- An education-based approach: you learn, practise and build habits
- Active: you do the moving, with guidance and encouragement
- Led by a degree-qualified conductor
- A good partner to NHS physiotherapy, occupational therapy and medical care
Home / Our approach
Our approach
Conductive Education, explained
An active, education-based approach for people living with neurological conditions, developed in Hungary and now practised around the world. Here’s what it is, what a session looks like, and what it isn’t.
Where it comes from
Taught, not treated
Conductive Education was developed in Budapest in the 1940s by Dr András Pető. His starting point was simple: people whose movement is affected by damage to the brain or nervous system can still learn, and should be taught, not treated.
His work continues today at the András Pető Faculty of Semmelweis University in Budapest, and conductors practise around the world. In the UK, conductors train on a three-year BA (Hons) degree at the National Institute of Conductive Education in Birmingham, the only course in the country that qualifies conductors. In December 2025 Hungary added the Pető method to its Hungarikum collection, the country’s official list of national treasures.
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One conductor, the whole personOne specialist looks at movement, communication, thinking and confidence together, rather than in separate appointments.
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Rhythmical intentionSaying what you’re about to do, then counting it through (“I lift my arm: one, two, three, four, five”), to help plan and pace a movement.
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Task seriesShort, structured sequences of movements, built up step by step (lying, sitting, standing, walking) around your goals.
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Daily life is the lessonPractice is built into real routines: getting dressed, eating, moving around the house, joining in at school.
What a session looks like
A typical session
Every session is different, but most follow the same shape.
Start from your goal
We remind ourselves what we’re working towards, like standing to brush your teeth or walking to the classroom door.
A task series
A sequence of movements, said out loud and counted through, that builds up the parts of the goal.
Practise it for real
We put the pieces together in the real setting: your own chair, your own stairs, your own table.
Take it home
You finish with a short routine to practise before next time, and we note how it went.
Being straight with you
What it is, and what it isn’t
- A cure for any condition
- A replacement for physiotherapy, occupational therapy or medical care
- A promise of particular results
- Something done to you while you sit back
What the research says. Research into Conductive Education is still limited, and the results have been mixed. Some small studies have reported benefits for everyday activities, wellbeing and social participation, but larger, high-quality trials are still needed. That’s why we don’t promise particular results. Instead, we set clear goals with you and review them honestly.
Qualifications
How to check a conductor
“Conductor” isn’t a title protected by law in the way “physiotherapist” is, so it’s worth asking any conductor about their training.
UK conductors usually hold a BA (Hons) in Conductive Education, and some belong to the Professional Conductors Association, the professional body for conductors, which expects members to keep their skills up to date.
Susan trained for three years at the National Institute of Conductive Education and qualified in 2015 with a BA (Hons), First Class. More about Susan.
An example of the format
- “I hold the table with both hands.”
- “I lift my head and look forward.”
- “I take a step, and I count.”
Every task series is written for the person in front of us, so this is an illustration, not an exercise to try at home.
Working in a group
In Hungary, Conductive Education is usually taught in a group, and the group is part of the method rather than a way of saving money: people work to a shared rhythm, see someone else manage the thing they are stuck on, and count for each other. It is motivating in a way that working alone is not.
Why we mostly work one to one
Most of what we do is one to one, at home, because that is where the tasks actually happen and because it suits people who cannot easily travel. We run small groups in care homes and for local Parkinson’s and stroke groups that book us, and we’re planning small local groups of our own.
Want to see what it’s like?
Start with a free phone chat. We’ll explain how a first visit would work for you.