In the beginning was Dr Maria Montessori...

Developed by Dr. Maria Montessori over a century ago, first with disabled children, then with so-called “normal” children, the Montessori method has been offered to the elderly or people suffering from dementia for over 20 years, in a number of pioneering care facilities.
Maria Montessori's educational philosophy is based on the needs of children and adults with disabilities or loss of autonomy, and encourages us to consider the whole person, beyond disability or dementia.
The aim is to identify and strengthen each person's abilities, so that their autonomy can be developed or maintained over the long term.
For care centers, this method goes far beyond simply providing adapted activities for beneficiaries: it initiates a profound transformation of professional practices and structures. By giving residents back an active role and enhancing their abilities, it boosts their self-esteem, stimulates their memory and preserves their autonomy in a soothing, structured environment.
For professionals, this approach revolutionizes daily life: it frees them from routine tasks, enabling them to refocus on human support, creativity and relationships. Ultimately, the whole organization evolves, reorienting priorities towards sustainable, respectful and deeply human practices.
With Montessori Freedom, a complete model of care and support is transformed, giving everyone - residents and caregivers alike - a meaningful role and a daily life rich in meaning.
1990s: Prof. Cameron J. Camp's innovation for the elderly

Inspired by the professional practice of his wife, a Montessori educator, renowned psychologist Prof. Cameron J. Camp had the idea of transposing activities designed for children aged 3 to 6 to elderly people suffering from dementia.
This marked the beginning of a revolution in care and opened up new perspectives in maintaining people's abilities and autonomy.
In the years that followed, other practitioners (nurses, gerontologists, etc.) from all over the world would follow in his footsteps and develop their own methodologies.
2010s: Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) federates initiatives and creates a complete training and certification curriculum

2014-2017 : The official method is promoted worldwide
At the Montessori Congress in Prague (2017), the founders present the method to delegates from all over the world, including Julien Jayed Lamorte, who decides to bring it to Europe. Bottom photo, left to right: Michelle Bourgeois(†), Gail Eliot, Anne Kelly and Jennifer Brush.


2018-2019: Organization of the 1st European training courses in Switzerland
Promoted and led by Julien Jayed Lamorte and the IFMM Montessori training center in Geneva, the 1st AMI-labeled training courses are being organized in Switzerland in 2018 and 2019. Stéphanie Étievant was part of the 1st class. Enthusiastic, she decided to get involved and started her training of trainer.


Depuis 2020 : diffusion et professionnalisation
Starting in 2020, the 1st care centers begin implementing the Montessori method within their teams. Stéphanie Étievant and Julien Jayed Lamorte are continuing their collaboration, in particular with the Fondation Les Chevrières in Boncourt (Swiss Jura).


2024: 1st conversion of a medical-educational institute
Since 2024, Julien Jayed Lamorte and Fiona Partouche have been working together for the Ébène association, which runs the IME Léopold Héder (an institution in French Guiana catering for 145 disabled children), to support the integration of the Montessori method into daily practices.

Montessori Freedom:
A team of passionate experts and trainers

Stéphanie Étievant
Nurse - AMI trainer
A nurse by training and experience, and the only French-speaking AMI Montessori for Dementia trainer, she is also the founder of the Happi-care website. Passionate and committed to helping the elderly for many years, she has found Montessori to be an effective tool for preserving or restoring autonomy and happiness to the people she cares for.

Julien Jayed Lamorte
AMI trainer
Montessori AMI trainer, Julien Jayed Lamorte was the 1st to introduce the Montessori AMI method for the elderly in Europe in 2018, in partnership with Geneva's IFMM. Amazed by its exceptional results, and moreover passionate about culture change in educational institutions, he has made it his mission to spread it and make it accessible to all.

Fiona Partouche
Specialized educator - Montessori trainer
Fiona Partouche is a specialized educator and Montessori educator for 3-6 year-olds. Fascinated by the potential that the Montessori method reveals in children and adults with disabilities, she has been working in this field with specialized institutions for several years. On a day-to-day basis, she is also ULIS coordinator at a secondary school in the Paris region.