Georg Theunissen

Georg Theunissen (born April 30, 1951 in Bergisch Gladbach ) is one of the best-known and leading curative and special educators in German-speaking countries. He held the chair for education for cognitive impairment and education in the autism spectrum at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg .

Act

Georg Theunissen is a representative of the empowerment concept that he prepared and made known for work with the disabled.

As one of the first curative educators in German-speaking countries, Georg Theunissen has not only dealt with educational support for cognitively impaired elderly people since the late 1980s, but has also specialized in support systems, living environments and assisting aids in dementia. In the field of dealing with dementia in people with learning difficulties, he is considered to be the proven expert in assistance for the mentally handicapped, curative or special education. He has also been researching behavioral problems in people with learning difficulties (intellectual disabilities) and / or autism for over 35 years. In this context, the positive behavior support (PVU) he represents has an important role. The PVU is considered to be a demonstrably effective concept for dealing with behavioral problems, challenging behaviors or problematic behavior in cognitively impaired and autistic people.

Georg Theunissen is also working on an understanding view of autism, in which the functional consideration of autistic features plays a prominent role. For this purpose, he relies primarily on the experiences, ideas and statements of autistic people. He tries to compare the views of those affected with current, especially neuroscientific, findings, theories and hypotheses about autism in order to arrive at a sound understanding of autism. On the basis of research stays in the USA (Los Angeles), Georg Theunissen can also provide suggestions with regard to support systems and forms of support. The aim is to achieve the highest possible quality of life through "living with autism".

Georg Theunissen shows a particular interest in non-professional art, in so-called outsider art. Several writings deal with this topic, the book "Starke Kunst von Autisten und Savants" (2010), in which not only the strengths of autistic personalities in the visual field, but also an appreciative attitude towards people from the autism spectrum, is of outstanding importance is fundamental.

Main focus of work and research

• Dehospitalization and deinstitutionalization
• Adult and elderly work (especially dealing with dementia in people with learning difficulties)
• Behavioral problems with learning difficulties, complex or intellectual disabilities, and autism spectrum disorder
• Outsider art, aesthetic education, and educational art therapy
• Empowerment as a theory of curative and special education
• People on the Autism Spectrum: Understand - Accept - Support

Works (selection)

as an author

• Arts and intellectual disabilities. Verlag Klinkhardt, Bad Heilbrunn 2004, ISBN 3-7815-1201-0 .
• Elderly Education and Disability. Klinkhardt-Verlag, Bad Heilbrunn 2002, ISBN 3-7815-1184-7 .
• With Günther Opp (Hrsg.): Handbuch Schulische Sonderpädagogik. Verlag Klinkhardt - UTB, Bad Heilbrunn 2004, ISBN 978-3-8252-8426-8 .
• With M. Schubert: Strong art by autistic people and savants. Lambertus-Verlag, Freiburg 2010, ISBN 978-3-7841-1985-4 .
• Environment-related work with handicapped people and social space orientation. Lambertus-Verlag, Freiburg 2012, ISBN 978-3-7841-2118-5 .
• With Helmut Schwalb: work unhindered, live unhindered. Inclusion of people with learning difficulties in working life. Kohlhammer-Verlag, Stuttgart 2011, ISBN 978-3-17-021809-3 .
• With Helmut Schwalb: inclusion, participation and empowerment in work with the disabled. Best practice examples: living - living - work - leisure. Kohlhammer-Verlag, Stuttgart 2010, ISBN 978-3-17-022530-5 .
• With Albert Lingg: Mental Disorders and Mental Disabilities. A textbook and compendium for practice. Lambertus-Verlag, Freiburg / B. 2013 (6th extended edition), ISBN 978-3-7841-1857-4 .
• (Ed.): Art as a resource in the work of the disabled. Lebenshilfe-Verlag, Marburg 2013, ISBN 978-3-88617-320-4 .
• Empowerment and inclusion of disabled people. Lambertus-Verlag, Freiburg 2013, (3rd edition) ISBN 978-3-7841-2116-1 .
• with Henriette Paetz: Autism. New thinking - empowerment - best practice. Kohlhammer-Verlag, Stuttgart 2011, ISBN 978-3-17-021482-8 .
• With W. Kulig, K. Schirbort (Hrsg.): Handlexikon Geistige handicap. Kohlhammer-Verlag, Stuttgart 2011 (2nd extended edition) ISBN 978-3-17-022531-2 .
• How to deal with autism in the US. Kohlhammer-Verlag, Stuttgart 2014, ISBN 978-3-17-023466-6 .
• People on the autism spectrum. Kohlhammer-Verlag, Stuttgart 2014, ISBN 978-3-17-025393-3 .
• With W. Kulig, V. Leucht, H. Paetz (Hrsg.): Handlexikon Autismus-Spektrum. Kohlhammer-Verlag, Stuttgart 2011, ISBN 978-3-17-023431-4 .
• Intellectual disability and behavioral problems. UTB / Klinkhardt, Bad Heilbrunn 2016 (6th extended edition), ISBN 978-3-8252-4557-3 .
• With W. Kulig (ed.): Inclusive living. Fraunhofer-Verlag, Stuttgart 2016 ISBN 978-3-8167-9564-3 .
• (Ed.): Understanding Autism: Outside and Inside Views, Kohlhammer-Verlag, Stuttgart 2011, ISBN 978-3-17-030786-5 .

Web links

• Research report 1994–1996 ( Memento of July 7, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
• Martin Luther University Halle: Prof. em. Dr. Georg Theunissen
• Literature by and about Georg Theunissen in the catalog of the German National Library