Cand. Sci. (Psychology), Associate Professor of the Department of Complex Correction of Child Development Disorders, Irkutsk State University, Irkutsk, Russian Federation
Background. In modern inclusive education, the need to explore opportunities for preserving and strengthening the cognitive health of children with varying levels of speech development becomes particularly important. Special attention is paid to children with speech disorders who do not fall under the category of disabilities, but who experience difficulties in perceiving information and assimilating programs. Polymodal perception, being a basic cognitive function, is closely related to a child’s speech and mental development. It is important to note that older preschool age is the most favorable period for the correction of these processes due to the neuroplasticity of the brain. That is why the development of preventive and rehabilitation measures aimed at strengthening interanalytical connections and the integration of sensory modalities is becoming an important area for improving the quality of education and speech therapy.
Objective. The study examines the functional state of polymodal perception and the possibilities of its psycho-regulation in the educational process among older preschool children in an inclusive environment.
Sample. The study involved 349 children aged 6–7 from kindergartens in the Irkutsk region, with both typical and impaired speech development.
Methods. To assess speech and characterize speech development, a methodology based on the guidelines of O.B. Inshakova (Inshakova, 2022) was used. The diagnostics of polymodal perception by I.Yu. Murashova (Murashova, 2018) were applied, identifying the dominant modality, the degree of activity in non-dominant modalities, and the child’s functional individual profile of polymodal perception: Harmonious (sufficient interaction between dominant and subdominant modalities in the perception process, creating a complete polymodal image); Disharmonious-selective (with selective emphasis on the dominant modality); Disharmonious-inert (with fixation on the dominant modality).
Results. The study examined the features of polymodal perception in older preschoolers with different levels of speech development in inclusive education. At the ascertaining stage, disharmonies in the structure of perception were revealed, which served as the basis for the formative experiment. Experimental training was aimed at psychoregulation of perception through the creation of a special information environment without changing the program content. The essence of creating an information educational environment was that monomodal and multisensory methods of information presentation were used in the classroom instead of traditional verbal methods. The results of the control stage showed that without targeted impact, compensation for violations is weak. At the same time, the high effectiveness of rehabilitation measures aimed at strengthening children’s cognitive health through strengthening the integrative activity of sensory modalities has been proven.
Conclusions. Data were obtained on the holistic structure of polymodal perception in children aged 6–7, both under typical conditions and in cases of speech development pathogenesis. The developed approaches contribute to a more successful development of educational programs and increase the effectiveness of speech therapy. The study has important practical significance, since the proposed methods can be used in preschool educational institutions to support children with speech development problems.
Background. The article highlights the problem of communication and socialization of older preschool children with severe speech impairments and with normal speech development, attending preparatory groups of combined kindergartens for school. In recent years, in kindergartens, groups of a combined orientation that are inclusive are increasingly functioning, which necessitates the search for effective ways of psychological and pedagogical work.
Objectives. The purpose of the work is to study the state of communication of preschoolers 6–7 years old with severe speech impairments in comparison with peers with normal speech development, in relation to indicators of their socialization in inclusive educational conditions.
Sample. In total, the study involved 60 children aged 6–7 years who attended preparatory groups of a combined orientation of Irkutsk kindergarten No. 153. Of these, 30 preschoolers had normal speech development and the same number with severe speech impairments.
Methods. The following methods were used in the study: “Studying communication and the nature of interpersonal relationships” (Aizman et al., 1994); the method of expert scale assessment of the development of social forms of behavior in older preschoolers by A.M. Shchetinina and L.V. Kirs (Shchetinina, 2000).
Results. It was found that children aged 6–7 years with speech disorders have significantly lower communication and socialization rates than their peers with normal speech ontogenesis. It was shown that studying the level of communication of preschool children can serve both as a reliable indicator of their preschool socialization and a basis for determining the conditions of psychological support for children with severe speech disorders in an inclusive environment.
Conclusions. Data were obtained on the communication of preschoolers studying in inclusive conditions. Firstly, the constant communication of 6–7-year-old children with normal speech development with peers with severe speech disorders in conditions of inclusion does not influence their communicative and social development. Secondly, despite the fact that severe speech disorders in children aged 6-7 years cause imperfection in the formation of communication skills and, in general, their socialization, an increase in the frequency of communication with peers has a positive effect on their social development for all preschoolers.