Curative teachers and social therapists are needed wherever childen, young people and adults with disabilities need special help and support in their development.

The curative teacher's work is to support children and young people, using the means of therapeutic upbringing and education, to help them in their individual development and thus make it possible and easier for them to live in their families and communities. The social therapist's work is to be at the side of and to support adults in their way of life, in finding their place in the world of work and the social and cultural life of society. 

 

Processes in education and upbringing

The education and upbringing of children and young people with disabilities take their orientation in their individual needs and special characteristics. Curative teachers seek to bring out their individual abilities and potential, help them to overcome disabilities as far as possible and learn to live with their limitations. The guiding principle with all such processes (upbringing, teaching, occupational and professional development) is the development of the individual nature of the child, young person or adult.

 

The therapeutic quality of curative education

Curative education gives therapeutic support in everyday life, at play and in school and in specificall created situations. The child will be able to catch up on development, and overcome or make up for one-sided developments and specific problems in motor development, for instance, speech or sensory functions.

 

Care

To care is to look after and help to shape the life situation, in body and soul, of people with disabilities. Care provisions are an important part of the work in curative education and social therapy for everyday life, with the care given in cases of acute sickness and the continued care and support needed with chronic diseases or syndromes.

Care given for the life in soul and spirit stimulates, protects and balances. It helps the child, young person or adult to find and maintain the balance between external impressions and experiences and their powers for inwardly dealing with these.

 

Integration in the sphere of work

To integrate people with disabilities in a suitable sphere of work, it is necessary to consider the effects of and requirements for work processes in terms of the existing individual inclinations, possibilities and limitations. Work and production processes are always also social processes and elements in shaping the idnvidual's character and life.

 

Living in a social and cultural setting

The configuration given to social and cultural life makes the individual with his own social and personal needs part of a community which lives between the opposite poles of togetherness, community life, and the need for rest and shaping things for oneself.

 

Support and assistance

The aim with support and assistance is to make the individual independent, his life as autonomous as possible, and to encourage initiative and the ability to decide for himself.

 

Advisory functions

Advisory work consists in supporting the needs of people with disabilities, advising their parents and families, and representing their interests in legal and other public matters. Advice is particularly also needed among colleagues in centres and service provisions.

 

Spheres of activity

Curative teachers and social therapists will as a rule work in interdisciplinary teams (e. g. with teachers, physicians and therapists).

Curative teachers and social therapists may work in 

- early learning support centres

- curative education kindergardens

- integrative kindergardens

- curative education support at school age

- curative education services at home

- curative education life communities or homes

- centres for children's or youth services

- child and juvenile psychiatry units in hospitals

- social therapeutic life communities

- support given with independent living

- workshops for people with disabilities

- social psychiatry

- geriatric social therapy

- and others 

 

Enrolment

If you are interested in working as a curative teacher or social therapists, please contact the indidividual training centres for information and enrolment.  (See under Training centres).