C.E. Jottings

"The Insignificant Mother" - at meetings with professionals

On the experience of being a parent of a disabled child (or adult) engaging with care professionals. What follows is reblogged from 'faithmummy" posted almost a year ago on 24th May 2016 as "The Insignificant Mother". Miriam, for that is her name, captures precisely the culture endemic to professionals in the care system and their attitudes that so need to change. Parents of adult children with disabilities may fare even worse as those who follow Mark Neary's blog, 'Love, Belief... Read more →

Now may be make up your mind time: is Conductive education a therapy or a pedagogy?

Today, I read that the Charity Commission for England and Wales is undertaking a consultation that "will inform the review of the approach to registering organisations that promote complementary and alternative therapies." (CAM). "What's that to do with us?" I can hear managers and parents and Trustees saying. "What's that got to do with conductive education? Well, as most conductive education organisations in the Uk are registered charities, depending in some cases entirely on charitable fundraised income, what would you... Read more →

His son, my daughter and the gilded cage of Supreme Court judgements - with thanks to Mark Neary

For many of us in conductive education, our fundamental purpose is that children and young people with motor disorders become independent adults as active citizens. My daughter Sarah lives independently in the community in a supported living arrangement along with two of her friends. She accesses adult and continuing conductive education thanks to Paces. It is a wholly successful arrangement that has enabled her to grow and mature as a person. You may not be familiar with DoLS - the... Read more →

Maybe Action Cerebral Palsy and the Westminster Commission on Autism have common ground?

Are Action Cerebral Palsy (@action_cp) the Westminster Commission on Autism (@W_Autism_Comm) talking with each other? Judging by the findings of ACP's report ‘Variations in Care: an analysis of cerebral palsy provision’ launched at Westminster outlining the findings of a Freedom of Information (FOI) study into the provision of cerebral palsy services across England and the findings of the WCoA's report "A Spectrum of Obstacles - An Inquiry into Access to Healthcare for Autistic People", the two organisations may have much... Read more →

"It gets worse when you think it is as bad as it could be" Jan Walmsley

It's a blog post I just want to share with anyone who stops by. It's not about conductive education. But it is about the whole rotten system that needs taking apart and in place of which, for some, conductive education (or anyone who believes, like Feuerstein "that everyone - regardless of age, etiology or disability - has the immeasurable ability to enhance their learning aptitude and heighten their intelligence.") is a paradigm shift. I didn't express that very well. It's... Read more →

Does anyone truly think this mess of responsibility and accountability actually makes any sense whatsoever?

Anyone aiming to promote change in the upbringing and education (including schooling) of children in England (as I assume all conductors are) will be doing so within an endlessly shifting public policy environment. Today the Education Select Committee released a report about the role of the Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs). I suppose if you need to know what a Regional Schools Commissioner is then you will do so. If that's you, well and good. But as a reasonably intelligent person... Read more →

“Research has found” that 1 in 5 pieces of research are bunkum

Actually it hasn't. Apart from the phrase “research has found”, which is a quote from a story in The Daily Telegraph the other day, I made the rest up. Although it might be true, for all anyone knows. “Peer reviewed” might be the best protection from research nonsense that we consumers of traditional and social media have, but peer reviewed nonsense is still nonsense and the effects may be worse: Burt on the heritability of IQ? Wakefield on MMR and... Read more →

Changing work of Educational Psychologists

I've been reading an interesting account of the transformation in the work of Educational Psychologists that makes me wonder why they and Conductors are not more often seen as natural allies. I do not suggest that their interests or assumptions are identical, just that there might perhaps be more scope for dialogue and finding common ground. In their earliest practice (1913-40), EPs in the UK worked at the behest of doctors who identified children, to test and diagnose and make... Read more →

Shadow Education team being assembled. What's yet to say?

Previously, I noted the appointment of Lucy Powell as Shadow Education Secretary. There isn't much else to say. Schools Week has made the best of it. She's "passionate" about education, apparently, with kids in school. She's committed to "state education". Doesn't tell us a lot - who would not be, if you can work out what it means? There's a hint that she is not entirely persuaded of Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn's opposition to the "principles of free schools and... Read more →

A bit (but not much) about Lucy Powell MP for Manchester Central, the new Shadow Education Secretary

Lucy Powell has been picked by Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn as Shadow Education Secretary. You might well say "Who?" Apart from a brief spell (less holidays) from October 2013 to November 2014 when she was a Shadow Education Minister with responsibility for 'Early Years', she is not noted for any significant interest in Education - certainly not special education. She did visit the Bridge College (FE college for students with learning difficulties and disabilities) in her constituency back in March... Read more →