Education for Special Needs: The Curative Education Course (CW 317) (The Collected Works of Rudolf Steiner, 317)

Steiner describes polarities of illness and derives courses of treatment from a comprehensive analysis. He considers many individual cases in detail and gives indications on therapeutic exercises, diet, and medicine. The “I,” he states, relates directly to the physical body, and the spirit and soul need to be considered when making diagnoses. Throughout the lectures, Steiner offers valuable advice for the self-development of educators, emphasizing the need for enthusiasm, humor, and courage. As with Steiner’s lectures on agriculture, this course has had a huge international impact, inspiring the establishment of hundreds of schools and communities for people with special needs, including the Camphill and Steiner special-education movements. Revolutionary in approach, the far-reaching perspectives of these lectures are a living source of inspiration to both professionals and parents, as well as anyone seeking spiritual insight.