The unique professional practice area at the András Pető Faculty, which covers the entire age and symptomatic spectrum of Cerebral Palsy in one place, enables the realisation of measurements and empirical research on conductor training and conductive education and its development.

Our priority is to provide a scientific basis for conductive education, to prove the effectiveness of our activities, and to make them known and accepted in as wide a professional and scientific forum as possible. We also aim to support the development of research talent, to strengthen new research at the Faculty and research cooperation between faculties, to support the scientific and research activities and skills of the Faculty’s students, to raise the scientific quality of their research and to educate the next generation of scientists.

In line with the implementation of the research strategic goals of the András Pető Faculty, seven scientific research workshops are operated, and in order to unify and make more transparent the research conducted at the Faculty, in cooperation with the research workshops, the Faculty’s Research Portfolio was revised and amended in 2022, and at the same time the research-methodological support of the student research projects and the mentored supervision of research was added to the research topic descriptions of the TDK and thesis projects.

All the research topic descriptions in the Research Portfolio, which cover several disciplines, present a broad spectrum of research focus and problem statements related to conductive education and conductor training, and are linked to the research activities organised in research groups. In 2022, we organized the launch of research collaborations between faculties along these lines. Clinical collaborations between the Pető András Faculty of Semmelweis University and other faculties and departments:

  • PAK-GYTK: The tradition and experience of sage in conductive education. The study has been completed, both faculties have expressed their willingness to continue the study; based on the analysis of the pilot study experience, a new research design and ethical application are being prepared. Planned date of continuation of the research: from September 2023

  • ETK-PAK: Application and efficacy evaluation of electromagnetic treatment for Cerebral Palsy (CP) in children. The study has been completed and the results are currently being evaluated and prepared for publication. The publication will be published in English.

  • FOK-PAK: Assessment and improvement of oral health in children with special needs in the context of prevention. The study is ongoing. During the first semester, the organisation of treatments and educational sessions was completed and data analysis has started.

  • PAK-ÁOK: A Parkinson’s disease assessment and prediction programme for Parkinson’s patients has been submitted in the framework of the STIA grant – a joint project with the Faculty of General Medicine/Institute of Neurology. The study is designed to involve patients receiving conductive care in the PAREEO unit of the Conductive Pedagogical Centre of the András Pető Faculty and will test both the assessment and the possibility of predicting the onset of the disease.

  • OMINT-OORI-PAK-ETK: A joint study on physical fitness assessment of occupational therapists and conductors was prepared, involving about 80 occupational conductors and 80 occupational therapists. The preparation of the documentation for the application for ethical approval to start the research has been completed and the application for approval has been submitted. The OMINT Research Ethics Committee has supported the study.