Conductive Education Taranaki - Westown

Our Vision: Maximise the Ability of Taranaki children with Disabilities

Our Mission: Provide a Child focused, whanau-centred, sustainable intervention service underpinned by the philosophy of Conductive Education

What is Conductive Education

Conductive Education (CE) is a fusion of special education and physical intervention developed by the visionary Hungarian neurologist Andras Peto in the 1940’s. He was a pioneer in working with children with cerebral palsy by using a holistic approach to overcome any difficulties connected to their neurological motor disorders.
Conductive Education empowers whanau and gives kids with motor disabilities the chance to reach their full potential. It is unique because it’s holistic, intensive, dynamic and inclusive. It’s about celebrating the positives and starting from a place of opportunity. Conductive Educators don’t simply try to get kids to tick the boxes of pre-ordained physical achievements; they build relationships with them, supporting and working alongside them to reach their potential. That’s why the effects of CE are so powerful. Kids with motor disabilities not only experience dramatic improvements in physical abilities; they grow in confidence and independence.
Conductive Education is a learning process and not a treatment or therapy. The participants are learning components of skills, which are needed to meet the challenges of everyday life. They are active participants in the learning process and not recipients of a treatment. Conductive Education is a partnership between educator and learners to create circumstances for learning. Conductive Education – a way of learning for people of all ages with disabilities that maximises functional skill development resulting in greater independence and a better quality of life.

You are only free of a disability until you or someone you know has a stroke, car accident or a child born with Cerebral Palsy.

Conductive Education in Taranaki

Until recently, Taranaki kids aged 0-6 years old, with motor disabilities and their families had to travel hundreds of kilometres, or even relocate, to attend Conductive Education centres in Hamilton or Wellington. They did it – because these parents believe Conductive Education to be the best thing to ever have happened to their families. We believed we could do better for families in our community, by establishing our own Conductive Education Centre here in Taranaki.
Established in 2014 to bring this much needed service to our region, we successfully launched from our leased space at Westown School in August 2017, since opening and with little publicity we have 20 children using our service. Our enrolled children have accessed over 800 regular, intensive Early Intervention (age 0-6) and school age (5-14) sessions.
We are a registered charitable trust that is committed to keeping cost to families accessible and require community support towards our $250,000 annual expenses.
It is our strategic goal is to achieve significant government funding similar to existing New Zealand Conductive Education providers. Until this is achieved, we are committed to keeping cost to families accessible and require community support towards our annual expenses and making our service sustainable.
Thank you for helping us to make Taranaki and New Zealand a more inclusive, empowered, supportive community.
We are proudly affiliated to the New Zealand Foundation for Conductive Education.
Conductive Education in New Zealand is supported by a national body. The NZ Foundation for Conductive Education (NZFCE) was formed in September 1993 by the groups providing Conductive Education around NZ. Our vision is to Maximise the Ability in Disability

The purposes of the Foundation are:
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o To promote and raise the profile of Conductive Education
o To promote cooperation between the groups providing Conductive Education
o To advocate for those involved with Conductive Education
o To network with the disability community
o To facilitate research into Conductive Education
o To promote standards for Conductive Education in New Zealand
o To support the establishment of new Conductive Education Centres throughout NZ where there is an identified need

The NZFCE provide support, information, advocacy and guidance to the 13 affiliated New Zealand centres.

New Zealand Foundation for Conductive Education