Padovan's Method

Neurofunctional Reorganisation

The Method was based on the Neurological Reorganisation Therapy, developed on the city of Philadelphia on the fifties by the neurologist and neurosurgeon Temple Fay. It was also based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, a German philosopher and pedagogue and on the studies and observations made by Beatriz Padovan, a Speech Therapist and pedagogue. In addition to the original therapy, Padovan has added her own Oral Functions Reeducation Myotherapeutic Method. (Published for the first time in 1976 on the magazine 'Revista Ortodontia', São Paulo, vol. 9, Ns. 1 e 2, Jan/Apr, under the title of "Reeducação Mioterápica nas Pressões Atípicas de Língua - Diagnóstico e Terapêutica"). The method developed by her has as its main components:

a) Physical exercises, mostly adapted from the Neurological Reorganisation Method used by Rudolf Steiner and complemented by Padovan herself.

b) Oro-bucco-facial exercises taken from the Padovan's Method for Oral Functions Myotherapeutic Reeducation.

The Neurological Organisation is a dynamic and complex, yet natural, process that leads to the maturation of the Central Nervous System, making the patient able to fully develop his genetic potential and ready to acquire all his natural skills, including the power of locomotion, speech and thought. This Neurological Organisation, which can be simply defined as the Ontogenetic Development, is made up of the men's natural development phases (rolling, creeping, crawling, etc...). These phases are significantly important during the process of acquiring a proper corporal structure and laterality (name given to the maturation of the central nervous system), making the patient able to control his body thoroughly. In other words, making him able to make all movements he needs to, whether voluntary or not.

The Neurological Reorganisation consists on going once more through all these men's natural phases. This way, it fills eventual gaps left by the original Neurological Organisation.

WALKING - TALKING - THINKING

When the process of Neurological Organisation leaves some imperfection during its development, it is possible, through the Neurological Reorganisation, to impose each phase's natural movements. The method uses certain exercises created to mimic the WALKING process, right from its early movements up to when the erect posture is reached, allowing the person to take control over space with rhythm and balance.

Working on the walking maturation, we subsequently achieve the TALKING process, which is also worked using exercises for the re education of the reflex-vegetative oral functions (respiration, sucking, mastication and deglutition)

Helping the patient to improve the way he expresses his feelings and emotions - psycho-emotional balance, we are actually working with the THINKING process, as well as with certain areas of the audio-visual perception (attention, discrimination, analysis, synthesis) and the development processes of speech, spontaneous language (fluency and rhythm) and reading and writing.

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