Psychological and pedagogical characteristics of students with moderate mental retardation as the basis for determining areas of pedagogical work

Contact: Khokhlina Оlena Petrivna, Doctor of Science of Psychology, Professor, Professor of the Department of Aviation Psychology of the National Aviation University, Kyiv, Ukraine;

In psychological and pedagogical science and practice, the most attention is paid to a large category of people with intellectual disabilities - people with mild mental retardation. At the present stage of development of the theory and practice of education in Ukraine, with the spread of the global trend of humanistic attitudes of society towards persons with special needs, the possibility of teaching these children in various educational institutions, the problem of peculiarities of the pedagogical process regarding children with moderate mental retardation has become urgent. The article presents the results of a theoretical study aimed at determining the content lines of pedagogical work, taking into account the psychological and pedagogical characteristics of persons with moderate mental retardation - features of the development of cognitive and personal spheres, communication, practical activities and self-care, on the corresponding features and possibilities of pedagogical influence. It was determined that the special organization of the pedagogical process should be carried out primarily in terms of education, development and promotion of their social and household adaptation and be based mainly on training: on the show, using visual supports, copying (repetition, imitation). The main directions of pedagogical work with moderately mentally retarded students are as follows: 1) training social skills under domestic conditions: hygienic; self-catering and domestic; safe behavior at home, etc .; 2) training social welfare skills outside home; rules of safe behavior when communicating with strangers; behavior in the "when lost" situation; 3) the formation of communication skills, emotional and volitional and personal sphere; 4) the development of the cognitive and motor sphere as a prerequisite for learning and performing labor activities; 5) the formation of elementary training skills (reading, writing, counting) and work skills.

Key words: students with moderate mental retardation, psychological and pedagogical characteristics of students, meaningful areas of educational work.