Improving Understanding on CE

During working out an adequate qualitative methodology for a research on Conductive Education, particularly on the emotional and social elements alongside with the physical ones, I met many ideas how to implement different methods for better understanding. Some critics say that it is not useful listening to CE participants, patient’s opinion about their treatment since they are subjectively involved and they won’t inform us about the objective rehabilitation truth. I am and many other qualitative researchers are arguing that point. If we would follow this idea we probably would never get any information about the participants’ lived experience. Lived experience, which is crucial in education, habilitation, rehabilitation.
When we would like to express the lived experience and write down as a narration, we produce an autonomous text, a text that expresses its own meaning. Whatever the production is it does not need any correction. It tells about our world, about “Dasein” according to Heidegger, in English translation about “being in the world”, about our lived world. This is not a factual world outside or lying behind the text, but rather a world in front of the text, a world revealed by the text. Through lived discourses we participate in the CE world, and through the texts, narratives we come aware of this participation. Narratives touch us and move us when they shed light on our or the participants’ lived experience of discourse participation. Being touched and moved may reveal the essential meaning of this participation, this being in the world. Being touched and moved by essential meaning leads us toward the truth. Towards the lived truth of CE.

Encounter

Today I had a great opportunity to spread Conductive Education at a higher level. I had a chance to meet with Jonathan Shaw MP, Minister for Disabled People (UK) and Minister for the South East.





... and a representative of the “new” Care Quality Commission.
The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. Their aim is to make sure better care is provided for everyone, whether that’s in hospital, in care homes, in people’s own homes, or elsewhere.
They regulate health and adult social care services, whether provided by the NHS, local authorities, private companies or voluntary organisations.

Alan's speech at the exhibition through his communication aid

Hello.
Thank you all for coming to the opening of this exhibition. I'm Alan Martin, and you may recognise me from some of the photographs here today. I was delighted to be asked to pose for these works. It’s not the first modelling I've done!
Over the past few years, I've been attending sessions of conductive education with Lotszi. I know that using this technique with adults, like myself, is still very rare, but, in my case, it was really beneficial. Although its nearly a year since I had the chance to attend a session, I can still feel the benefits. At each session, I gained more awareness of my body, and learned techniques to ease stiff joints, get better control of my movements, and increase the range and strength of those movements. I feel it should be much more widely available.
As well as physical improvements, I feel more confident in my abilities, which comes in very useful in my line of work, namely, inclusive dance. Dance has been my passion for several years now. Some of you may just remember me at the start of my career, providing the entertainment at the Glaxo A.G.M. That was a long time ago!
I'd like to recommend conductive education as a whole person approach. My experience was not just about improving physical issues; it was about me, as a whole individual. See the person before the disability, is a quote I like, and I think that's true of this therapy. I hope you enjoy the work of Eva, Rachel, and Phil.
THANK YOU.

An exhibition I organised to Liverpool Neurosupport Centre

Ladies and Gentlemen! My Friends!

I have chosen this piece of music to get started, the g-moll Presto by Vivaldi, because it represents great power and force. Also because it links what we will experience here tonight at the Neurosupport Centre.

Mr. Alan Martin, who is an example to all of us; despite his severe physical and speech disabilities he lives on his own without any government support, runs his own business as a dance performer, dance teacher and lives a full and independent life. Our community, and all of us, should learn from his ability. We will also see the art of the photographer Eva Erdi-Krausz, whose photographs illustrate this power of spirit. And through her camera enable us to see these forces of hope.

The documentary photos of Rachel and Phil Hibberd also show the power of Conductive Education, delivered by Megan Baker House, which is teaching and rehabilitating children, adolescents and adults to get to the level of Mr. Martin. And last but not least the Neurosupport Centre which has got the power to organise, introduce and spread ideas and to mediate between people and organisations.

If we take a second and think a little bit about of all these factors and activities we realise that Objective Conditions are tricky. Objective conditions do not tell us much regarding of the quality of life we live. Objective conditions limit our freedom but according to John Dewey, the famous educator and author, they cover a wide range of existence. An existence which is mostly based on our life experiences. Every experience is a moving force. Its value can be judged only on the ground of what it moves toward and into. Conductive Education is one of those powers which takes experience very seriously and enables people with motor disabilities to increase their quality of life by giving them the most complex experiences in an emotional, social, physical, and functional way of life.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please enjoy Eva’s elementary photographs showing Alan’s dancing art, and Rachel and Phil’s documentary photographs about the hard work that provides a higher quality of life to adolescents and adults through Conductive Education at Megan Baker House. In the meantime, please listen to Alan’s composed music and enjoy the beverages.

Thank you for your interest!

www.meganbakerhouse.org.uk

www.mouseonthemove.co.uk

www.alanakagraham.blogspot.com

www.evaerdikrausz.hu