The origin of Conductive Education lies in the works of a Hungarian physician and educator, Professor András Peto.

Professor Peto was born in 1893 in Hungary. His mother, who was an educator and his father, who had Parkinson's disease influenced him considerably, orientating him towards the fields of both education and medical science.

Peto moved to Vienna, Austria to study medicine. It is there where he began to develop the theory of Conductive Education in the 1930s. He returned to Budapest in 1938 and by 1945 he succeeded in establishing a centre for people with motor disorders in the Hungarian capital. His centre became officially recognised in 1950 and was later named after him.

Other methods fashionable at the time followed the medical model, while Professor Peto was the first to consider disability as an educational challenge rather than a biological problem.

He based his approach on newly discovered scientific evidence of his time, which described the brain's unique capacity to form new connections despite the damage that occurred within.

People with motor disorders could indeed learn new skills by utilising undamaged areas of the brain and hence overcome their problems of movement and co-ordination. According to Professor Peto, this ability can be mobilised with the help of a properly guided, active learning process. That is the reason why the Professor called his method "conductive".

Conductive Education in New Zealand:

The first signs of interest in New Zealand towards Conductive Education emerged in the middle of the 1980s.

Only a few years later, from the early 1990s centres offering Conductive Education started to open their doors, thanks to the hard work of dedicated parents who discovered this special education system when they were seeking the best possible opportunities for their young children.

These parents worked endlessly to convince educational and medical professionals to provide them with the essentials to start programmes; belief, support, space and funding.

Today more than 20 conductors work in the country's 10 Conductive Education establishments. Centres can be found in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Invercargill; they provide programmes for babies, pre-school, primary and high school aged children and adults with motor-disabilities.

Depending on the age of the children and the type of centre students' participation may range from a couple of hours a week to 5-6 hours a day 5 days a week. Some of these establishments are independent centres while others are part of state schools.

In New Zealand Conductors work closely in conjunction with Teachers, Early Intervention Teachers or Early Childhood Educators to ensure full or partial inclusion of children into mainstream education and to provide access to the national curriculum.

Practitioners continue to adapt the programme to integrate Conductive Education into the NZ culture and education system. It is an exciting and challenging journey for all involved.
Assisting the centres and professionals on their "Conductive voyage" are two organisations.

The New Zealand Foundation for Conductive Education (NZFCE) is a national body that was set up to unite the groups providing Conductive Education and to advocate for those receiving their services, while the New Zealand Conductors' Association (NZCA) is the practitioners' professional organisation, providing guidelines, practice standards, support and ongoing development opportunities for Conductors working in New Zealand.