We've included most of the questions our families often ask us about our services, their child's development and the disability they live with. If the answer to your question isn't here, please contact us and we'll reply as soon as we can.
Find out more about Conductive Education and the services we provide to children and families across the East Midlands.
Our ServicesWe're currently in the middle of the transformation of our new charity home in Clifton, which will be the first time in our charity’s history that we will have control of our own site. Our new site will bring incredible opportunities for the services we can provide for children and families living with disabilities, the community around us, as well as all of the organisations we’re connected to and will be in the future.
We're incredibly grateful for the amazing support we've had for our new site, all of the organisations across the East Midlands who we're working with and have donated goods and services, and also the fantastic number of volunteers we have working with us.
Our Conductive Education sessions and Speech and Language sessions are currently being held at interim locations, until our transformation is complete and we can move our charity services to Clifton, we expect this to be early Summer.
To find out more about the services our charity provides, about Conductive Education and if we can help you and your child please head to the about us section of our website. You can also get in touch with our team to find out more.
We ask families to make a contribution of £32.50 per month to cover £10 per session (or £390 per annum). This is a contribution to our costs and doesn't represent the actual cost of providing our services (the actual cost per family is £162.39 per session / £5,066 per annum).
We encourage families to talk to one of our team regarding financial assistance from trusts and foundations, that could potentially fund a child's place or other costs, or if they wish to take a break for financial reasons.
Everyone benefits in different ways, but in summary, you and your child will start living a more fulfilling, better quality life. You’ll gain the skills and knowledge you need to help your child at home and play a vital part in developing their personal, social, cognitive and mobility skills. Ultimately, you’ll help your child unlock their ability to explore their potential. We’re here to provide emotional support, as well as practical advice and information on how to care for your child.
We’ll discuss all of this information with you during your initial consultation. Footprints Conductive Education Centre operates a six-week term with a two-week break. You can see all the dates on our Term Calendar.
Our activities and sessions vary according to your child’s age, disability and learning needs. Typical elements might include -
Any academic work included in your child’s learning sessions will always follow the government’s guidelines for an Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum.
We support children with autism as a secondary condition, however, we do not have the expertise or experience to provide services to children whose primary difficulty is autism. Organisations that may be able to provide the support you need are - Sunshine Support Group based in Derby or Rainbows Parents and Carers Forum in Nottingham.
All babies and children develop different skills at different times, but there are certain milestones that you can expect them to achieve at various stages, from birth to the age of five. You’ll find an interactive guide including videos and advice, at the NHS Choices website.
Talk to your GP as soon as possible. If there are difficulties, an early diagnosis can make a big difference to your child’s ability to lead a ‘normal’ life, so don’t delay. Remember that you’re entitled to a second opinion if you’re not happy with your GP’s diagnosis or non-diagnosis. And don’t be afraid to ask for a hospital referral to a developmental paediatrician.
The paediatrician will carry out tests and evaluation to assess how your child is developing alongside the standards for their age. They’ll probably look at the following areas -
Tests
Physical and motor development
Ability to communicate verbally or by other means
Social and emotional development e.g. social interaction and behaviours
Self-help skills such as trying to feed, wash or dress themselves
Cognitive skills such as problem solving or recognising words and letters
Evaluation
An interview with you about what you’ve observed about your child’s development. Give as much information as you can, but don’t worry if you don’t have all the answers
A review of your child’s medical history
Your GP or paediatrician should arrange a care package for your child, which might include services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Now is also the time to contact us – we will arrange a consultation to decide how to structure your child’s learning sessions and identify the support you’ll need to help your child at home.
The websites listed below offer advice, information and support for the conditions we meet with most often at Footprints. Your GP or paediatrician should also be able to help and there’s a wealth of more general information at the NHS Choices website.
Cerebral palsy
Head injury or stroke
Down Syndrome
Muscular dystrophy
You may need to get an Education and Health Care Plan for your child. We can help to guide you through this process, and you can find more information at these websites -
You can also contact the education department at your local authority for advice.
Please head to our dedicated Resource for Families page for details of supporting organisations and charities.
