 

In our kindergarten we educate 3 to 6/7 year old children with central nervous disorders (CP)  and special education 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. The daily groups are organised for children living in or near the capital, 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 for both 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 possible the shaping of desirable behaviour  and needs, the transmission of knowledge and the development of abilities and skills. The conductive programme entails teaching co-ordinated movement, movement for the need of active behaviour, teaching an independent way of life, mental/intellectual education and development, speech development, shaping emotional and volitional characteristics and kindergarten education inseparably, which is also ideal for the non-CP children participating in integrated kindergarten education.

Conductive School
Our primary school is an integral part of the Hungarian school system and its requirements correspond 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 regular pupils as appropriate for their age. Our school accepts children from all over Hungary. Pupils may attend on a daily or weekly residential basis. Apart from transmitting the amount of knowledge prescribed for primary schools, the most important function of the school is the pedagogy based habilitation and rehabilitation of pupils.

Adult Education Unit

Conductive education  is recommended for patients with Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, ataxia, stoke 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 months. Development and instruction is carried out by experienced and highly qualified conductors. The comprehensive conductive education of adults  builds on the development of motor co-ordination, relaxation, impetus after relaxation, keeping the 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 every day life. It is also essential to develop memory, attention, communication and concentration where necessary. It is also our main task to help to prepare the adult to successfully re-integrate in his appropriate age, biological and social group. Furthermore, we aim to help the adult create a quality of life that matches his own expectation.

After-Care Unit

The main tasks of the unit are to follow up the integration of the released person in the family, kindergarten or school and help the work  of family members and educationalists. The development of the child is monitored by the institute up to his adulthood. Counselling on choosing a school and  a career is given. In the interest of maintaining continuous development  or giving help in case of a break down, there is always an opportunity for further conductive education.

Foreign Conductive Pedagogical Unit

Disabled people coming from abroad  have to take part in counselling  before being placed in a group. For enrolment, the latest medical reports (general, orthopaedic or neurological), photographs and video recordings and if available, written school or kindergarten  reports must be submitted to the institute. The date of the first counselling will be set after the received documents had been considered.

Counselling is performed by experienced conductors and the aim is to decide whether the child/adult is suitable for conductive education, what aims can be achieved by using the conductive educational system and also, in what form and pace it should be applied to reach the required aims.

The National Centre of Professional Services for  Conductive Education

There is a considerable number of conductors working throughout Hungary who are in close contact with the Institute. They work at various places including education, health, social services, private institutions). The Centre provides information on conductors, their institutions, availability, type of work they do (early development, kindergarten/school education,  rehabilitation work, etc.). However, we currently do not have ‘conductor cover’over the whole of Hungary. The Centre provides services as follows:

 

International Relations

The András Pető Institute of Conductive Education and College for Conductor Training welcomes not only Hungarians but foreigners as well. Programmes are conducted abroad so that families could have access to conductive education near their home.

On these premises groups of Hungarian conductors educate local disabled children regularly.

The institute carries our research within the framework of international cooperation.