Basic methodological principles of special psychology. Basic principles of special psychology Basic specific methodological principles of special psychology

...Important for understanding abnormal development is the principle of determinism. It means Firstly, that all mental phenomena, like the psyche as a whole, are understood as phenomena causally determined by objective reality, as a reflection of this reality; Secondly, that all mental phenomena are considered to be caused by the activity of the brain; Thirdly, This principle presupposes, when studying mental phenomena, the obligatory establishment of the causes that caused these phenomena. Determinism in its philosophical understanding means that an external cause does not directly determine a person’s reactions, but acts through internal conditions.

Determinism cannot be viewed as a unilinear system (cause - effect). Determinism is not limited to such (causal) connections. There are determinants that do not themselves generate events, but influence them (catalysts). In real mental life, the effect does not arise immediately after the cause, but after some time. As a result, the cause of a particular phenomenon may be a number of events or factors, each of which in itself does not cause an effect, but their accumulation leads to a certain consequence. These are so-called cumulative cause-and-effect relationships. It is also important that mental development is characterized by heterochrony. Therefore, the same reason in relation to some “components” leads to one result, and in relation to others – to different ones. It follows that when studying the patterns of mental development of an abnormal child, it is necessary to take into account:

– various types of determinants;

– their systematicity and changeability in the development process (the relationships between different types of determinants in the process of child development are not constant and are associated with critical and sensitive periods of development).

The doctrine of abnormal development shows the causality of changes in the development of an abnormal child. The determinacy of all phenomena characterizing abnormal development is associated with various pathological factors. Identifying these factors is one of the diagnostic tasks when identifying difficulties in the development and learning of a child.

Development principle involves an analysis of the process of occurrence of a defect, an explanation of what change in previous development this defect is a product of. This principle is expressed in the fact that all mental phenomena are considered as constantly quantitatively and qualitatively changing and developing, and a correct characterization of any mental phenomenon is possible only if its characteristic features at a given moment, the reasons for the occurrence of changes and possible prospects for subsequent changes are simultaneously clarified . Thus, the principle of development does not focus on a static description of the defect, but on clarifying the dynamics of its development...

The principle of the unity of consciousness and activity. It is known that biologically inherited properties constitute only one of the conditions for the formation of mental functions. It is necessary for a person to master the world of objects and phenomena created by humanity. It is activity that is the condition for the emergence, the factor of formation and the object of application of human consciousness. The principle of the unity of consciousness and activity means that consciousness is the regulator of human behavior and actions.

When studying abnormal children, the implementation of the principle of unity of consciousness and activity is expressed in the fact that the activity of an abnormal child is one of the important parameters for assessing the level of his development.

Thanks to the application of these principles in special psychology, an objective approach to the study of the psyche of abnormal children is carried out.

The methodological foundations and theoretical concepts of special psychology determine the general methodological strategy of research in this field of knowledge.

Scientific method- This is a historically established way of obtaining reliable facts.

Psychology in its practice uses two groups of methods - general scientific And actually psychological. The former are used by most sciences, both natural and humanities. So, general scientific methods:

· experiment,

· observation,

· conversation,

· analysis of activity products,

· self-observation, etc.

The uniqueness of their application in psychology is determined, first of all, by special properties of mental phenomena (ideality, subjectivity And direct unobservability), unlike, say, chemical, physical, biological.

This uniqueness is characteristic of all branches of psychological science, including special psychology. Therefore, we can talk not about the features of methods as fundamental ways of obtaining factual material, but about the specifics of methods and techniques for their implementation. Concept "technique" stands for specific form of method implementation. If the experimental method exists in the singular, then there are an endless variety of experimental techniques. Depending on the nature and severity of the developmental disorder, the proportions of use of certain methods may vary.

Experiment occupies a leading place in special psychology. In some cases it is not always possible to conduct a classical experimental study due to difficulties in making contact with the child, as happens with severe manifestations of early childhood autism syndrome, general disinhibition, severe degrees of mental retardation, etc. The child's condition in such situations does not allow him to purposefully carry out the experimental task. That's why the procedure is either significantly modified or the emphasis is placed on methods of observation and collection of psychological history.

The bank of techniques originally designed to assess various parameters of dysontogenesis is extremely small. Their development represents one of the pressing theoretical and applied problems of special psychology, the solution of which largely determines the further development of this scientific discipline. Not only the methodological procedure itself is subject to modification, which in some cases is quite obvious, but also the nature of the interpretation of the data obtained.

Speaking about the organization of the experimental procedure, it must be taken into account that the latter must be adequate to the real capabilities of the subject. First of all, the researcher needs to make sure that the subject understands the essence of the task being proposed to him. The organization of an experimental procedure inevitably requires taking into account the state of the motivational sphere of the subject.

As is known, experimental method divided into:

· individual and group;

· laboratory and natural;

· stating and formative.

All of the above types of experimental work are, one way or another, used in special psychology, but preference is given to individual form.

It is known that ascertaining experiment is fundamentally aimed at identifying the child’s potential. But development implies the transformation of the present into the future, the potential into the actual. That is why, in addition to diagnosis, it is also important forecast, disclosure of potential opportunities. The forecast is possible only at the level formative experiment, which is a natural and necessary continuation of the stating one.

Regarding other research methods such as:

· conversation,

· sociometry,

· analysis of activity products, etc.

It should be emphasized that they are quite widely used in the practice of special psychology and are characterized by formal rather than substantive originality. Comes to the fore the technical side of their implementation, depending on the psychophysiological characteristics of the subjects. For example, a questionnaire survey of persons with profound visual impairments can be carried out if the text is presented in a special writing system L. Braille. In addition, filling out such a questionnaire requires a lot of time, as does the process of processing it, which involves, first of all, converting the Braille font into a regular flat-printed one. Filling out the questionnaire by the psychologist himself, according to the words of the blind person, violates confidentiality and reduces the level of reliability of the material received.

Special attention should be paid to its use in special psychology. standardized techniques (tests). This is especially important due to the extreme popularity of the latter.

In the field of special psychology, standardized methods are traditionally used very widely, since this is where they first appeared. But the use of test technologies requires high professionalism and caution.

First of all, difficulties arise in relation to the standardization itself, the strictly unified nature of the entire test examination, starting from the invariability of the wording of instructions, the time for completing a particular task, the quality of the stimulus material and ending with the issuance of “raw” assessments, etc. Standardization makes it possible to place all subjects on equal terms and thereby conduct rank comparisons, compare the results of one subject with the results of others.

Sami standards parameters(form, speed of delivery of instructions, its content, as well as metric characteristics of the stimulus material) are always correlated with the capabilities of a psychophysiologically normal person.

In everyday work, special psychologists often use not the entire test, but only its individual fragments, which are most adequate to the child’s capabilities, or slightly change the standard conditions. Moreover, in both cases it is necessary to focus not on test normative data, but to collect an “internal” standard with which new individual results are correlated.

The limited use of testing technologies is also associated with the content components of studying individuals with developmental disabilities. A test, as a rule, records the final result of some activity. The process of obtaining it remains inaccessible for analysis. Let us emphasize once again that For the practice of special psychology, it is not the knowledge itself about a low result that is important, but an understanding of the reasons that gave rise to it. Otherwise, effective corrective work is impossible. Professional psychologist should not lose sight of the advantage of an experimental approach over a test approach. The experiment not only allows, it presupposes constant variation of the conditions. It makes it possible to reproduce not only the result, but also the process of achieving it or disrupting this process.

The vast majority of standardized technologies reflect only the current level of mental development of the subject, the zone of his actual development. But for the practice of special psychology and especially correctional pedagogy this is not enough: it is necessary to have a prognosis, information about the child’s potential capabilities, about his zone of proximal development. Not only the effectiveness of differential diagnosis depends on this, but also the direction correctional work and assessment of its productivity. Solving these problems is possible only through an experimental strategy and, above all, a formative (educational) experiment.

Thus, standardized methods in special psychology can be used with certain restrictions, in the form of an auxiliary tool with the leading role of the experimental approach and qualitative analysis of the obtained material.

Even more problematic is the industry's use of projective techniques . The use of projective techniques, for example, for the purpose of selection into correctional institutions, is very limited and difficult due to their low differential diagnostic resolution, which, of course, does not close the way for their use as an auxiliary methodological tool (for example, the technique of projective drawings, etc.). d.).

Being basic experimental method , in special psychology still cannot be considered as the only one. Its effectiveness is determined by the extent to which it is complemented by other techniques, in particular those that are able to compensate for its limitations to a certain extent. In this case we are talking about the method observations, as a purposeful perception of the object being studied. Observation, due to the passive position of the researcher in relation to the object of knowledge, certainly loses to the experiment in terms of time costs. But it also has a very important advantage. Experiment, no matter what form it is implemented, always carries an element of artificiality, which cannot but affect the nature and quality of the results. Observation reproduces the object of study in natural conditions.

As already noted, observation in special psychology, special importance is attached, since in a number of cases it is not always possible to organize and carry out a traditional experimental procedure due to the severity and severity of a particular disorder in the development of the subject. In addition, the focus on a qualitative analysis of the obtained experimental facts involves supplementing the latter with observational results.

As in psychology in general, observation can be effective if it meets a number of requirements. First of all, it must be targeted, that is, the researcher does not observe the entire diversity of an individual’s behavior, but selects only certain fragments necessary for study. Another important feature of the observation process is its objectivity. In relation to psychological reality, this requirement is very difficult to fulfill. The consciousness of the observer himself not only records the fact of behavior, but also instantly interprets it. A certain degree of reliability of judgments about the internal subjective states of an individual can be achieved only through repeated, impartial recording of behavioral manifestations, and not their interpretation.

In special psychology, this method is associated with additional difficulties. First of all, time costs increase significantly due to the increasing complexity of behavioral acts. At the first stages, the researcher may even develop a feeling of opacity, of isolation of the child’s behavior from the current situation. It takes a wealth of clinical experience and knowledge, as well as a very long time, to see a pattern, “logic” in the pattern of behavior of a child with developmental disabilities.

No less productively in comparison with other techniques in special psychology are used conversation methods, collecting psychological history.

Conversation acts both as an addition to the experiment and completely independently. Its implementation requires high professionalism. First of all, the psychologist must establish good contact with the child, create an atmosphere of trust and safety. The interlocutor must feel an interested attitude towards himself. You should simply and clearly explain the reason why you are having this conversation with him. The questions asked must be clear. Here it is also necessary to accurately determine the purpose, the main content of the conversation, the nature and sequence of the proposed questions, which are formulated during the preparation process. The psychologist tactfully directs the conversation in the right direction if the person being studied wanders off to the side, and reformulates the questions if they turn out to be unclear. During the conversation, the emotional reactions and intonations of the subjects are recorded. The conversation should not be excessively long, because the child may get tired and lose interest in its content. The use of this method in special psychology sometimes requires special skills from a specialist. Thus, when working with the deaf, a good knowledge of fingerprint and sign language is necessary.

In this form it is most often carried out collection of psychological history- history of the child’s mental development. A conversation with parents, teachers, caregivers and other adults who know the child can provide a lot of information. valuable information. The difficulty is that this data is not structured. It sometimes seems to a novice psychologist that he should ask parents a question about how their child developed, and he will receive a detailed answer. Experience shows that this is not always the case. It is often difficult for parents to highlight the main thing; many confuse the medical history with the history of their child’s mental development. That is why the psychologist must accurately guide their story, asking specific questions about the stages and aspects of development. Anamnestic information can be significantly replenished if the child’s developmental history is reproduced different people(father and mother, one of the parents and the teacher, etc.). When collecting a psychological history during a conversation with parents, the psychologist should not forget that the topic concerning the specificity of their child can be very painful for them. Therefore, the formulation of questions must be extremely delicate.

Self-observation method in special psychology it occupies by no means a privileged place. For quite a long time the attitude towards him was extremely negative. Intolerance towards introspectionism and phenomenology was automatically transferred to this technique, which was denied scientificity and reliability. At the same time, the obvious fact of the exclusive role of self-observation in the organization and regulation of behavior and activity was ignored. Nevertheless, in the process of a conversation or questionnaire, we are dealing precisely with the results of the subject’s self-analysis. The possibilities of using self-observation data in special psychology, as well as in children's psychology, are very limited. Self-observation data most often records only the level of development of the latter and cannot be considered as an objective reliable fact. The only exceptions are cases of adulthood in combination with complete intellectual integrity.

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1. Special psychology as a science (definition and basic concepts)

2. Subject and object of study of special psychology

3. Tasks of special psychology

4. The relationship of special psychology with related sciences

5. Subject areas of special psychology

6. Principles of psychological study of abnormal children

7. Methods of psychological study of abnormal children

8. History of the development of special psychology as a science in Russia

9. Current state of special psychology

10. Methodological foundations of special psychology

11. The concepts of “abnormal development”, “abnormal child”, “defect”

12. Theories of defect compensation. L.S. Vygotsky on defect and compensation

13. Modern criteria for deviant development

14. Causes of abnormal mental development

15. Children with mental retardation

16. Forms of mental retardation

17. Training and education of children with severe mental retardation in Russia

18. Oligophrenia (concept, causes)

19. Classification of oligophrenia

20. Psychological and pedagogical characteristics of children with mental retardation

21. Diagnosis of oligophrenia

22. Children with mental retardation

23. Main options for mental retardation

24. Psychological and pedagogical characteristics of children with mental retardation

25. Distorted mental development (the concept of early childhood autism syndrome, the causes of its occurrence

26. Clinical and psychological structure of early childhood autism

as a special form of underdevelopment

27. Psychological and pedagogical characteristics of an autistic child

28. Disharmonious mental development. Psychopathy as a form of disharmonious personality

29. Classification of psychopathy. Characteristics of types of psychopathy

30. Psychological and pedagogical characteristics of children with psychopathy

31. Children with hearing impairment (concept and causes of

32. Psychological and pedagogical characteristics of children with hearing impairments

34. Children with visual impairments (concept and causes)

35. Classification of visual impairments

36. Psychological and pedagogical characteristics of blind children

37. Psychological and pedagogical characteristics of visually impaired children

38. Children with motor impairments. general characteristics

39. Cerebral palsy (CP). Causes and forms of cerebral palsy

40. Psychological and pedagogical characteristics of children with motor impairments

41. Children with speech disorders (concept and causes)

42. Classification of speech disorders

43. Psychological and pedagogical characteristics of children with speech disorders

44. Children with complex defects

45. The problem of integrating abnormal children into society

46. Special pedagogy (definition and basic concepts)

47. Subject and object of special pedagogy

48. Objectives of special pedagogy

49. The relationship of special pedagogy with other sciences

50. Branches of special pedagogy

51. History of the development of special pedagogy in Russia

52. History of the development of special pedagogy abroad

53. Current state of special pedagogy

54. Technologies and methods of special pedagogy

55. Preschool education for children with developmental problems

56. School system of special education

57. Vocational guidance and adaptation of persons with disabilities vital activity

58. General characteristics of the fundamental principles of special pedagogy

59. The principle of pedagogical optimism and its importance in organizing work with children with developmental problems

60. The principle of early pedagogical assistance to children with developmental disabilities and its significance

61. The principle of correctional and compensatory orientation of the pedagogical process of special educational institutions

and his role

62. The essence of the principle of socially adaptive orientation of the special pedagogical process

63. Characteristics of the principle of the activity approach and its significance in special pedagogy

64. The principle of a differentiated and individual approach, its importance in pedagogical work with children with developmental problems

65. General characteristics of teaching methods for children with developmental disorders

66. Method of story and explanation. Features of its use in the educational process of a special (correctional) school

67. Conversation method. The originality of its use in the educational process of a special (correctional) school

68. Method of working with a book. The specifics of its use in the educational process of a special (correctional) school

69. Visual methods. Features of their use in the educational process of a special (correctional) school

70. Practical methods. Their significance and features of use in the educational process of a special (correctional) school

71. Professional activity of a teacher-defectologist

72. Characteristics of forms of organization of the educational process in a special (correctional) school

73. A lesson is the main form of organizing the educational process. Requirements for a modern lesson in a special (correctional) school

74. Types of lessons in a special (correctional) school, specifics of their implementation

75. The originality of using methods for testing and assessing students’ knowledge

in a special (correctional) school

76. Organization and content of correctional developmental education for children with mental retardation

77. Main directions of correctional pedagogical work with mentally retarded schoolchildren

78. Education system for people with hearing impairments in Russia

79. The uniqueness of the learning process for children with hearing impairments

80. Education system for people with visual impairments in modern Russia

81. Features of teaching children with visual impairments

82. Methods for correcting childhood autism

83. System of assistance to children suffering from cerebral palsy

84. Education of persons with complex developmental disabilities

85. Psychological and pedagogical support for the development of a child with a complex defect

86. The problem of early detection of developmental disorders and ways to solve it in modern Russia

87. System of prevention, diagnosis and provision of early comprehensive assistance to children with developmental disorders in Russia

88. Policy in the field of social and pedagogical assistance to persons with disabilities in Russia

89. The problem of integration in the special education system and ways to solve it in Russia

90. The problem of differentiation in the special education system and ways to solve it in Russia

1. SPECIAL PSYCHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE (DEFINITION AND BASIC CONCEPTS)

special psychology defect child education

Special psychology is a branch of psychological science about the patterns of development, education, training and preparation for social adaptation and rehabilitation of various categories of children with developmental disabilities. This deviation is usually associated with a congenital or acquired disorder of the formation of the nervous system. In the system of psychological sciences, special psychology is given a special place. The concept of “special psychology” has many synonyms: correctional psychology, psychology of abnormal development, psychology of children with developmental disabilities, etc.

The main task of special psychology is the formation of an adequate personality as a result of the use of special methods and techniques of education and training, on the basis of which compensation for impaired functions occurs. Based on data from special psychology, a system of training, education and social adaptation of persons with various developmental disabilities is being built. In addition, through special psychology, the most effective methods training of this category of persons, a subsequent system of professional consultation and vocational guidance is built.

In the course of long-term practice of studying the category of persons with developmental disabilities, a body of certain psychological knowledge has accumulated. Special psychology at the early stage of its development did not have its own terminology, and most of the terms were borrowed from medicine. Basically, these were terms denoting various anatomical and physiological deviations in this category. Thus, the terms “defect”, “anomaly”, “diagnosis”, “blind”, “deaf-mute”, “correction”, etc. were borrowed from medicine. Establishing the etiology and symptoms of deviations in mental and physical development became the beginning of the construction of a conceptual-categorical apparatus special psychology. One of the main concepts of special psychology is the concept of “mental development”. Mental development is understood as a natural change over time in a person’s mental processes, which is expressed in qualitative, quantitative and structural transformations. The famous Russian psychologist L. S. Vygotott established that the mental development of abnormal children obeys the same laws as the mental development of a normal child. Abnormal development is a disruption of the general course of development of a child as a result of physical or mental abnormalities.

The central issue of both special psychology and related sciences is the problem of compensation of functions. Compensation for any defect is understood as compensation for impaired or underdeveloped functions through the use of preserved functions or the restructuring of partially impaired functions, i.e., in the process of compensation for lost or damaged functions, it is quite possible to involve new structures in the work that previously performed a different function or participated in performing other functions.

2. SUBJECT AND OBJECT OF STUDY OF SPECIAL PSYCHOLOGY

The object of modern special psychology is the study of individuals with developmental disabilities. The study of persons with developmental disabilities is one of the most important practical tasks of special psychology. It provides invaluable materials necessary for the differential diagnosis of abnormal development and the development of appropriate psychodiagnostic techniques. The study of persons with developmental disabilities is carried out taking into account a number of principles: the principle of an integrated approach to the study of the child, the principle of his holistic study, the principle of dynamic study of the child, the principle of the unity of qualitative and quantitative approaches in assessing mental development, etc.

The subject of research in special psychology as a branch of scientific knowledge is children with developmental problems, or, as they are also called abnormal children. The category of abnormal children includes children who, as a result of a mental or physiological abnormality, have a disturbance in their general development. In special psychology, in accordance with the historically established system of educational institutions for children with developmental disabilities and with the system of subject areas of special psychology, the classification is traditionally based on the nature of the disorder. There are main categories of abnormal children: children with hearing impairment, with visual impairment, with severe impairments speech development;

with impaired intellectual development, with complex disorders of psychophysiological development, with disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

In addition to the listed groups, there are others, groups of children with developmental disabilities: children with psycho-patho-like forms of behavior, children with difficulties in adapting to school, gifted children suffering from so-called school neuroses and requiring special attention from teachers and psychologists.

There is also a more generalized classification, which is based on the grouping of the above categories of disorders in accordance with the localization of the disorders in a particular system of the body:

1) somatic disorders (chronic diseases, musculoskeletal disorders

2) sensory impairment (hearing and vision);

3) disorders of brain activity (mental retardation, movement disorders, mental and speech disorders).

The composition of the group of children with developmental problems is complex and diverse. Various developmental disorders have different effects on the development of children’s cognitive abilities and work activity. Disturbances in the mental or physical development of a child affect the entire course of development of his cognitive activity.

3. TASKS OF SPECIAL PSYCHOLOGY

1. General scientific theoretical tasks:

1) disclosure of general patterns of mental development of a normally developing child and an abnormal child;

2) disclosure of general patterns inherent in all groups of abnormal children;

3) study of specific patterns of mental development in different groups of abnormal children;

4) establishing the dependence of mental development on the nature, mechanisms and severity of a particular anomaly.

2. Study of developmental disorders of specific forms of mental activity in different groups of abnormal children.

3. Identification of ways to compensate for disorders of personality development in general and various types of mental processes. Compensation for any defect is the compensation of impaired or underdeveloped functions through the use of intact functions or the restructuring of partially impaired functions. In the process of compensating for lost or damaged psychological functions, it is quite possible to involve new structures that previously performed a different function or participated in the implementation of other functions.

4. Development of basic types of training and education of different groups of abnormal children.

5. Development of methods of psychological correction and diagnostic techniques for various types of mental development disorders. Competent diagnosis of developmental disorders is the key to successful psychological correction, targeted training and education within a special educational institution. However, many diagnostic techniques and methods of psychological correction do not meet the modern requirements of special psychology, and therefore their revision, and in some cases the development of new methods, is necessary.

6. Identification of the most effective ways and methods of psychological influence on the mental development of children and adults with various developmental disabilities.

7. Study of psychological problems of integration and integrated learning. Integration into society of persons with developmental disabilities means providing such a person with opportunities to take part in all types of social life on an equal basis with other members of society. Integration in education means the opportunity for persons with special educational needs to receive education both in a special educational institution and in a general educational institution. However, as has already been confirmed by experiments, Russian society is not yet ready (primarily psychologically) for this kind of educational innovation.

8. Development of the psychological foundations of the content of education, principles, methods, technologies, organization of the implementation of the conditions of special education.

9. Interaction of special psychology with a number of related sciences, in particular with general psychology and special pedagogy, on problems relating to people with developmental disorders and, as a result, with limited ability to live.

4. RELATIONSHIP OF SPECIAL PSYCHOLOGY WITH RELATED SCIENCES

Special psychology is associated with many other sciences, which can be combined into several blocks:

1) medical block - physiology, anatomy, neuropathology, psychiatry, ophthalmology, etc.;

2) humanitarian block - sociology, philosophy, psychology in all its varieties, etc.;

3) pedagogical block - general pedagogy, methods of teaching various subjects, etc. The relationship of psychology with medicine and pedagogy contributes to the formation of a scientific holistic view of the mental and physical development of a person with disabilities, and also makes it possible to successfully eliminate the one-sided view of each of these disciplines . Special psychology is closely related to medicine and its various branches: anatomy and physiology of humans of different ages in normal and pathological conditions, neuropathology, neuroanatomy and physiology, psychopathology, psychiatry, psychotherapy, human genetics, pediatrics, orthopedics, otorhinolaryngology and some others. Psychological and medical knowledge are closely intertwined into the same facts, and phenomena receive both medical and psychological interpretation. This approach allows us to obtain a comprehensive, systemic vision of the problem of human physical and mental development, and the ability to overcome negative trends in development.

Special psychology, together with special pedagogy, contributes to the development, consolidation and strengthening of the effect achieved with the help of medicine. The totality of basic knowledge from all medical sciences constitutes the clinical basis for special psychology. In addition, special psychology owes most of its terms to medicine. Basically, these are terms denoting various anatomical and physiological deviations in this category. Thus, the following terms were borrowed from medicine: “psyche”, “anomaly”, “autism”, “dementia”, etc. The establishment of the etiology and symptoms of deviations in mental and physical development became the beginning of the construction of special psychology’s own conceptual and categorical apparatus. Based on data from special psychology, a system of training, education and social adaptation of persons with various types of developmental disorders is being built. Psychological knowledge determines the most effective methods of training for this category of people and the possibility of their further professional guidance.

In the construction of a holistic theory of special psychology, the leading role is given to the block humanities, such as philosophy, sociology, political science, which allows you to integrate knowledge from different fields. Understanding the current state of special psychology is possible by considering the socio-philosophical aspect, which considers the phenomena of special psychology in a sociocultural context. The most important and conceptual problems, the immediate prospects for the development of special psychology, can only be solved at a philosophical level with the participation of many specialists.

5. SUBJECT AREAS OF SPECIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Special psychology (from the Latin specialts - “special”) is a branch of psychology that studies people with deviations from the norm in mental development associated with congenital or acquired defects. Based on data from special psychology, they build a system of training and education for people with mental development anomalies, their professional consultation and professional selection. The main task of special psychology is the formation of an adequate personality as a result of the use of special methods and techniques of education and training, on the basis of which compensation for impaired functions occurs. In addition, through special psychology, the most effective methods of training this category of people are determined, and a subsequent system of professional consultation and vocational guidance is built. Special psychology has become the basis for the development of a number of industries. At the moment, they represent developed and independent spheres of practical and scientific pedagogical knowledge. These include the following industries.

1. Typhlopsychology is part of special psychology. This science studies people with visual impairments. The main objectives of typhlopsychology are: a comprehensive comprehensive study of vision and its various disorders, anomalies of physical and mental development in these disorders, ways of correction and compensation, restoration of impaired or underdeveloped functions, creation of conditions for the formation and comprehensive development of the personality in case of development | ^personal visual impairment. "(

2. Deaf psychology is a science that studies the category of people with various hearing impairments. The main objectives of deaf psychology are: a comprehensive study of people with various hearing impairments, identifying the main patterns of mastering this category special education, principles of work aimed at social adaptation and social and professional rehabilitation.

3. Oligophrenopsychology is a science that is a system of scientific knowledge about the mental development and its characteristics of persons with mental retardation. Recently, new branches of oligophrenopsychology have begun to develop intensively.

4. The psychology of children with musculoskeletal disorders is based on knowledge in the field of neuropathology, neurophysiology, psychology and other sciences. The main goal of this branch of special psychology is to study the developmental features of persons with cerebral palsy, the formation of their personality in order to create special living conditions, training and subsequent work activities for this category of persons.

5. The psychology of children with mental retardation studies the developmental characteristics of this category of children. This is a large group of children with minimal organic damage or functional failure of the central nervous system.

6. Psychology of children with complex disorders is part of special psychology. Complex developmental disorders include a combination of two or more psychophysical disorders in one child. The main goals of this subject area are to find an alternative way to compensate for the defect and lead the child out of the situation of socio-cultural dead end.

6. PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDY OF ABNORMAL CHILDREN

The psychological study of children with developmental disabilities is one of the most important practical tasks of special psychology. Psychological study provides invaluable materials necessary for the differential diagnosis of abnormal development and the development of appropriate psychodiagnostic techniques. In their practical work, special psychologists, when examining children with developmental disorders, are guided by certain principles.

1. The principle of an integrated approach to the study of a child. This principle involves conducting a comprehensive examination of the developmental features of all types of cognitive activity of the child, his emotional-volitional sphere, abilities, skills and the entire personality as a whole. The examination involves the use of various psychodiagnostic techniques, which is an important part of the overall diagnostic system. The principle of an integrated approach to the study of a child involves not only psychological research, but also an analysis of the state of the child’s nervous system, its sensory and motor spheres. In accordance with the principle of an integrated approach, psychologists, defectologists, teachers of the deaf, neurologists, psychiatrists, etc., examine the child.

2. The principle of holistic study of the child. This principle is based on the position of L.S. Vygotsky about the structure of the defect, which allows for a systematic analysis of the disorder. A holistic analysis when examining a child with a developmental disorder involves not detecting individual manifestations of mental development disorders, but identifying the causes of their occurrence and establishing a connection between them. This helps to identify the main features of the child’s cognitive sphere, his interests, hobbies and personality as a whole.

3. The principle of dynamic study of the child. The basis for highlighting this principle is the position of L.S. Vygotsky on the relationship between learning and child development. L.S. Vygotsky identified the child’s zone of proximal development, which implied the level of difficulty of problems solved by the child independently, and the zone of proximal development, i.e., the level of difficulty of problems solved by the child under the guidance of an adult. In accordance with this principle, when studying a child, it is necessary to find out the knowledge, skills, the child's skills, as well as the potential capabilities of children. The implementation of the principle of dynamic study of a child involves the use, along with diagnostic techniques, of techniques that make it possible to determine the zone of proximal development.

4. The principle of unity of qualitative and quantitative approaches in assessing mental development. When implementing this principle, it is assumed to analyze the process of completing a task (rationality, sequence of operations, logic, persistence in achieving a goal, bringing work on a task to its logical conclusion, etc.) and taking into account the final result of the activity. In this case, the interrelationship of qualitative and quantitative indicators is taken into account.

7. METHODS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDY OF ABNORMAL CHILDREN

Methods of psychological study are those techniques and means by which psychologists and defectologists obtain reliable information about the intellectual, speech and physical development of abnormal children.

1. The most common and simplest method in terms of its organization is observation. There are several surveillance options: external, internal, free, standardized, enabled and third-party. When applied to a group of abnormal children, all variants of this method are used, depending on the goal of the special psychologist. External observation is convenient if the researcher collects data on the behavior of an abnormal child, his performance of any tasks, etc. This observation option is convenient and simple, it allows you to observe abnormal child from the outside and without difficulty to determine deviations in its development. Free observation does not have a pre-established program framework or procedure for its implementation. During free observation, depending on the wishes of the researcher, the subject and object of observation may change. It is used when a special psychologist does not know in advance the signs and course of the phenomenon under consideration, the personality traits of an abnormal child. Standardized observation has a clear plan and program and strictly follows them, regardless of what happens to the abnormal child. Participant observation involves the participation of the psychologist himself in the process. For example, he may interact with an abnormal child or take part in a game organized by children with developmental disabilities. Third-party observation does not imply the personal participation of the researcher in the process he is studying.

2. Conversation as a method of psychological research is used by psychologists in relation to abnormal children quite often. By asking certain questions, analyzing the answers received and the reaction of the anomalous child, the researcher receives information about his ideas about the world around him, himself, about his attitude to certain concepts and phenomena.

3. Testing is a convenient method of psychological study of abnormal children. Using testing during the examination process, it is possible to obtain an accurate quantitative or qualitative characteristic of the intellectual, speech and physical development of an abnormal child. This type of psychological research requires a clear procedure for collecting and processing primary data, as well as the originality of their subsequent interpretation. In addition, testing makes it possible to give differentiated and comparable assessments of the level of formation of various aspects of the personality of an anomalous child, the development of his thinking, speech, etc. The following test options are common in special psychology: questionnaire test, task test and projective test.

4. Experiments as a method of mental research in abnormal children are not used as often as observation, conversation and testing. The peculiarity of this method is that it purposefully and thoughtfully creates an artificial situation in which the studied property of the personality or thinking of an anomalous child is manifested in one way or another.

8. HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIAL PSYCHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE IN RUSSIA

Special psychology as a branch of psychological science began to develop in Russia in the 20s. XX century Before this, medicine studied the psyche of abnormal children. In 1935, the world's first experimental psychological laboratory was created in Russia to study the psyche of abnormal children. It was headed by the famous domestic defectologist D.V. Zaikosh, under whose leadership the study of the characteristics of students in a special school, manifested in junior and senior school age, as well as the ways of development of these children in the conditions of a specially organized learning process, took place. Domestic special psychology was formed as a comparative psychology of a normally developing child and a child with developmental disabilities. Research was carried out on the problems of the development of cognitive activity, the emotional-volitional sphere, the personality of an anomalous child, based on clinical data obtained by domestic psychiatrists: I.S. Pvva-Ivr, F. Scheu and others. They studied in detail the issues of etiology and pathogenesis of abnormal development, issues of distinguishing children with developmental disorders from similar conditions, and gave a detailed description of this category of children.

At the end of the 50s. XX century defectologists studied the characteristics of higher education nervous activity children with intellectual disabilities. Research into the cognitive activity of this group of children had a clear pedagogical focus and provided materials for developing didactic principles and methodological ways of teaching and raising children with developmental disabilities. The works of domestic psychologists have shown that children with developmental disabilities are characterized by immaturity of the entire psyche as a whole. In addition, it was found that the most general patterns mental development is characteristic of both normally developing and abnormal children. In the works of L.V. Zashsov reflected the following observations: insufficiency of all structural components of thinking, weakness of mental operations, especially generalization and abstraction, gross violation of verbal and logical thinking. According to a number of defectologists, by the end of middle school age, subject to targeted correctional psychological work, the weakness of motivation for mental activity improves. Thanks to the work of famous domestic defectologists V.G. Petrova, G.M. Dulnesh and a number of others, data were obtained on the possibility of speech correction in children with intellectual disabilities during the learning process: increasing the volume of the active vocabulary, correcting the grammatical structure of speech, improving oral and written speech. In the works of domestic defectologists, it has been proven that the mental development of abnormal children is characterized not only by shortcomings, but they also have broad potential for the development of thinking. This is confirmed by the research of L.S. Vygotsky that in the process of correctional education, children with developmental disabilities develop complex species mental activity.

9. CURRENT STATE OF SPECIAL PSYCHOLOGY

The psychology of a child with developmental disabilities is one of the well-studied branches of special psychology. Researchers from leading scientific centers in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and other Russian cities are working to resolve its problems. The main problems of modern special psychology are:

1) the problem of early diagnosis of deviations in child development.

Experts believe that the basic patterns of development in a child with a developmental disorder are the same as in a normal child. When detecting abnormalities in a child early, one must be extremely careful and attentive when making a diagnosis, since the presence of any single symptom is not enough for this. Therefore, the diagnosis of developmental disorders must be comprehensive, systemic in nature; records of psychological, pedagogical, neurological and neuropsychological examination data must be kept;

2) issues of differentiated diagnosis of mental retardation and a number of other disorders in mental development.

Along with mental retardation, there are several superficially similar conditions. These are mental retardation, pedagogical neglect, general speech underdevelopment, developmental delay as a result of visual or hearing impairment in children, early childhood autism. All these deviations have manifestations similar to mental retardation, therefore it is important to develop methods that can distinguish between these conditions. This concept was further developed in the works of the domestic defectologist V.I. Lubovsky (" Psychological problems diagnosis of abnormal development of children”, etc.). IN AND. Lubovsky analyzes the history and current state, as well as the prospects for differentiated diagnosis of various forms of disorders of the psychological development of a child. He attached great importance to the development of nonverbal methods for the comparative study of various groups of abnormal children. IN AND. Lubovsky proposed a model for differentiated diagnosis of mental retardation, general speech underdevelopment and mental retardation. The main criterion was the state of the child’s speech and thinking, as well as the ability to learn.

The problem of differentiated diagnosis of various developmental disorders has been highlighted in a number of works. Korobeinikov. He developed a set of experimental tasks for the comparative study of oligophrenia and mental retardation in children 6-7 years old. E.A. Strebeleva proposed experimental diagnostic materials for identifying mental retardation in preschool children at every year of life.

10. METHODOLOGICAL BASIS OF SPECIAL PSYCHOLOGY

The history of the creation of the theoretical foundations of special psychology and its methodology is closely connected with the name of the outstanding Russian psychologist Ya.S. Vygotsky in the 20s. XX century On the basis of the theory he created for the development of higher mental functions, he formulated and substantiated modern ideas about the nature and essence of abnormal development.

The methodological foundations of special psychology, like all general psychology, are based on the methodological principles of dialectical materialism. They act in relation to psychology as a general philosophical system of explanatory principles. Three principles are most important for understanding abnormal development: the principle of determinism, the principle of development, and the principle of the unity of consciousness and activity. These principles act as general scientific principles of psychology.

1. The principle of determinism is when real natural and mental processes are determined, that is, they arise, develop and are destroyed naturally, as a result of the action of certain causes. Determinism is the fundamental principle of materialism. Determinism is a methodological principle according to which, from the fact that everything in the world is interconnected and caused by a cause, it follows that it is possible to know and predict events that have both a clearly defined and probabilistic nature. It also means that all psychological phenomena are understood as phenomena causally determined by objective reality and are a reflection of objective reality. All mental phenomena are considered to be caused by the activity of the brain. This principle presupposes, when studying mental phenomena, the obligatory establishment of the causes that caused these phenomena.

2. The principle of development. This principle is expressed in the fact that all mental phenomena are considered as constantly developing quantitatively and qualitatively. A correct assessment of a child’s mental state is possible by studying the dynamics of his development.

3. The principle of the unity of consciousness and activity means a two-way connection between consciousness and activity. On the one hand, a person’s consciousness, his psyche are formed in activity, on the other hand, activity is a reflection of a person’s level of consciousness. Only in activity can one establish the characteristics of mental properties, states, and processes. This principle requires the defectologist to study the mental development of an abnormal child in the process various activities. Only in this case is it possible to form new mental processes and correct impaired functions in activity.

Theoretical methods are accumulated in special psychology practical work, necessary for the development of other areas of psychology. The study of mental characteristics of different categories of children with gross developmental anomalies contributes to the understanding of the patterns of mental ontogenesis in normal conditions. Helping to overcome the difficult problems of teaching and raising children with gross developmental anomalies, special psychology has accumulated means of resolving the learning difficulties of children who do not have such pronounced disorders.

11. CONCEPTS OF “ABNORMAL DEVELOPMENT”, “ABNORMAL CHILD”, “DEFECT”

Abnormal development is a disruption of the general course of human development as a result of any physical or mental defects. The term “anomalous” is based on the Greek word “anomalos”, which translated into Russian means “wrong”.

Children who, as a result of a mental or physiological abnormality, have a disturbance in their general development are considered abnormal. The main categories of abnormal children include children: 1) with hearing impairment (deaf, hard of hearing, late deaf);

2) with visual impairment (blind, visually impaired);

3) with severe speech development disorders;

4) with intellectual development disorders (children with mental retardation, mentally retarded children);

5) with complex disorders of psychophysiological development (deaf-blind, blind, mentally retarded, deaf, mentally retarded, etc.);

6) with musculoskeletal disorders. In addition to the listed groups, there are other groups of children with developmental disabilities:

1) children with psychopathic forms of behavior;

2) children with difficulties in adapting to school, suffering from so-called school neuroses;

3) gifted children who require special attention from teachers and psychologists.

The composition of the group of abnormal children is complex and diverse. Various developmental disorders have different effects on the formation of children's social connections, their cognitive capabilities and work activity. Depending on the nature and time of the disorder, some defects can be completely overcome during the child’s development, others can only be compensated, and others can only be corrected. The nature and level of complexity of a particular defect in the process of normal development of an individual determine the appropriate forms of pedagogical work with it. Disturbances in the mental or physical development of a child affect the entire course of development of his cognitive activity.

The concept of “defect” is based on the Latin word “defectus” - “flaw”. Each defect has its own structure. The concept of “defect structure” was introduced by the famous Russian psychologist D. S. Vypit-spi. Thus, any deviation, for example, impairment of hearing, vision, speech, entails secondary deviations, and in the absence of appropriate corrective work, also tertiary deviations. With different primary causes, some secondary deviations have similar manifestations, especially in infancy, early childhood or preschool age. Secondary deviations are systemic in nature and their presence causes changes in the entire structure of the child’s mental development. Overcoming primary defects is possible under the condition of competent medical intervention, when the elimination of secondary deviations occurs through correctional and pedagogical intervention. The need for the earliest possible correction of secondary disorders is due to the characteristics of the mental development of children: changes in the hierarchical relationships between the primary and secondary defects.

12. THEORIES OF DEFECT COMPENSATION. L.S. VYGOTSKY ON DEFECT AND COMPENSATION

Compensation for any defect is understood as compensation for impaired or underdeveloped functions through the use of preserved functions or the restructuring of partially impaired functions, i.e., in the process of compensation for lost or damaged functions, it is quite possible to involve new structures in the work that previously performed a different function or participated in performing other functions. Experts distinguish two types of defect compensation.

1. Compensation for the defect occurs at the intrasystem level and is carried out through the involvement of intact elements of the affected structures.

2. Compensation occurs at the intersystem level and is carried out through the restructuring of systems and the inclusion of completely different structures in the work.

Most often, two types of defect compensation are observed at once, this is especially important in cases of congenital or early acquired defects.

There are several theories of defect compensation. One of the most widespread theories belongs to the Austrian psychiatrist and psychologist A. Adler. It is based on the principle of the unity of the psychological life of the individual, assigning a leading place social factor in human mental development. The author of this theory believes that the formation of an individual’s personality occurs, as a rule, in the first 5-6 years of life, when their first way of thinking and acting in all subsequent periods of development is determined. Man, according to A. Adler's theory, is the most biologically unadapted creature. (Based on this, he develops a feeling of inferiority, which is aggravated by the presence of any mental or physical defect in the child. At the same time, awareness of his own inferiority becomes a constant incentive for development in the future for a person. A person, trying to overcome his defect and assert himself in society, actualizes all its other capabilities.

In his numerous works, the domestic psychologist L.S. Vngotezh analyzed previously existing views on the problem of compensation for defects. He believed that compensatory capabilities are fully realized if the defect is conscious. The level of compensation is determined by the body's reserve forces and external social conditions. When any function is lost, other organs begin to perform functions that they do not usually perform during the normal functioning of the organ. The main compensatory path of people with various disorders L.S. Vygotsky saw their inclusion in active work. Thanks to this, the possibility of forming higher forms of cooperation is ensured and conditions are created for full integration into society. L.S. Vygotsky highly appreciated the possibilities of compensation in people with sensory impairments. He believed that many types of work activities were available to them, the exception of which were those areas that were directly related to the existing violation. Provisions of L.S. Vygotsky about compensation for defects had great importance For further development all branches of special pedagogy.

13. MODERN CRITERIA FOR DEVIANT DEVELOPMENT

In modern defectology it is hardly possible to find comprehensive, unambiguous criteria for deviant development. This is especially necessary when determining the degree and nature of the deviation when answering the question: is it within normal limits or is it pathological. Criteria for assessing deviations in childhood were proposed by the English psychiatrist I. Rittfr

1. When assessing a child’s development, it is necessary to take into account that the differentiation of normal and abnormal behavior cannot be absolute.

2. It is important to consider the degree of deviation. Some symptoms are much more common than whole line symptoms at the same time. Special attention required by the category of children with multiple mental development disorders, when a violation of one area negatively affects the development of other areas.

3. Frequency of occurrence and severity of symptoms. It is necessary to find out the frequency and duration of manifestation of certain adverse symptoms. For children, moderately manifested deviations are considered more typical than serious, frequently recurring disorders.

4. Situational variability of the symptom. When identifying developmental deviations, it is necessary to pay attention to the situation in which the deviation manifests itself. And although this criterion is considered far from the most important, it can provide invaluable assistance in predicting the dynamics of development of a child with developmental disabilities.

5. In the process of analyzing a child’s development, it is necessary to compare the characteristics of his development not only with the characteristics characteristic of all children of a given age group, but also with characteristics characteristic of this child. Significant attention should be paid to those manifestations in development, the presence of which is difficult to explain by the laws of normal maturation and development.

6. A separate criterion is taking into account the age characteristics and gender of the child. As experts note, some behavioral features are normal only for children of a certain age.

7. Duration of persistence of a certain developmental deviation. If the observed deviation continues for several months, then under the influence of a certain correction it can be smoothed out. If the deviation lasts more than a year and corrective efforts are ineffective, then this should raise alarm.

8. Child development never goes smoothly: it always has its peaks and its valleys. Also, the manifestation of various developmental disorders depends on the circumstances of the child’s life. A dysfunctional family, the loss of parents, frequent changes of place of residence, a bilingual education system, constant long-term stress - all this can easily cause developmental deviations.

According to M. Rattar, when deciding on deviations from the norm in a child’s development, it is necessary to take into account a combination of all the above criteria. However, in some cases they are not enough.

14. REASONS FOR ANOMAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE PSYCHE

The causes of abnormal mental development are numerous and varied and can be caused by various factors. They are usually divided into three large groups: exposures during intrauterine development, at the time of birth and in the postpartum period. In addition, the combination of intrauterine and birth pathology is called perinatal damage. Adverse factors during the perinatal period

1) intrauterine infections of a chronic nature: syphilis, toxoplasmosis, cytomegaly, listeriosis, etc.;

2) intrauterine infections of a viral nature: rubella, measles, influenza, mumps, chicken pox, etc. In late pregnancy, acute infectious diseases of the mother can lead to intrauterine infection of the fetus and cause intrauterine encephalitis and meningoscephalitis;

4) the use of medications that are contraindicated during pregnancy and that can cause fetal toxicity; fruit expellants, hormonal drugs, etc.;

7) various physical and mental traumas suffered by a woman during pregnancy: the mother’s work before and during the intrauterine development of the child in hazardous work, unfavorable ecological situation, (for example, increased background radiation, exposure to ultraviolet radiation from a number of substances).

Pathology of labor. In the natal period (the moment of birth), pathogenic factors are unskilled obstetric care, rapid, rapid labor, long labor with stimulation, the use of forceps, birth injuries to the brain, asphyxia (entanglement of the child with the umbilical cord, which leads to suffocation), etc. Postnatal pathological effects. In the postnatal period, various neuroinfections can cause abnormal development of the psyche: meningitis, meningoencephalitis, parainfectious encephalitis, brain tumors, infectious diseases with complications on the brain, open and closed skull injuries, concussions, etc. The likelihood of abnormal development of the psyche increases in premature babies who were born premature or underweight. Also, developmental disorders can occur with sleep and nutritional disorders in children, with long-term somatic diseases that cause damage to the child’s central nervous system and general exhaustion of the body.

Defects in mental development can be caused by functional reasons, including socio-pedagogical neglect, limited emotional positive communication between adults and a child, limited speech contacts, bilingualism in the family, etc. Disorders due to functional reasons are milder than others, and when unfavorable ones are eliminated factors, and then, with competent correctional work, the child can catch up with his peers.

15. CHILDREN WITH MENTAL RETURN

The category of mentally retarded includes persons with persistent irreversible impairment of cognitive activity due to organic damage to the cerebral cortex. In mental retardation, brain damage is irreversible and diffuse. Another characteristic feature is a violation of higher mental functions. This is expressed in disruption of cognitive processes, emotional-volitional sphere, motor skills and abnormal development of the entire personality as a whole.

The causes of mental retardation are many and varied. Experts have found that the degree of decline in intelligence depends on the time of exposure to a particular pathogenic factor. If brain damage occurs in the first 3 months of pregnancy, for example due to the mother's illness with rubella, this will cause mental retardation in the child. Disturbances that occur at a later date will be less pronounced and will cause delayed mental and speech development. Mental retardation can be caused by various types of pathogenic factors that have an irreversible effect on the fetus during intrauterine development. These include:

1) intrauterine infections of a chronic nature: syphilis, toxoplasmosis, cytomegaly, listeriosis, etc.;

2) intrauterine viral infections: rubella, measles, influenza, chicken pox, etc.

In late pregnancy, acute infectious diseases of the mother can lead to intrauterine infection of the fetus and cause intrauterine encephalitis and meningoencephalitis;

3) chronic diseases of the mother, such as diseases of the kidneys, cardiovascular system, liver, etc.;

4) the use of medications that are contraindicated during pregnancy and that can cause fetal intoxication: fetal expellants, hormonal drugs, etc.;

5) immunological conflict between the child and mother regarding the Rh factor or blood group antigens;

6) bad habits of the mother: smoking, alcoholism, drug addiction, etc.;

7) various physical and mental traumas suffered by a woman during pregnancy: work in hazardous industries, unfavorable environmental conditions (for example, increased background radiation, exposure to ultraviolet radiation, toxic substances).

In the natal period (the moment of birth), pathogenic factors are birth injuries to the brain, asphyxia, etc. In the postnatal period, various neuroinfections can cause mental retardation: meningitis, meningoencephalitis, parainfectious encephalitis.

Methods for studying abnormal children

A psychologist working with abnormal children and approaching them with a diagnostic task does not know which aspect of the mental development and mental activity of an abnormal child will become central in the study. First of all it is necessary

S. N. Shakhovskaya, R. Lalaeva. “Logopathopsychology: textbook”

to navigate the characteristics of the child’s development, highlight changes in his development and then carefully analyze them. For orientation, a psychologist often has a limited amount of time, especially in the context of medical and pedagogical commissions. Of course, the orientation of a psychologist is determined by many factors. Of great importance in this is the study of data obtained by other specialists conducting the examination, however, a direct study of many aspects of the child’s mental development by a psychologist is necessary, and it must be taken into account that if the total time of work with the child by different specialists exceeds, the study may become impossible due to fairly rapid exhaustion and a decrease in the child’s performance. In this regard, methods of experimental psychological study of abnormal children must meet the specific tasks they are aimed at solving, and the content of the study is limited to a certain framework.

Methods for studying abnormal children are varied and generally coincide with methods for studying children with disabilities. normal development, however, have their own specifics.

1. Studying the child's documentation. The task of studying the documentation is to collect anamnestic data and formulate an idea about the origins of abnormal development. In a comprehensive study of a child, each specialist must be able to “read” the documentation of his colleagues and draw from it the information he needs to compile a complete picture of the history of the child’s development. For the psychological study of a child, such information can be obtained from extracts from the history of the child’s development, which should contain the following conclusions:

– pediatrician about the general condition of the child;

– a neuropsychiatrist with a substantiated medical diagnosis and characteristics of mental development;

– an otolaryngologist with a description of the condition of the ear, throat, nose and organs involved in speech articulation (with data on the perception of spoken and whispered speech using audiogram data);

– an ophthalmologist with a description of the organ of vision and a detailed diagnosis;

– orthopedic doctor (for children with musculoskeletal dysfunction). The materials from such a detailed extract will orient the psychologist and form the outcome.

certain prerequisites for identifying the direction of research of mental functions. An important document is the child’s pedagogical characteristics, reflecting

data on the duration of his education and upbringing at school and kindergarten, detailed analysis of academic performance, behavior, activities carried out to improve academic performance (individual assistance, treatment, etc.). These data will be useful in studying the learning ability of abnormal children and predicting the pace of their development. You can also use other documents: the child’s personal file, his family history, etc.

The method of studying documentation guides the specialist conducting the examination in organizing the examination of abnormal children.

2. Study of the products of the activities of abnormal children. This method is widely used

changes in practice. Analyzing the final result (children's drawings, crafts, educational work: dictations, exercises, problem solving, etc.), you can understand the characteristics of the child’s work. Product Analysis children's creativity and educational activities (notebooks) allows us to judge such qualities as, for example, the child’s imagination, the formation of his visual ideas, the development fine motor skills hands, the degree of formation of skills in educational activities, etc. The products of the activities of abnormal children very often reflect their attitude to reality, nature, the level of development of mental, sensory and motor skills, and often their attitude to their defect.

S. N. Shakhovskaya, R. Lalaeva. “Logopathopsychology: textbook”

The study of school work is especially important when selecting children for auxiliary schools.

To correctly assess a child’s achievements, you need to know:

– psychological mechanisms for obtaining this or that result, the conditions under which it was obtained;

– features of the development of this skill during the learning process;

– typical difficulties in mastering school knowledge for different groups of students, including “difficult” and lagging behind;

– methods that allow you to discover the true causes of difficulties at each stage of learning.

As a rule, the products of the activity of abnormal children have typical characteristics compared to the norm. Their drawings and crafts are often specific both in execution technique and in content, and educational works are replete with specific errors. Studying these works, it is necessary to highlight the features of creativity, work and educational activities characteristic of different groups of abnormal children. This will facilitate further correct diagnosis.

3. Observation method. Observation will make it possible to judge the state of certain psychological

chemical functions in the process of spontaneous activity of the child with minimal intervention from the observer. Observation should ensure the naturalness of the child’s mental manifestations, but at the same time be purposeful. When observing, it is necessary to clearly record its results. The degree of activity of the researcher during observation can be different: from passive without any interference in the child’s activity to observation during systematic activities. Scientific observation is different in that the collection of facts is determined by the research task and is aimed at revealing the pattern that is being studied by the researcher. The value of different types of observation varies: passive observation provides information about the child’s natural behavior, at which time the researcher sees the child as an integral person and can record the characteristics of his relationship with the children’s team and teachers. Some disadvantages of this method limit its scope of application. These include: the wait-and-see attitude of the researcher, the lack of possibility of repeated observation, a descriptive form of recording observations, the need for a long time to obtain reliable information.

Active Surveillance(observation in the process of systematic classes) is widely used in Soviet and foreign psychology and pedagogy and represents one of the modifications of the experimental method, namely: the psychological and pedagogical experiment developed by A.F. Lazursky (1918).

This type of observation in psychological study involves a targeted study of the child’s reactions when performing tasks related to those types of activities that are directly related to the development and learning of the child. This type of observation (experiment) combines the study of a child with his education and upbringing. The results of such observation make it possible to develop a targeted educational program for the child, determine the pace of further development, the “zone of proximal development.” The value of this method is that the researcher, within a relatively short period of time, can study the characteristics and possibilities of a child’s development, creating special conditions for such study.

The most important types of observation in the psychological study of a child are observation of play, behavior, communication and performance status. Observing the play of abnormal children as a method of study can be used for various purposes. The presence of gaming material creates a relaxed atmosphere and helps

S. N. Shakhovskaya, R. Lalaeva. “Logopathopsychology: textbook”

establish contact with the child, include him in activities of interest to him, analyze the possibilities of understanding speech. Starting the examination by observing the child’s play, you can, having won him over to yourself and the situation, gradually and imperceptibly move on to experimental tasks. Thus, the use of the method of observing a child’s play prepares the possibility of using the experimental method.

4. Conversation method. A conversation is a method of collecting facts about mental phenomena in the process of personal communication according to a specially designed program. When studying abnormal children, the conversation method is used in 2 directions: a conversation with parents (teachers, educators) in order to collect anamnestic data and a conversation with the child in order to establish contact with him and draw up a general idea about his development. The conversation method is used to determine the child’s orientation in the surrounding space and time (range of ideas, the possibility of generalizations), characteristics and motives of the child’s behavior, attitude towards family and school, causes of difficulties in learning, inclinations, interests, attitude towards his defect, i.e. the conversation gives some idea about the level of cognitive activity and personality traits. The content of the conversation varies depending on the complaints of the parents and the child, the age of the child and his individual characteristics. When studying the characteristics of the mental development of abnormal children, the conversation method is most often used as a starting point for initial acquaintance, or as one of the auxiliary methods in studying the characteristics of the personality development of an abnormal child. Establishing contact with the child depends on the ability to correctly construct a conversation, which prepares for the examination with the help of special tasks.

The program of conversation with an anomalous child should be built taking into account the characteristics of the reception and processing of information by abnormal children, as well as taking into account possible manifestations of speech negativism, which often occurs in children with severe speech pathology. The conversation should be informal and confidential, facilitating the emergence of an emotionally positive contact between the psychologist and the child. This is important because many abnormal children have accumulated negative experiences with adults. The use of observation and conversation methods prepares the possibility of using the experimental method.

5. Experimental method. The experimental method involves collecting facts under specially simulated conditions that ensure the active manifestation of the phenomena being studied. It can be used to study various types of children’s activities, identify the characteristics of their personality development and learning opportunities.

Modeling consists in the fact that the experimenter organizes the implementation of the actions being studied in unusual, somewhat artificial conditions for the child.

A common point in all experiments is that the child is asked, according to certain instructions, to complete a task that is a model of ordinary intellectual or some other activity.

Experiments conducted with abnormal children have their own specifics. First of all, it consists in the fact that the content of the tasks should be accessible and interesting to the child. In addition, the presentation of the model itself must be done in a special way. In most cases, the task is offered in a game form; this applies to children of both preschool and school age. When working with school-age children, experimental material is presented in the form of an educational task, but in such cases the motivation for the task can be changed. For example, if it is necessary to study the features of the mediation of visual images, a “pictogram” task is proposed with the motivation to test memory using drawings, etc.

Thus, the simulated mental act or process must be translated in an experiment into a differently motivated, simple, understandable anomalous

Basic methodological principles of special psychology. Basic principles of special psychology Basic specific methodological principles of special psychology

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