EVALUATION OF AN EARLY-CHILDHOOD PROGRAM BASED ON PRINCIPLES OF CONDUCTIVE EDUCATION - THE YOORALLA PROJECT

Objective: To perform an objective evaluation of a programme based on conductive education (CE) for preschool and early school-aged children with cerebral palsy. Methodology: The progress of 17 children participating in a CE-based programme (the Yooralla programme) was compared with 17 children enrolled in traditional early childhood services. Videotapes of the children performing items from the Vulpe Assessment Battery (VAB) were scored by assessors blind to the treatment group; three standardized tests of cognitive ability were administered; and the questionnaire on resources and stress (QRS-F) was given to the primary caregiver at the beginning and conclusion of 6 months. Results: The Yooralla group improved in motor performance and parental coping variables. Both groups showed improvement on the cognitive measures, with the control group demonstrating slightly greater gains. Conclusions: Conductive education may benefit the motor development of children with cerebral palsy and provide greater parental support A randomized control study with adequate subject numbers is necessary to confirm this tentative conclusion.