All articles

Background. Cognitive impairments are common in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and do not necessarily correspond to motor severity, supporting the need for targeted correction programs.

Objective. To evaluate changes in cognitive and emotional functioning after a comprehensive psychological correction program and examine associations between CP type and psychological functioning.

Sample. Eighty-eight children with CP were assessed. Fifty-one children (mean age 12.510 ± 3.184 years; 27 boys, 24 girls) completed the full rehabilitation program. Data from 37 children (12.730 ± 3.477 years; 20 boys, 17 girls) who did not complete all procedures were used in secondary analyses.

Methods. The 21-day inpatient program combined neuropsychological correction targeting attention, executive/regulatory, and visuospatial functions with biofeedback training. Pre- and post-program assessment included the Schulte Tables, Choice Reaction task, complex figure copying, and measures of anxiety and fears. Motor impairment was classified using the Gross Motor Function Classification System.
Wilcoxon, Kruskal–Wallis, and Spearman tests were used.

Results. At follow-up, children completed the Schulte Tables faster, performed better on complex figure copying, made fewer Choice Reaction errors (all p < .001), and reported fewer fears (p = .018). Improvements were most evident in executive/regulatory and visuospatial indicators. Anxiety did not change significantly. Children with left-sided hemiparesis had greater difficulty learning task instructions (p < .001). Motor severity was not associated with cognitive indicators.

Conclusion. The findings provide preliminary evidence of improvement in executive/regulatory and visuospatial functioning after the program and support individualized rehabilitation. The psychotherapeutic component requires further refinement.

The article is of a theoretical pattern and summarizes the scientific statements and research of recent studies. The theoretical provisions and the program document, which substantiate the content and guide of the development of special preschool education are presented.

The relevance of the article consists in the analysis of modern preschool education for children with cerebral palsy. The article describes the mental and physical characteristics of children with cerebral palsy of preschool age, which indicate special educational needs and the need for special correctional and developmental work. The provisions on the psychodiagnostics of children with cerebral palsy are given; the principles for drawing up an individual educational route are shown. On the basis of materials of Russian studies and recommendations, the variants of educational programs that are prescribed for children with disorders of the musculoskeletal system of various severity are presented. The article also contains material on the international experience for organization of preschool education for children with cerebral palsy. Using the example of Polish preschool education, an approach is shown that includes general and special technologies and directions for teaching children. On the basis of the regulations on education in the United States, the organizational and pedagogical conditions for preschool children with cerebral palsy are shown. The author of the article considers individual educational plans that regulate the upbringing and education of children with special educational needs. The article presents a North American study that found a correlation between the mobility of children and their socialization. The results of this study and practical recommendations are presented: the overall social activity of a child in a group depends on his/her motor abilities and the development of interaction (as communication skills and interaction with other children). In conclusion, based on a comparative analysis, the similarity of the scientific positions in Russia and other countries regarding the content of preschool education for children with cerebral palsy is shown. The role of preschool institutions in the development and socialization of children with cerebral palsy has been substantiated.

Article deals with the diagnostic tests which determine the structure of a handicap in children with locomotor disorders. Data about what is characteristic for children of this category is given. It is specified that permanent psychological, medical and pedagogical support is required for inclusive education and the inclusion of a child with locomotor disorders (including cerebral palsy) in a general education group. Necessary support is identified within their individual rehabilitation program and determined by special educational needs. The findings of research on identifying the special conditions for the inclusive education of children with locomotor disorders are provided. It is stressed that people with locomotor disorders need to be differentiated into three groups in order to choose their educational route. The first group includes children who may be encouraged to receive education in terms of inclusion. The second group includes children to whom preschool education in groups oriented towards compensation is recommended. The third group includes children who should receive preschool education in short-stay groups. The article also gives the general special education needs of children with locomotor disorders, and the individual needs, which typical of certain groups of children with locomotor disorders. Individual special educational needs are divided into three levels: minimum, medium, maximum.