Mental retardation (MPD) is not considered a gross violation. Children with mental retardation develop more slowly than their peers, they are inattentive and poorly perceive new material, have low cognitive activity. Pathology manifests itself in physical and mental slowness, poor memory, low communication skills. Given these features, one thing is clear - a child with mental retardation cannot meet standard general educational requirements. At the same time, almost all forms of delay are compensated as the child grows up, so the diagnosis makes it possible to study in ordinary general education schools (under the program of correctional classes for children with mental retardation).
Mental retardation in children
ZPR manifests itself in several variants, each of which has its own characteristics, forecast and dynamics. With a delay of constitutional origin, the delay is determinedheredity, that is, the child repeats the development of the father or mother. With this diagnosis, a seven-year-old child is usually at the level of 4-5 years. Such students are characterized by a favorable prognosis under the condition of pedagogical influence. The delay is compensated by 10-12 years.
ZPR of somatogenic origin is caused by long-term chronic diseases, neuropsychic weakness of the brain, etc. Children are born in he althy families, and the delay appears due to diseases suffered in early childhood (chronic infections, allergies). Such students have pronounced symptoms in the form of decreased performance, headaches, increased fatigue, poor memory, and attention is held for a very short time. With preserved intellect, the emotional sphere is characterized by immaturity.
Psychogenic delay is typical for children with normal physical development and he alth. The lag in learning and development is associated with flaws in education, adverse conditions that disrupt the normal development of the child's personality. Often such students grow up in disadvantaged families, suffer from parental abuse or overprotection. This leads to mental instability, lack of initiative, lag in intellectual development.
Delay of cerebro-organic origin is caused by persistent local destruction of brain structures due to maternal diseases during pregnancy, oxygen starvation of the fetus, prematurity, intrauterine infection andetc. Mental operations in children of this group are close in terms of productivity to children with oligophrenia. Such students acquire knowledge fragmentarily, there is an immaturity of the emotional sphere. Children with mental retardation of cerebro-organic origin need comprehensive assistance from a psychologist, defectologist and physician.
Difficulties in teaching special children
Mental retardation can be noticed by parents even before school age. Typically, such children begin to walk later, pronounce the first words later, are not very active in the cognitive process, and do not establish good contact with their peers. Most adults attribute these features to the individual pace of development of the child and character traits. All children really develop in different ways, so small deviations from age norms should not cause concern. Teaching such children as part of the general educational process will fully reveal the existing mental problems.
By the age of 6-7, children already show attentiveness and purposefulness, are able to manage mental operations and rely on previous experience in the learning process, use abstract-logical thinking. For schoolchildren with an immature psyche, the general education system will be too complicated. Usually, a child with mental retardation experiences the greatest difficulties with the development of his native and foreign languages, mathematics. It is impossible to master writing without sufficient development of oral speech, and in order to understand mathematics, a child must know such concepts as comparison, form, quantity, size.
Delayed learning for childrendevelopment
In the process of teaching wards with mental retardation (the program of correctional work for children fully takes into account these features), it is necessary to develop cognitive activity, correct emotional and personal qualities, promote the social adaptation of the child, and increase the overall level of intellectual development. This should be taken into account by parents and other adults who introduce the child to the outside world, some fundamental concepts, teach at home and help with homework.
Many public schools have remedial classes, the program of which provides for the successful education of children with similar disabilities. Typically, the number of students in such groups does not exceed ten to twelve people. This creates a comfortable environment for children with mental retardation, who have poor contact with peers and do not have time in class. For the teacher, a small class size allows for individual attention.
Special children in regular school
Currently, a program of correctional work for children with mental retardation of varying severity is being implemented in eight types of special schools. In order to exclude making diagnoses in the details of these schools, they are mentioned in legal documents by serial number: type I - for deaf children, type II - for hearing-impaired and late-deaf children, type III - for blind children, type IV - for visually impaired children, V type - for children with speech disorders, VI type - for children with disabilitiesof the musculoskeletal system, type VII - for children with difficulties (mild mental retardation), type VIII - for children with mental retardation.
Serious correctional work is being carried out in such institutions with children with mental retardation, the task of which is to develop such students, enrich them with knowledge about the world around them, instill in them observation and attentiveness, experience in practical generalization, and form the ability to independently acquire knowledge and use them to solve various problems. In correctional boarding schools, children can stay around the clock, they have their own doctors, teachers are engaged not only in education, but also in the physical development of children.
Modern doctors, psychologists and defectologists with extensive practical experience recognize that the most promising direction is the social adaptation of children with mental retardation. In special institutions, such students interact only with children with the same problem, but never learn to communicate with their usual peers. A special approach is really needed for children with mental retardation, but the attitude should be the same as for children with normal development.
Thus, it was decided to allow the upbringing and education of children with mental retardation in ordinary comprehensive schools. At the same time, the line of integration should go through correction at the early stages (in preschool educational institutions and primary grades), and in parallel with general education, a correction block should function. A correctional program for children with mental retardation should provide for filling gapsprevious learning, normalization and improvement of cognitive activity, increasing the efficiency of students, overcoming the negative features of the emotional sphere.
Stages of psychological and pedagogical support
The program of correctional and developmental classes for children with mental retardation is formed during the successive passage of several stages of psychological and pedagogical support. At the stage of preparatory work, diagnostics and the formation of a data bank on children with disabilities are carried out, medical specialists are assisted in identifying children with mental retardation, a comprehensive diagnosis of the child, and so on. The features of the individual development of the future student, the state of he alth, the conditions of education, the atmosphere in the family, and so on are studied. The teacher is engaged in diagnostics with the involvement of a teacher-psychologist who maintains a map of observations. Features of the development of the future student are considered at an intra-school meeting. The child may be referred to the PMPK, where he will be given an accurate diagnosis.
Further, parents are consulted on further teaching methods and prospects, expected results. A defectologist or educational psychologist conducts a conversation on issues of further education and explains the need for corrective work with the child. Questionnaires, open days, joint events are organized. The psychologist also provides assistance to teachers working with children with mental retardation (recommendations are provided, preparation of a package of documents necessary for working with special children). At this stage, the compilationindividual correctional program for a child with mental retardation.
At the stage of correctional and developmental work, both in the classroom and in extracurricular activities, individual psychological and pedagogical support of the child is provided, taking into account individual characteristics. Groups are formed on the basis of observations of children and diagnostic results. For children with mental retardation, a correction program (parents' feedback on teaching children with developmental disabilities in general education schools confirms that this gives better results than if the child studied in a special school) can be drawn up both individually and in groups.
To overcome problems in the development of students, consultations are held, conversations are held for teachers of correctional classes, a stand of useful information from a psychologist is regularly updated. Intermediate and final diagnostics of students' achievements are carried out to determine the further program of correctional and developmental classes for children with mental retardation. Diagnostics includes an analysis of the success of mastering the program in various subjects, as well as a study of the state of children in school conditions (adaptation can last from 1.5-4 months to 1-1.5 years).
Correction work system
Any correctional program for children with mental retardation consists of four main blocks: the development and improvement of communication skills, the development of mental and speech activity, the development of mental activity, the development of spatial representations. Only an integrated approach to teaching special children will lead to success andleveling off the pace of development.
In the course of developing and improving communication skills, it is necessary to teach the child to master the means of communication, to form attitudes towards a friendly attitude towards peers and adults, successful interaction, to achieve positive relations with others (the child must be able to correctly express his opinion and attitude towards the interlocutor, listen to comrades, do not interrupt elders), form a positive image of one's own "I". The development of speech and mental activity involves the expansion of vocabulary, the acquisition of knowledge about the world around us, which can help improve social skills, the formation of developed monologue and dialogic speech (the ability to express one’s thoughts, observing the rules of communication), the formation of basic mental operations (comparisons, analysis, generalizations).
The child must learn to work according to the model and instructions, to regulate their behavior in educational and life situations. Skills of control over their activities are instilled, mastering the actions of control and evaluation, and so on. The development of spatial representations involves the mastery of spatial orientation (in the room and in a notebook), the assimilation of basic educational concepts, the formation of the ability to distinguish geometric shapes, manipulate images, making mental transformations: dismemberment into parts, rotation, connecting parts into a single whole, and so on.
Recommendations for programming
Option 7.1 of the program of correctional work for children with mental retardation provides that work will be carried out with children who, in terms of the level of psychophysical development, are close to the age norm, but in the educational process they face difficulties in arbitrary self-regulation. Such children require a special approach, they learn the material more slowly and achieve results longer, but by the time they move to the middle level, they usually level out in development with their peers.
The high efficiency of the implementation of the correctional program of the defectologist for children with mental retardation is ensured by the gradual complication of tasks and the conduct of classes with material that is close to the main educational program. It should be borne in mind that teaching children with mental retardation requires the use of game methods, work methods that include an element of competition. A good technique is the introduction of a system of rewards and pen alties. This contributes to the education of organization.
It is necessary to alternate sedentary and mobile methods of work, more often conduct physical education sessions, alternate oral and written work. This will give children the opportunity to distribute energy, and also helps to relieve fatigue, increase concentration and efficiency. It is important to use simple exercises to test attention (questions like: "Who heard the task - show your thumb").
The lesson outline includes an introduction, the main content of the lesson and the final stage. At the introduction stage, a greeting is required, which sets the children up for successful interaction with the teacher,discussion of the news (children can discuss the difficulties that arose when doing homework, the results obtained, assess their mood verbally or in points, recall the content of the previous lesson, and so on), a communicative game (carried out to increase the energy resource and form a positive mood).
The main stage is aimed at the formation and development of the main list of functions that are necessary when mastering the educational material. Usually, tasks are first offered aimed at developing spatial representations, then speech and thinking develop, and homework is given. At the final stage, a relaxation exercise and a communicative game are carried out, which contributes to the relaxation of children and forms a positive attitude towards the lesson as a whole. The features of the correctional and developmental program for children with mental retardation are precisely in the sequential transition and the allocation of additional time for the correction of mental skills and memorization of material.
Results of the program for children of five to seven years old
As a result of the implementation of the program of correctional work for children with mental retardation (parental feedback confirms that special children with the help of a qualified teacher and psychologist develop practically in accordance with the target guidelines), it is envisaged that the student will achieve certain success in the field of speech development, artistic, socio-communicative, cognitive, physical.
Planned implementation progressprograms
Planned achievements in speech development are as follows:
- understanding the meaning of individual sentences and coherent speech;
- understanding different word forms;
- learning new words;
- understanding of phrases, constructions with prepositions, diminutive suffixes, differentiation of plural and singular;
- correct formation of nouns with diminutive suffixes;
- correct pronunciation of sounds;
- use basic types of speech, rhythm and tempo, normal pauses.
Within the framework of social and communicative development, the following results of following the correctional program for children with mental retardation are expected:
- manifestation of independence in the game and communication;
- selection of activities, participants in group activities, sustainable interaction with children;
- participation in a group activity;
- the ability to accurately convey information to the interlocutor;
- the ability to cooperate during the game, regulate their own behavior;
- use of knowledge acquired during educational activities;
- the desire for independence and the manifestation of a certain independence from an adult.
Expected cognitive outcomes:
- ability to generalize objects and concepts into groups;
- the presence of ideas about the size, quantity, shape, the ability to express them in speech;
- the ability to name objects and their parts from pictures;
- the ability to show the named actions in pictures;
- useverbal accompaniment, planning activities or reporting in the process of activities;
- holding a score within ten;
- the ability to construct from different materials (with the help of an adult);
- the ability to determine the seasons and parts of the day;
- the ability to determine geometric shapes and bodies, the location of objects relative to oneself;
- creating subject and plot compositions from material according to a model, conditions, scheme.
In the artistic and aesthetic segment of the correctional program for children with mental retardation, the following successes are expected to be achieved:
- the presence of elementary ideas about different types of art;
- emotional perception of music, literature, folklore;
- carving skills;
- knowledge of basic colors and shades, the ability to mix them;
- showing interest in art;
- pronunciation of all words while singing;
- composing melodies of various nature;
- the ability to convey the character of music through movement.
As part of successful physical development, the following results are achieved:
- performing basic exercises and movements as instructed by adults;
- doing different types of running;
- knowledge of the rules of outdoor games, games with elements of sports;
- ownership of the basic rules in the formation of good habits, physical activity, nutrition;
- maintaining the set pace while walking and so on.
Expected outcomes are for students ages five to seven. Correctional development althe program for children with mental retardation (on January 24, 2017, the news appeared that babies with such a diagnosis would no longer be sent to special institutions) of younger age sets other tasks, is implemented not in general education schools, but in correctional groups of preschool educational institutions or at home.
What parents need to know
Parents of children with a delay should understand that this is not a gross violation, it's just that the child is a little more difficult to learn new material, he needs more time and attention. The requirements for the student must be reasonable, in no case should you overestimate his capabilities for the sake of your desires. It is necessary to accept the abilities and level of development of the child, to agree with this, realizing that quick results are possible only due to a deterioration in the state of he alth and an imbalance in the emotional balance. In order for a child to catch up with their peers, you need to show patience, attentiveness, love, endurance and confidence. Perhaps a student with mental retardation is unusually talented in another area. What creates a situation of success for him (creativity, music, dancing, sports, drawing) is support and development.
