Psychological and pedagogical characteristics of children with intellectual disabilities article on psychology on the topic

International magazine

The development of a child with intellectual disabilities from the first days of life differs from the norm. In many children, the appearance of erect standing is delayed, i.e. They begin to hold their head up, sit, stand, and walk much later. This delay is sometimes quite significant, extending into the second year of life [1].

Let us consider the developmental features of a child with intellectual disabilities in the following age periods: infant, early, preschool and school age.

Infancy. All children with intellectual disabilities have a reduced reaction to external stimuli, indifference, and general pathological inertia (which does not exclude loudness, anxiety, irritability, etc.). They do not have a need for emotional communication with adults; as a rule, there is no “revival complex,” while a normally developing child, in response to an adult’s voice or smile, throws up his arms and legs, smiles, and hums quietly [2].

In the future, children with intellectual disabilities do not develop interest in toys hung above the crib or in the hands of an adult. There is no timely transition to communication with adults based on joint actions with toys, and a new form of communication—gesture—does not arise. Children in the first year of life do not differentiate between “their” and “strangers” adults, although with normal development this is observed already in the first half of life [3].

Children with intellectual disabilities do not have active grasping, they do not develop visual-motor coordination and perception of the properties of objects (large and small objects; normally developing children grasp differently, depending on the shape), as well as the selection of objects from a number of others [4].

In these children, the prerequisites for speech development are not formed in a timely manner: objective perception and objective actions, emotional communication with adults and, in particular, pre-speech means of communication (facial expressions, pointing gestures).

The developmental influence of an adult, in many cases, is not carried out, and the zone of proximal development does not expand. The sensitive period for the formation of many physical capabilities and mental processes has been missed [5].

Early age (from 1 year to 3 years). For many children with intellectual disabilities, learning to walk is delayed for a long time, sometimes until the end of early childhood. When moving, instability, clumsiness of gait, slowness or impulsiveness of movements are observed [6].

With the development of walking, a new stage in development begins, and the rapid development of objective actions begins.

Not every child’s action with an object is an objective action. An object action is only an action when an object is used in accordance with its functional purpose. So, for example, if a child picks up a spoon and knocks on the table with it, this is not an objective action, but manipulation with an object, since the function of the spoon is different; objective, the action will be when the child uses a spoon to eat [7].

Development of subject activity.

In young children with intellectual disabilities, object-based activity is not developed. Some of them show no interest in objects, including toys. They do not pick up toys at all or manipulate them. They do not only have an orientation like “What can you do with this?”, but also a simpler orientation like “What is this?” In other cases, children of the third year of life begin to manipulate objects, which are interspersed with inappropriate actions [8].

Inappropriate actions are those actions that contradict the logic of using an object and come into conflict with the role of the object in the objective world. For example, when a child first puts a cap on the stem of a pyramid and then tries to string rings; knocks the doll on the table; trying to fit a large car into a small garage, etc. - this means he is committing inappropriate actions. In this case, there is no cognitive-orienting activity and these actions do not contribute to the development of the child. The presence of inappropriate actions is a characteristic feature of a child with intellectual disabilities [9].

Other types of children’s activities do not develop independently either—playing, drawing, the beginnings of work activity, which, with normal intelligence, develop by the end of the third year of life [10].

Development of speech and communication.

Children with intellectual disabilities at an early age do not have the necessary prerequisites for the formation of speech: actions with objects, emotional communication with adults, readiness of the articulatory apparatus and phonemic hearing. For most children with intellectual disabilities, the first words in active speech appear after two years. The phrase, as a rule, does not appear until the age of three [11].

The main thing is that the speech of a young child with intellectual disabilities cannot serve either as a means of communication or as a means of conveying social experience to the child. She also cannot assume the function of regulating his actions [8].

Preschool age. Preschoolers with intellectual disabilities do not develop play, work, productive activities, as well as communication as they should at this age. This is due to the immaturity or insufficient development of mental processes: attention, perception, memory, thinking.

Thus, the leading play activity for preschool children is at the initial stage of development by the end of preschool age. In children, only object-based play and procedural actions are observed. They are characterized by repeated, stereotypical repetition of the same actions, carried out without emotional reactions, without the use of speech (L.B. Baryaeva, A.P. Zarin, N.D. Sokolova, O.P. Gavrilushkina) [9] .

Children with intellectual disabilities master self-care skills at a later date than their typically developing peers.

Without special training, they do not develop productive activities - drawing, modeling, appliqué, design.

In the cognitive sphere, attention disorders come to the fore: children’s attention is difficult to gather, they cannot concentrate on completing a task, they have increased distractibility and absent-mindedness. Preschoolers with intellectual disabilities are attracted to bright, colorful objects and toys, but they quickly lose interest in them [2].

At this age, memory impairments appear. It is especially difficult for them to remember instructions that determine the sequence of actions.

The leading form of thinking in preschoolers with intellectual disabilities is visual-effective thinking, although it does not reach the same level of development as in normally developing children. By the end of preschool age, children with intellectual problems who do not receive special correctional assistance “virtually lack the ability to solve visual-figurative problems” [10].

We can say that by the end of preschool childhood, children with intellectual development problems who have not undergone special training lack readiness for educational activities. Disturbances in mental development that are not corrected in a timely manner are aggravated, becoming more pronounced and vivid [11].

School age. The leading activity of school-age children is educational, which has a number of features for children with problems of intellectual development.

In physical development, children with intellectual disabilities lag behind their normally developing peers. It is quite difficult for schoolchildren with intellectual disabilities to maintain a working posture throughout the entire lesson; they get tired quickly. Children's performance in the classroom is reduced [12].

Attention in children with intellectual disabilities is characterized by a number of features: the difficulty of attracting it, the impossibility of long-term active concentration, quick and easy distractibility, instability, absent-mindedness, low volume (I.L. Baskakova, S.V. Liepin, M.P. Feofanov, etc. .). A student with an intellectual disability may pretend to be an attentive student in class, but at the same time not hear the teacher’s explanations at all. In order to combat this phenomenon (pseudo-attention), the teacher, during the explanation, should ask questions that reveal whether the students are following his train of thought, or offer to repeat what was just said [7].

Perception in children with intellectual disabilities is also characterized by a number of features. Their perception speed is noticeably reduced. In order to learn an object or phenomenon, schoolchildren with intellectual disabilities need more time compared to their normally developing peers (K.I. Veresotskaya). This feature is important to take into account in the educational process: the teacher’s speech should be slow so that students have time to understand it, it is necessary to give more time to look at objects, paintings, and illustrations [13].

Schoolchildren with intellectual disabilities have a reduced volume of perception, that is, the simultaneous perception of a group of objects. The narrowness of perception makes it difficult for students to master reading, calculations with multi-digit numbers, etc.

In children with insufficient intelligence, spatial perception and spatial orientation are significantly impaired, which makes it difficult for them to master such academic subjects as mathematics, geography, history, etc. [5].

The perception of paintings presents great difficulties for them (K.I. Veresotskaya, I.M. Solovyov, N.M. Stadnenko). They, as a rule, do not see connections between characters, do not understand cause-and-effect relationships, do not understand the emotional states of the characters depicted, do not see the plot, do not understand the depiction of movement, etc.

Children with intellectual disabilities have speech development disorders. In this case, all components of speech suffer: vocabulary, grammatical structure, sound pronunciation. By the time they start school, they have a limited vocabulary that consists mainly of nouns and verbs.

Impaired ability of thought processes - analysis, synthesis, abstraction, comparison. The thinking of children with intellectual disabilities is characterized by inertia and stiffness [14].

Intellectual disability.

Delayed intellectual development begins in childhood. People with intellectual disabilities have limitations in mental functioning and below average intelligence (IQ), and show reduced scores on tests of ability to communicate and perform everyday tasks. The degree of intellectual retardation - disability can vary - mild, moderate, severe or profound.

Symptoms of intellectual disability (intellectual development).

Symptoms of intellectual development delay appear before the child reaches the age of 18. Symptoms vary depending on the degree of mental retardation. The above symptoms, in addition to intellectual disability, can be caused by other, less serious diseases. Symptoms of intellectual disability (intellectual disability) include:

• The child learns and develops more slowly than other children of the same age;
• Difficulty communicating with other people;
• The average score on intellectual development tests is below average;
• Problem with learning at school;
• Inability to do everyday things, such as getting dressed or using the bathroom without assistance;
• problems hearing, seeing, moving, or speaking;
• Inability to think logically.
• The following categories are often used to describe the level of mental retardation:

• Mild level of intellectual disability
• IQ 50-70;
• Development is slower than most children;
• There are no unusual physical signs;
• Can learn practical skills;
• Instructs reading and math skills up to grades 3-6;
• Normal social contacts;
• Learning skills needed in everyday life.
• Moderate level of intellectual disability
• IQ 35-49;
• Noticeable developmental delays, especially speech;
• May have unusual physical signs;
• Simple communication can be taught;
• Basic hygiene and safety skills can be taught;
• Can perform simple actions;
• Can be trained to perform controlled tasks;
• They can go alone to familiar places.
• Severe level of intellectual disability
• IQ 20-34;
• Significant developmental delays; usually starts walking late;
• Little or no communication skills, sometimes some understanding of speech;
• Can be taught to perform light, repetitive actions;
• Can be taught simple self-help skills;
• The need for social guidance and control.
• Profound level of intellectual disability
• IQ <20;
• Significant developmental delay in all areas;
• Congenital anomalies;
• Requires constant supervision;
• Requires constant care;
• Inability to self-care.

Diagnosis of intellectual disability.

If you suspect your child is not developing normally and has an intellectual delay, tell your doctor as soon as possible. The doctor will ask about your child's symptoms and medical history and perform a physical examination. Standard tests used for diagnosis of developmental delay may include: Intelligence test: IQ tests measure a child's ability to think abstractly, solve problems, and ultimately learn. A child may have an intellectual disability if the IQ test results are 70 or lower; Adaptive behavior - studies skills that are necessary for functioning in everyday life, including: Reading and writing; We will describe social skills only such as responsibility and self-esteem; Practical skills are the ability not only to eat, but also to dress and use the bathroom. Children with intellectual disabilities have a very high risk of having a variety of problems, such as hearing problems, vision problems, seizures, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or orthopedic conditions. Additional tests may be needed to check for other diseases.

Treatment of delayed intellectual disability.

Treatment is most beneficial if it begins as early as possible. Treatments for intellectual disabilities include: Early intervention programs for infants and toddlers up to age three; Family counseling; Development programs, including emotional skills and hand-eye coordination; Special educational programs; Teaching life skills such as cooking, bathing; Working with a trainer; Social skills training; Self-care training. Prevention of intellectual disability To reduce the likelihood of a child’s mental retardation:

• During pregnancy:
• If you smoke, you need to quit;
• You cannot drink alcohol or use drugs;
• Eat a healthy diet that is low in saturated fat and rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables;
• Consume additional folic acid;
• Visit your doctor regularly;
• After birth:
• Screen your newborn for diseases that may cause intellectual disability;
• Vaccinate your child on time;
• Visit your pediatrician regularly;
• Use child car seats and bicycle helmets;
• Avoid child contact with lead-based paints;
• Keep toxic household substances out of the reach of children;
• Children and adolescents with current or recent viral infection are not recommended to take aspirin due to the risk of developing Reye's syndrome. Ask your doctor what other medications are safe for your child.