Havrylov O. - To the question of the severe degree of violation of intellectual development

Contact: Havrilov Oleksiy, PhD in of Psihological Sciences, Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Speech Therapy and Special Techniques of Kamyanets-Podilsky Ivan Ohienko National University, Kamyanets-Podilsky, Ukraine. Academic interests: features of the development of cognitive and emotional-volitional spheres of children with speech disorders; methods of education of children with speech and intellectual disorders.

The article analyzes the peculiarities of theтpsychophysical development of children with severe intellectual disabilities. In Ukraine, there are four degrees of persistent intellectual development disorders, and one of the conditions for assigning a child to one of them is the determination of the intellectual quotient (IQ) based on conducting standardized tests of mental abilities. However, at the same time, the quantitative determination of the degree of intellectual disability does not reflect the entire structure of the disorder and the features of clinical manifestations. Emphasis is placed on such mental processes as thinking, speech, attention, memory, perception, and reflection. Particular attention is focused on these children's emotional and motivational spheres and the development of the motor and kinesthetic spheres. At the same time, their psychophysical development directly affects the formation of socially valuable behavioral qualities and the formation of their sphere. The problems that exist in psychophysical development and that are caused by significant negative organic influences have a direct impact on the educational process,on the process of transmitting socially significant information, and, accordingly, its receipt by  children with a severe degree of intellectual impairment. Organizing the educational process for children with severe intellectual disabilities, like for those with neurotypical development, is practically impossible. However, at the same time, the training conducted with them gives positive results in their development, allowing them to form the skills and habits necessary in the social environment. It positively affects their psychophysical development, improving it and making it, to a certain extent, appropriate to the social conditions in which such a person will live. Nevertheless, they cannot live independently.

Keywords: severe degree of intellectual impairment, psychophysical development, intellectual coefficient, special educational process.