Locations of Site Visitors László Szögeczki's CE blog: The Confident Zone

Tuesday 28 October 2008

The Confident Zone

I have a friend.
I have been enjoying this relationship since 1999. We do not meet or speak very often since I moved out from Munich, Germany eight years ago. Once we meet, everything is continued from where it was… Therefore I call it deep manly friendship. He is a therapist and he has his own business in Munich what offers different approaches towards physiotherapy. During the last ten years we have had some very good discussions about dissent approaches of physiotherapy, about contemporary approaches what are out of the ordinary and of course about Conductive Education as well.
Those discussions slowly but surly made me to look at CE from a little distance and in the meantime I detected how he sees CE as an outsider without deep knowledge of it. Just recently, I read publications of Carry Cooper, professor of organizational psychology and health at Lancaster University and surprisingly he drafted something parallel to my friend’s point of view but far not related to CE. Cooper’s works persuaded me to collect together our ideas we thought why CE was a bit “different”. That is prior to me to share today. The following sentences involve an essential what we both agreed.

There can be many things and more strategies that work for physically disabled people. Rehabilitation methods, treatments, manual handlings are very different. CE has got his own approach strategy for the body itself which can be discussed professionally by medical development point of view however, in life orientation way it is outstanding and introducing a new picture of rehabilitation to the world. My friend says: it takes us (the disabled person) to the confident zone of life.

These aspects are nothing to do with the impaired, disabled body. It changes behaviour, act and life. CE one of those things what can work for the mind and spirit as well.
Conductive Education offers and provides physical development and education together and teaches to think positive, think better: to be more realistic of the dysfunction of the body and see the possibilities in life, open eyes and mind to see the bigger picture. It teaches to face to the situation and shows the chances how to befriend themselves, also, teaches to watch out for rigid expectations, keep things in perspective and avoid using “awfulising” stereotypes. To behave responsibly: actively listen, acknowledge what people say and to say what they think and feel, say what they would like to happen. To be a good time manager: using time effectively, to deal stress with the help of time managing. To do a useful schedule – a daily, monthly, yearly routine - list everything they want to achieve. Try to stay realistic about how much time they need for activities, etc. and be prepared for unexpected events. How to tackle of stress of disability: CE tries to teach to be precise aware of their disabilities and how to overcome some physical, emotional, social problems, to learn how to look at the bright side of their situation.
To live a healthier life: How to look after their diet, to consume de-stressing foods, how to exercise the body and get relationships, how to be active in the society and the importance of having a hobby (something to deal with).



Notes

www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/profiles/cary-cooper/
see selected publications


Praxis für Phyisotherapie, Rudolf Eckert
Hubertusstr. 22.
80639 München, Germany

Bobath
Elektrotherapie
Krankengymnastik
Lasertherapie
Lymphdrainage
Manuelle Therapie
Massage
Fango / Naturmoor
PIlates
Reflexzonentherapie
Shiatsu
Hausbesuche
Osteopathie
Musiktherapie

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hello Laszlo.

For my children (and my grandchildren) who do not have cerebral palsy, I ask, how shall they be schooled? In schools provided by the State in England, I find much that could be improved. I find that I am sympathetic to the reasoning of those who cannot accept the failings of State schools, and choose a private school or home-schooling for their children. But, by-and-large, I am content in the answer that my children were schooled in the schools provided for them by the State. Although I would wish for radical changes, I do not, I suppose, wish to overthrow the whole system.

For my child with cerebral palsy, however, I was never quite content. And when I was introduced to Conductive Education, for me, my eyes were opened to the need for a whole systemic and systematic change in the schooling of children with cerebral palsy. Paces Campus and School were set up to be an alternative, to offer choice in schooling, to be an exemplar and, ultimately, to be a part in a wave of change in the State system of special schooling for children wit cerebral palsy that I have no doubt will, one day, happen.

If the question is (put too broadly in this brief note, maybe): How should a child with cerebral palsy be educated? then, for me, Conductive Education is the answer. Broadly, admittedly, but quite simply.

I do not need explanations of conductive education that lean on therapy or rehabilitation or habilitation. I need only that here is a single child, possessed, like any other child, of certain abilities, character and attributes, in order to bring into play the transformational process that is teaching and learning that should exist in the arrangements society makes (or permits), which add up to schooling.

I do not deny the equally essential role of paediatricians, therapists and pharmacologists. But their role in the life of a child with cerebral palsy is a different role. When it comes to the schooling of a child with cerebral palsy, I ask only: How should a child with cerebral palsy learn and be taught?

For the child with cerebral palsy, I know of no other comparable integrated and structured philosophy, system and practice of education (never mind upbringing) that accounts for, or can provide the basis for deciding, the teaching and learning that should go on inside our schools.

(Thank you, Laszlo, for all your most interesting postings, which I always look forward to reading.)