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The International Vojta Society (IVG) is a professional society in which Vojta teachers from the fields of physiotherapy and medicine have joined forces internationally to promote Vojta principles in the early diagnosis and therapy of children and adults with cerebral palsy and other motor disturbances. The members of the International Vojta Society establish common standards for further training and qualification in the Vojta Method for doctors and physiotherapists, and support the setting-up of therapy centres for children and adults throughout the world. The International Vojta Society encourages, organises and supports research projects in the early diagnosis and therapy of new-born babies, children and adults with movement disturbances. The IVS sends experts to international congresses and symposia. 1984: The Founding of the Václav Vojta Society (VVG)Prof Dr Václav Vojta (1917-2000), a specialist in neurology and paediatric neurology, developed Vojta Therapy and Vojta Diagnostics starting in Prague in the fifties. When in 1984, together with his—at that time still small—teaching team, he founded the non-profit Václav Vojta Society (VVG) with its headquarters in Munich, he had already been studying the development of posture and motor activity in new-born babies and children for more than twenty-five years. While still in the former Czechoslovakia, he had begun to construct a further training and qualification system for doctors and physiotherapists. After emigrating to Germany in August 1968, he continued his work and elaborated his therapy at the University Orthopaedic Clinic in Cologne and from 1975 as deputy director of the Munich Children’s Centre. The emphasis of his work was on the therapy of children with cerebral palsy and patients with other motor disturbances. In proof of the efficacy of his therapy, he developed a diagnostic screening process through the use of position responses whereby movement disturbances in early infancy may be recognised early. Prof Vojta did not want his paediatric neurological knowledge and research material to be solely associated with his person, but rather preferred to develop it further and disseminate it in the team. For this reason, with other doctors and physiotherapists, he founded the Václav Vojta Society (VVS) in 1984. Purpose and Goals of the Václav Vojta Society (VVG)The association pursued charitable goals exclusively and directly and in particular committed itself in its rules to the promotion and application of locomotion principles in diagnosis and therapy in accordance with the scientific findings developed by Prof Vojta. The rules provide for sharing professional experience, coordinating the practical use of Vojta principles in rehabilitation, and training and developing doctors and physiotherapists in the use of these principles with the goal of disseminating Prof Vojta’s scientific work.These objectives are realised on a national and international level in particular through:
1994: The Renaming of the Václav Vojta Society (VVG) as the International Vojta Society (IVG)In 1994, the ever increasing international dissemination of Prof Vojta’s work lead to the society, initially predominantly active in Germany, aligning itself internationally, and the Václav Vojta Society was renamed as the International Vojta Society (IVG). Contacts abroad became so intensive that the coordination and exchange with colleagues and institutions worldwide active in Vojta reflex locomotion was faced with the tasks of quality assurance in Vojta Therapy and Diagnostics as well as training, further training and qualification and research.
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