Kapronczay Károly szerk.: Orvostörténeti Közlemények 200-201. (Budapest, 2007)

TANULMÁNYOK — ARTICLES - FORRAI, Judit: History of a Special Healing Method for Motor-disordered Children: Conductive Education - A mozgásszervi betegségben szenvedő gyermekek egyik sajátos gyógymódja, a konduktív nevelés története

HISTORY OF A SPECIAL HEALING METHOD FOR MOTORDISORDERED CHILDREN: CONDUCTIVE EDUCATION JUDIT FORRAI Motor-disordered children The medical literature on motor-disordered children is inadequate in its theoretical content. It can neither give a clear picture of the affected children's situation nor provide sufficiently useful therapeutic instructions. Specialists agree that the symptoms of motor-dysfunctional children are caused by brain damage. On the other hand however they do not agree what sort of brain damage it is and how it is connected with the symptoms. Brain-research supplies a lot of detailed knowledge, but unfortunately this is not really useful for motordisordered children. It is generally believed that structural brain damage is irreversible. However, often the symptoms increase with age, but sometimes they diminish or disappear totally. Various theoretical reasons are given for therapeutic methods of treatment of handicapped children but these do not agree with each other. All movements - the autonomic and the two groups of infantile activity - are expressions of complicated brain functions. The brain with its impenetrable complexity of specific functions resembles a "black box". This means that only the results of its total functioning are visible, for example as natural movements. On the basis of the coordinating and integrating general function some specific functions of the "black box" can be understood. The total functioning is not a simple combination of specific functions, but the meaning of some specific functions becomes clear if the whole is considered. "Increasingly the mother experiences that her infant helps her, then takes over from her and so becomes more independent. This change is interpreted and encouraged by the mother as learning. For example, when feeding the child she gets the impression from the awkward and fidgety movements of his hands that he wants to hold the bottle, so she holds it in a way that enables him to succeed. Then she holds his hands, so strengthening his grip, and lets him drink. She gives the child time to help lift the bottle. This then makes his activity meaningful (after satisfying his thirst); it has proved a functional expedient activity. In the brain's functioning a progressive feedback control system develops, in which the anticipated goal is strengthened through re-afference. These efforts become increasingly efficient through use in similar situations. The "raw material" for the mother's teaching is supplied by casual, non-functional movements. Her teaching activity may be compared to a phenomenon often observed in biology: that chance variations present the items of choice for selection. The mother can choose from the infant's casual movements those which are most appropriate to her activ-