‘Let me tell you another story’…

'Twin collared doves' - my new neighbours are preparing to fly

… about the World Congress

Following on from Abstract Number Two here is my third and final Abstract for my second presentation at the World Congress for Conductive Education in October 2013.

It is my second story about Conductive Education and publishing.

'Let me tell you a story...' Part Two

Narrative, publishing and conductive lifestyle

S. Mallett

Background: At the last World Congress in Hong Kong I outlined how blogging my practice, ideas and experience enhanced my understanding of conductive pedagogy (Mallett 2010a). Abstracts from my blog have also been published as a book (Mallett 2010b).

Process: Alerted to the world of small-scale publication I noticed a self-published book by Bianca Jahke-Oppold. I took copies of both books to my conductive stroke group. Waltraud Heußinger, a member of that group, having looked at the books, left behind a note: 'I would have liked to have written a book but I cannot.' My conductive task became to show her that in fact she could.

This presentation is not about the book as such but about how working together with Waltraud and her husband Werner created activities to facilitate developments for an expanding conductive lifestyle. These included photography, writing in German, sorting photographs, reading in English, meeting designers, copy-editing and book-signing.

Outcome: Waltraud’s book has been written and published in parallel German and English texts (Heußinger 2011), by my own publishing house.

Discussion: Narrating my clients' lives helps me understand and describe my pedagogy. I collect and publish narratives to inform others and to encourage them do the same. Waltraud’s story shows the pedagogic principle that working together on a self-chosen goal and facilitating its achievement will help transform people's lives and those of their families.

In the tradition of Romantic Science (Luriya, 1997; Sachs, 2012) case narrative provides the foundation of holistic neuropsychology.

Conclusion: Any complex activity can be used to develop a conductive lifestyle. Writing and publishing are examples with benefits for others. Waltraud says that this project, begun for her own development, should offer motivation to fellow stroke-survivors and their families, striving to overcome what may seem at first insuperable hurdles.

References:

Mallett, S. (2010a) 'Let Me tell you a story: narrative, blogging and conductive upbringing' (poster) VII. World CE Conference, Abstracts, pp. 299-300

Mallett. S. (2010b) Let me tell you a story, Conductor Nürnberg

Heußinger, W. (2011) It came like a bolt from the blue, Conductor Nürnberg

Jahnke-Oppold, B. (201o) Mein schneller Papa (self-published)

Luriya, A. R. (1979) The making of Mind, Harvard University Press

Sachs, O. (2012) Hallucinations, Picador