The campers, who all face similar physical challenges, learn mobility skills and independence, functional daily living skills, problem solving – and do all this together in a supportive group atmosphere.

Summer camp pulls it all together. As the camp is an intensive and focused four-week session, the Conductive Education staff can take what the children have been learning and practicing at their classes throughout the year, and then move them to the next level– helping each child improve their abilities in ability, independence and self-confidence.

The key is to make it feel like fun – not hard work. The game of musical chairs, for example, is a way to practice moving from a standing to sitting position and back to standing again. The kids are playing a game and loving every minute of it, while getting better at another body movement!

There is a new theme each week. During ‘beach’ week, tasks include practicing swim strokes and playing with a beach ball.

“I have been so pleased to see the progress being made by our campers,” says Mhairi Watson, the Senior Conductor of the summer camp.

One camper who made remarkable progress this summer is 5-year-old Gisele Al-Shaikh.  In May, Gisele had extensive surgery on her legs to release her tendons from hip to heel.  Gisele’s parents chose to use the CE Summer Camp as her only rehabilitation. 

Her legs having been in casts for two months after her surgery, Gisele had difficulty weight-bearing and standing independently.  Her doctors warned her parents that it could be six months to a year before she could walk using her canes again.  In her first week at the CE Camp – and only one week after her casts came off, Gisele was walking using parallel bars.  By her third week in the camp she was once again walking with her canes.

“Gisele made at least six months of recovery in CE Summer Camp,” says her mother Rita.  She continues, “Gisele had a great time in the camp and got back her independence – which is so important to her.” 

Some other highlights from the children’s camp have been overall improvements in sitting to standing, walking independently and transferring out of wheelchairs unaided.  The adult camp saw a stroke survivor walk without a cane.

“It is really my belief that many people with a neuro-motor physical disability has the potential to make tremendous strides in overcoming the challenges of their disability through Conductive Education®,” says Mhairi.  “Our long-term goal, is to expand the camp program and make it available to everyone who can benefit from it.” 

To find out if Conductive Education® is right for you or a loved one, or to ask about any of our classes, please contact us at:

Conductive Education®
Ontario March of Dimes
10 Overlea Blvd.
Toronto, Ontario
M4H 1A4
Telephone: 416-425-3463
Fax: 416-425-1920
Toll Free: 1-800-263-3463
E-mail: ce@marchofdimes.ca

The teens group trip after 4 weeks of hard work in the classroom.