System of Psychological Support for Education of Children with Mental Development Delay

Introduction. The paper discusses the issues of psychological support for children with Mental Development Delay (MDD) who represent the majority of school children in the inclusive educational environment. The novelty of the study lies in describing the main types and fields of professional activities of educational psychologists and in constructing an integrated system of the differentiated psychological support for education of this category of children, taking into account variability in their developmental levels at the beginning of formal schooling. Theoretical Basis. This section provides the methodological foundations for the study, including (a) the basic provisions of psychology of children with special needs and correctional pedagogy, based on Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory; (b) the socio-cultural approach to the analysis of development of educational practice and to the implementation of objectives of psychology of children with special needs at each stage of the development of education for children with disabilities; and (c) the methodology of psychological support for the educational process. The authors (a) described modern approaches to the organization of psychological support for children with MDD and its objectives under modernization of the educational system and (b) analyzed the necessary content and conditions for education of primary school children aimed at meeting their special educational needs. Results and Discussion. The authors consider psychological support for children with MDD as a systematic realization of the main types of an educational psychologist's professional activity. Types of this activity are differentiated according to the major goals of modern educational practice and contribute to successful learning and development of every child. The main objectives of such support are as follows: (a) identification, and prevention or elimination of the imbalance between kids' education and development, taking into account their individual abilities; (b) correction of secondary developmental disorders manifested in cognitive, emotional, and socio-behavioral spheres; and (c) creation of conditions for socio-psychological adaptation of the child's personality. The authors described various types of an educational psychologist's professional responsibilities, including diagnostic, correctional and developmental, expert and consultative activities. The paper concludes with the provision of criteria for assessing the effectiveness of psychological support.