When my child turned 2 years old, he first went to a regular evangelical kindergarten. After some time, the kindergarten decided to retrain. The state issued subsidies for those kindergartens that were integrated into the regular program and into groups of healthy children and mentally or physically retarded children. The teachers had to undergo some additional training to be able to deal with sick children, and everything went as smoothly as before the integration of sick children. I was happy because children perceive life without any prejudices or preconceptions. It would be great if a child grew up with the understanding that sick people are part of our society.

Next year my child starts school, and I start having new problems. Not without surprise, I learned that the European Parliament, back in the late 90s, decided that mentally retarded children have the right to education in regular, comprehensive schools. And here I first stumbled over my tolerance.

Kindergarten is a wonderful thing and basic for subsequent social life at school. But there, in kindergarten, you don’t yet need to learn physics and mathematics, do homework and work for your future. Daily play for the physical and mental development of a kindergarten cannot be compared with what happens at school.

It seems to me that it is necessary to fundamentally distinguish between the program for mentally retarded children and the program for healthy children, as well as the approach to different groups, because if the problems of sick children are added to the problems of a “normal” school, it will be sweet, but without thorough preparation, no one will be happy.

As a child, I suffered greatly at school from those who disrupted lessons or studied very poorly. Schooling was very easy for me. I managed to do my homework during breaks or immediately at the end of the lesson, read quickly, and grasped the material on the go. In other words, I was bored at school. Mom was very afraid for me and asked me not to stick my head out, to sit quietly and quietly, even if I knew more than the rest. There was no question of skipping at least one class. I already went to school at the age of 6. In addition, my mother was very afraid that I would not be able to cope with the program of a higher grade, or that older children would treat me badly, etc.

Meanwhile, those who did not keep up with the school curriculum really dragged everyone to the bottom. Teachers spent most of their academic hours trying to calm down the lagging children - it’s no secret that it was the poor students who always broke the roof. (Now I’m smart and I understand that these were just children who did not find the right approach! Children who wanted to attract attention to themselves did not want to feel like the dregs of society.)

When the topic of dividing classes based on academic performance was raised at a school-wide parent meeting, the mother of one poor student began to fight in hysterics and shout that the General Secretary of the CPSU would reach out to all activists who wanted to send her underachieving child to a class with the same underachievers to be sent to prison. At the same time, the teachers themselves proposed a system according to which lagging children, if they were successful, would be transferred to a more successful class. No, I understand parents - who wants to get hit in the face with the fact that the child is not very capable and needs an individual approach. But on the other hand, it’s better to be the best among your peers than the worst among the highly advanced. And after school, no one would know whether it was a special class or something else.

The idea of ​​dividing children according to their performance and preparing an education program according to their abilities did not take root in our secondary school.

The Germans have such an education system, divided by ability, that has been working for a very long time, and has its pros and cons. After primary school, children are given a sentence: they are assigned to different schools according to their abilities. Parents have the right to appeal this verdict and send their child to the school they consider most suitable. My parents were unable to appeal the school commission’s verdict at the time. When we arrived in Germany, my little sisters didn't speak German! Of course, they were sent to school with a basic education and a year younger: so that at least they would not strain themselves on the material, but would learn the language. A year later, the middle sister was transferred to a gymnasium - she is now a social teacher. The younger sister was also transferred a year later, but to a regular high school - she is now an architect, defending the master this year.

What schools are there in Germany?
Sonderschule(special school): a school for mentally retarded children or children with other disabilities (mainly speech, hearing and vision)
Hauptschule(basic education school): a school for children with low academic achievements and often children with a migration background.
Realschule(comprehensive school): a secondary school where you can receive an education comparable to Russian school education up to the 8th grade. After graduation, children need to enroll in another school if they want to become applicants and receive higher education.
Gesamtschule(secondary school): a secondary school where you can get an applicant.
Gymnasium(gymnasium): a school with increased requirements and a more complex program, a larger number of subjects, etc.

In addition, there are a number of alternative, mostly private schools. For example, boarding schools, private schools, including those with the Maria Montessori method of education, Waldorf schools, Catholic and Evangelical schools, separate gymnasiums for boys and girls, etc.

Now we are increasingly hearing voices at the government level that children who end up in special schools and basic education schools are deprived of any future: they are not accepted for further studies, they are deprived of all hope, and they are raised to become potential unemployed. That, they say, it would be necessary to unite all schools into one, so that there would only be secondary schools or gymnasiums. Those. the Soviet version of education, when those who do not want or simply cannot study disrupt lessons and drive teachers to their knees. And now imagine that to these problems of a “normal” school will be added the problems of children who entered a regular school from a special school...

The law of the European Parliament in the late 90s that mentally retarded children have the right to attend regular schools greatly plays into the hands of supporters of merging different school education systems into one. They don't want to look closely at mistakes or weak points in the education of special schools and to improve something there, they want, as they did in the Soviet Union, to place a poor student next to an excellent student, so that the latter would push the former on the shoulder and copy from him.

And I realized that I would not want my child to study in the same class with a mentally retarded child for whom the teacher spends additional money, instead of concentrating on the general program for healthy children. A sick child needs a special approach, period.

For some reason, it seems to me that teaching mentally retarded children in a regular school, where their problems and level of perception of information are completely ignored, is a real disservice to both the sick child and the teacher.

A teacher who needs to cope with a class of 20-30 healthy children climbs the wall in the evening. But what about cases where sick children must be placed in such classes?

What do you think about this? How do they solve such problems in Russia? Has the school education system changed?

According to “popular” statistics, only 10% of graduates will find their place in life: get a job, create a normal family, and become responsible parents. Vagrancy, drunkenness, drugs await the rest. Elena Lyubovina, deputy director of the Absolut-Help Charitable Foundation, talks about how to influence these statistics.

Along with the summer weather comes the season of graduations and celebrations. Government agencies, charitable foundations, and volunteers from commercial companies are massively invited to last calls and ceremonial tea parties.

A few days ago, the Absolute Help charity foundation awarded the best graduates of correctional boarding schools in the Moscow region. A modern assembly hall, balloons, pleasant music, a thoughtful script, the right words, useful gifts, beautifully dressed children. This is how school graduates are usually escorted into adulthood - a life in which there are plans and dreams.

They reward everyone, call their last name, invite them to the stage, shake hands, say something important, look them in the eyes. The heart is pounding with excitement and the importance of the moment. You are the best, you are needed, you are great! You are one of two hundred excellent and good students from 64 correctional institutions in the Moscow region (55 schools for children with mental retardation and mental retardation), where another 8.5 thousand children live and study. Children without parental care, disabled children, children from low-income, disadvantaged and foster families.

Using the example of a certain category of children from a separate region of Russia, we want to show the situation from the inside, facts and figures, interviews with children and teachers, and expert comments. To acquaint readers with the results of interim monitoring of post-boarding residence of graduates of correctional schools in the Moscow region.

According to “popular” statistics, only 10% of graduates will find their place in life: get a job, create a normal family, and become responsible parents. Their classmates will take a different path: vagrancy, drunkenness, drugs, problems with the police, the birth of unwanted children, and years later inevitable death. Is this really so, is it possible to influence the situation and is there a way out?

A few weeks before the graduation party, videographer Mikhail Levchuk and I recorded an interview with students of the Novopetrovsk correctional boarding school for children with mental retardation.

Life after boarding school for children with mental retardation

Graduates of correctional institutions of the VIII type (with mental retardation) receive a certificate of completion of a boarding school and, instead of the state final certification (GIA), take a final labor exam. Officially, the child finishes 9 grades, but in fact he masters the 5-6 grade program of a comprehensive school.

Communicating with teachers, speech pathologists, social workers and children, it becomes obvious that 1/3 of the pupils have a moderate degree of mental retardation, 2/3 of the children have mild mental retardation.

In the next 2-3 years after graduation, most of the children will go to study and live in a dormitory at a lyceum (vocational school). The choice of professions is small: seamstress, plasterer-painter, mechanic, landscaper, although the list of professions recommended by the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation for children with mental retardation is much wider (more than 100 items). Now it depends only on the children themselves whether they will be able to obtain a more in-demand profession: to do this, they need to independently graduate from evening school and pass the GIA, and then enroll in another specialty or college.

By this time, the matured graduate truly enters into an independent life. Someone will be given a disability and receive benefits, someone will return to their parents (natural or adopted), someone will receive separate housing from the state.

Post-boarding accommodation for graduates

In May, the Absolut-Help Charitable Foundation conducted a monitoring of correctional institutions for post-boarding accommodation for graduates of 2011-2015. This data is necessary to build a support system and further support for children with mental retardation who are left without parental care. More than 60 correctional institutions were surveyed according to the following criteria: social status, place of further study, place of work, marital status/children, criminal record, mortality. Data for 2011-2015 were provided by 39 schools. For 2012-2014 1,802 people left correctional boarding schools, 1,584 of them entered vocational schools, 218 people did not undergo further education (due to disability and personal choice). At this time, almost all the children who entered the schools continue their education, living in dormitories at lyceums and being under the care of the state. To identify the problems that arise when graduates live independently, a cross-section of data for earlier periods (2000-2011) is needed.

In 2011, 433 children graduated, including: orphans and children without parental care (132), children from foster families and under guardianship (25), children from blood families (276). 89 people have disabilities. 328 children received primary vocational education in lyceums and vocational schools at the place of distribution. 144 people have/had permanent/temporary jobs in the following specialties: loader, laborer, janitor, gas station operator, construction crew worker, store salesperson, landscaper, seamstress, advertising distributor, nurse. List of companies where graduates work/have worked: Russian Railways, McDonald's, Nestlé, AUCHAN, housing and communal services, gas stations, construction stores, sewing workshops, private farms. 2 people served in the Russian Army.

Information about personal life, birth of children, criminal record and mortality was provided by 14 institutions that actively cooperate with the Absolut-Help Foundation. 44 people are in an official or civil marriage, 5 children died, 6 people have a criminal record, 25 children were born in an official or civil marriage, 16 children out of wedlock are raised by single mothers.

The answers include the following phrases: “temporarily unemployed,” “is on maternity leave to care for a child,” “lives in a civil marriage,” “employed while serving a prison sentence,” “departed from his place of registration to another region.”

This data does not reveal the real picture; it is formal and often impersonal. But the first step has been taken and the survey needs to be finalized and verified.

Personal opinion

The bulk of pupils in correctional institutions are so-called “social orphans” from dysfunctional families. Parents are in prison, taking drugs, drinking. When it comes to such children, our ideas and feelings work in a pattern. What appears before your eyes is an inadequate, dirty child, removed from a family of alcoholics, a small criminal who already poses a threat to society. The further he is put away and the more strictly he is treated, the better it will be.

When I was 10 years old, my mother and my father, a man with two higher educations, a lieutenant colonel, died Soviet army, the head of the UPR (formation in the armed forces) began to drink. Strongly. And in just a couple of months I turned from a prosperous, ambitious excellent student into a frightened nanny for my father. We lived far away in Almaty, and our relatives did not know about the enormity of the current situation. Guardianship did not come to us and there was no talk about an orphanage, but I fully plunged into real life - orphans that no one wanted, orphans with living parents.

I won’t tell you what it’s like to drink a loved one whom you try by all means to protect from troubles and destruction. I don’t want to remember how many anxious thoughts and shame there were in my life then. But I want to say that despite the devastation that suddenly came and the endless change of place of residence (practically fleeing from city to city), I somehow managed to maintain faith in goodness and people. I found the strength and support to move on: forgive my dad, do well in school, go to university, find an interesting job.

About the diagnosis

In our country, the diagnosis of “mental retardation” is easier to obtain than we think. As the mother of an adopted son who did not study very well in the second grade, I have more than experienced the pressure of certain representatives of the education system. The class teacher, having not found contact with the child, sent us to “check our head” because “the genes are unclear” and “the child is still a kindergartener and is not capable of studying at school.” It is quite possible that at the indicated address my son could be diagnosed with a diagnosis that would complicate our lives for many years. This did not happen, we changed schools and my son finished the school year with B grades.

According to specialists from the Ministry of Social Protection of Moscow and the Ministry of Education of the Moscow Region, the diagnosis of children in Russia is carried out accurately and thoroughly. Based on the experience of interaction with correctional boarding schools and special schools, certain children need to review and remove the diagnosis of “mental retardation”.

Often teachers themselves do not believe in the abilities of their students. A teacher from one of the correctional schools is surprised when he shows me data on graduates. It turns out that Masha N. is studying at school by profession - veterinarian. “The girl has mental retardation - this is an accurate diagnosis, but for technical school she needs to get a diploma of incomplete secondary education, what a good fellow, probably her grandmother and relatives worked with her,” the teacher says joyfully.

About the possibilities

At the Center for Equal Opportunities “Up”, diplomas from former correctional institution graduates are hung on the walls. Personal efforts (years of study) and incredible pedagogical professionalism and patience helped the children receive a professional or higher education.

The impossible is possible. Manager in the specialty "State and municipal management", teacher in physical culture, bachelor of pedagogy, economist-manager, etc. These are the successes of children who, upon graduating from a boarding school, have actually mastered the material of the 5th-6th grade of a comprehensive school.

“Teaching children from correctional institutions taught me many important things,” says Daria Tarayan, a teacher at the “Vverkh” center. “This is a very ambitious task to teach an almost adult person what is, for various reasons, missed in childhood. We have to invent worlds, create concepts, create associations in order to allow students to retain the feeling self-esteem".

Self-esteem

How often do you often hear such formulations as “self-esteem”, “personal qualities”, “individuality”, “self-sufficiency” in closed institutions? No, only one in ten directors of orphanages thinks about it.

Teach responsibility, hard work, independence and consciousness. In fact, to form responsible behavior is the main task of institutions in which, according to official statistics, hundreds of thousands of children lived some time ago.

“Children must be able to take care of themselves, maintain order, work and respect the work of others,” comments Igor Egorev, director of the Novopetrovsk correctional boarding school. “Dependency instilled and cultivated over the years is death for the child in the future.”

About future

“A child leaves a well-fed, prosperous childhood for a new space, but the old management mechanism continues to live in his head - the state will provide everything,” says Alexander Gezalov, a public figure. “They have been accustomed for years to solving issues only within a closed team and with the help of a limited set of tools: resentment, boycott, fight, ignoring what does not work outside the walls of the institution.”

All boarding school graduates want to have a job, start a family, and be happy. But they are left alone with their fears and problems... They do not have the skills to live independently, they do not know how to organize their life... They experience difficulties finding work... They cannot provide themselves with a living wage... They face problems in obtaining their own housing... They do not know how to create and save the family...

Of course, this is a common task: the child himself and education specialists (in the Moscow region) and social protection (in Moscow), teachers, psychologists, guardianship representatives, foster carers, employees of charitable and public organizations, volunteers of commercial companies and simply caring people.

How can you help without harming?

1. "Reasonable Charity". Not to entertain, give gifts, feed buns and kebabs, but to teach, motivate and enlighten.
2. Additional training, career guidance and assistance in employment in commercial and government companies.
3. Donations to develop effective mentoring programs.
4. Patronage and guest form of communication with the child.

Organizations for which every day is Children's Day:

Lyubovina Elena

\ Parents of children and teenagers \ Children with developmental disabilities \ Correctional school 8 types. School for mentally retarded children.

Correctional school 8 types. School for mentally retarded children.

In a specialized (correctional) educational institution of type VIII, children with mental retardation are trained and educated in order to correct deviations in their development through education and labor training, as well as socio-psychological rehabilitation for subsequent integration into society.

IN primary school(first 4 grades) a comprehensive psychological, medical and pedagogical study of the student’s personality is carried out, identifying his capabilities and individual characteristics in order to develop forms and methods of organization educational process. Psychological and pedagogical work is aimed at instilling interest in acquiring knowledge, developing skills in educational activities and independence. Work is being carried out on the general and speech development of children, correction of motor skills disorders, deviations in the intellectual and emotional-volitional spheres, and behavior. Class sizes are up to 12 people. In high school, students receive knowledge in general education subjects that have a practical orientation and correspond to their psychophysical capabilities. In grades 10-11, the main direction of work is industrial training, skills are instilled independent work in educational workshops, subsidiary farms, and enterprises. Vocational training is carried out taking into account interests and psychophysical capabilities. In case of successful mastery of professional skills, graduates may be assigned a qualification rank (the decision is made by the administration of the interested enterprise). In a correctional institution of the VIII type, training is organized in types of work of varying levels of complexity, taking into account the interests of pupils and in accordance with their psychophysical capabilities, the need for workers, employment opportunities for graduates, and the continuation of their education in special groups of primary vocational education institutions.

Continuation of vocational education is carried out in special groups of primary vocational education institutions. In a correctional educational institution of the VIII type, classes for children with severe mental retardation can be created and operated, the occupancy of which should not exceed 8 people. NDC specialists will help parents choose a school, and children will help them adapt to the educational process and the school staff.

Rehabilitation and socialization of children with mental retardation - ( video)

• Exercise therapy) for children with mental retardation - ( video)
• Recommendations for parents regarding the labor education of children with mental retardation - ( video)

Prognosis for mental retardation - ( video)

• Is a child given a disability group for mental retardation? - ( video)
• Life expectancy of children and adults with oligophrenia

The site provides reference information for informational purposes only. Diagnosis and treatment of diseases must be carried out under the supervision of a specialist. All drugs have contraindications. Consultation with a specialist is required!

Treatment and correction of mental retardation ( how to treat oligophrenia?)

Treatment and correction mental retardation ( mental retardation) - a complex process that requires a lot of attention, effort and time. However, with the right approach, you can achieve certain positive results within a few months after the start of treatment.

Is it possible to cure mental retardation? remove the diagnosis of mental retardation)?

Oligophrenia is incurable. This is due to the fact that when exposed to causal factors ( provoking the disease) factors cause damage to certain parts of the brain. As is known, the nervous system ( especially its central section, that is, the brain and spinal cord) develop in the prenatal period. After the cell is born nervous system practically do not divide, that is, the ability of the brain to regenerate ( recovery after damage) is almost minimal. Once damaged neurons ( nerve cells) will never be restored, as a result of which once developed mental retardation will remain in the child until the end of his life.

At the same time, children with mild form diseases respond well to treatment and corrective measures, as a result of which they can receive a minimum education, learn self-care skills, and even get a simple job.

It is also worth noting that in some cases the goal of treatment is not to cure mental retardation as such, but to eliminate its cause, which will prevent the progression of the disease. Such treatment should be carried out immediately after identifying a risk factor ( for example, when examining the mother before, during or after childbirth), since the longer the causative factor affects the baby’s body, the more profound disorders of thinking he may develop in the future.

Treatment for the cause of mental retardation can be carried out:

• For congenital infections– for syphilis, cytomegalovirus infection, rubella and other infections, antiviral and antibacterial drugs can be prescribed.
• At diabetes mellitus at the mother's.
• For metabolic disorders– for example, with phenylketonuria ( violation of the metabolism of the amino acid phenylalanine in the body) eliminating foods containing phenylalanine from your diet may help solve the problem.
• For hydrocephalus– surgery immediately after identifying pathology can prevent the development of mental retardation.

Finger gymnastics for the development of fine motor skills

One of the disorders that occurs with mental retardation is impaired fine motor skills of the fingers. At the same time, it is difficult for children to perform precise, targeted movements ( for example, holding a pen or pencil, tying shoelaces, etc.). Finger gymnastics, the purpose of which is to develop fine motor skills in children, will help correct this deficiency. The mechanism of action of the method is that frequently performed finger movements are “remembered” by the child’s nervous system, as a result of which in the future ( after repeated training) the child can perform them more accurately, while spending less effort.

Finger gymnastics may include:

• Exercise 1 (counting fingers). Suitable for children with mild mental retardation who are learning to count. First you need to fold your hand into a fist, and then straighten 1 finger at a time and count them ( aloud). Then you need to bend your fingers back, also counting them.
• Exercise 2. First, the child should spread the fingers of both palms and place them in front of each other so that only the pads of the fingers touch each other. Then he needs to bring his palms together ( so that they also touch), and then return to the starting position.
• Exercise 3. During this exercise, the child should clasp his hands, with the thumb of one hand on top first, and then the thumb of the other hand.
• Exercise 4. First, the child should spread his fingers, and then bring them together so that the tips of all five fingers are gathered at one point. The exercise can be repeated many times.
• Exercise 5. During this exercise, the child needs to clench his hands into fists, and then straighten his fingers and spread them, repeating these actions several times.

It is also worth noting that the development of fine motor skills of the fingers is facilitated by regular exercises with plasticine and drawing ( even if the child just runs a pencil on paper), rearranging small objects ( for example, multi-colored buttons, but you need to make sure that the child does not swallow one of them) and so on.

Medicines ( drugs, tablets) with mental retardation ( nootropics, vitamins, antipsychotics)

Purpose drug treatment mental retardation is the improvement of metabolism at the level of the brain, as well as stimulation of the development of nerve cells. Besides, medicines may be prescribed to relieve certain symptoms of the disease, which may be expressed differently in different children. In any case, the treatment regimen must be selected for each child individually, taking into account the severity of the underlying disease, its clinical form and other features.

Drug treatment of mental retardation

Group of drugs	Representatives	Mechanism of therapeutic action
Nootropics and drugs that improve cerebral circulation	Piracetam	Improves metabolism at the neuronal level ( nerve cells) of the brain, increasing the rate at which they use oxygen. This may promote the patient's learning and mental development.
	Phenibut
	Vinpocetine
	Glycine
	Aminalon
	Pantogam
	Cerebrolysin
	Oxybral
Vitamins	Vitamin B1	Necessary for the normal development and functioning of the central nervous system.
	Vitamin B6	Necessary for the normal process of transmission of nerve impulses in the central nervous system. With its deficiency, such a sign of mental retardation as inhibition of thinking can progress.
	Vitamin B12	With a lack of this vitamin in the body, accelerated death of nerve cells may occur ( including at the level of the brain), which may contribute to the progression of mental retardation.
	Vitamin E	Protects the central nervous system and other tissues from damage by various harmful factors ( in particular with a lack of oxygen, with intoxication, with irradiation).
	Vitamin A	If it is deficient, the functioning of the visual analyzer may be disrupted.
Neuroleptics	Sonapax	They inhibit brain activity, making it possible to eliminate such manifestations of oligophrenia as aggressiveness and severe psychomotor agitation.
	Haloperidol
	Neuleptil
Tranquilizers	Tazepam	They also inhibit the activity of the central nervous system, helping to eliminate aggressiveness, as well as anxiety, increased excitability and mobility.
	Nozepam
	Adaptol
Antidepressants	Trittico	Prescribed for depression of the child’s psycho-emotional state that persists for a long time ( more than 3 – 6 months in a row). It is important to note that maintaining this condition for a long time significantly reduces the child’s ability to learn in the future.
	Amitriptyline
	Paxil

It is worth noting that the dosage, frequency and duration of use of each of the listed drugs is also determined by the attending physician depending on many factors ( in particular, on the general condition of the patient, the prevalence of certain symptoms, the effectiveness of the treatment, possible side effects, and so on).

Objectives of massage for mental retardation

Neck and head massage is part of the comprehensive treatment of mentally retarded children. At the same time, a full body massage can stimulate the development of the musculoskeletal system, improve the patient’s overall well-being, and improve his mood.

The objectives of massage for mental retardation are:

• Improving blood microcirculation in the massaged tissues, which will improve the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the nerve cells of the brain.
• Improved lymphatic drainage, which will improve the process of removing toxins and metabolic byproducts from brain tissue.
• Improving microcirculation in the muscles, which helps to increase their tone.
• Stimulates nerve endings in the fingers and palms, which can help develop fine motor skills in the hands.
• Creation of positive emotions that have a beneficial effect on the general condition of the patient.

The influence of music on children with mental retardation

Playing music or simply listening to it has a positive effect on the course of mental retardation. That is why almost all children with mild to moderate forms of the disease are recommended to include music in correctional programs. At the same time, it is worth noting that with a more severe degree of mental retardation, children do not perceive music and do not understand its meaning ( for them it's just a set of sounds), and therefore they will not be able to achieve a positive effect.

Music lessons allow you to:

• Develop the child’s speech apparatus (while singing songs). In particular, children improve their pronunciation of individual letters, syllables and words.
• Develop a child's hearing. In the process of listening to music or singing, the patient learns to distinguish sounds by their tonality.
• Develop intellectual abilities. To sing a song, a child needs to perform several sequential actions at once ( take a deep breath before the next verse, wait for the right melody, choose the right voice volume and singing speed). All this stimulates the thought processes that are disturbed in children with mental retardation.
• Develop cognitive activity. While listening to music, a child can learn new musical instruments, evaluate and remember the nature of their sound, and then recognize ( determine) them by sound alone.
• Teach your child to play musical instruments. This is possible only with a mild form of oligophrenia.

Education of persons with mental retardation

Despite mental retardation, almost all patients with mental retardation ( except deep form) may be amenable to certain training. At the same time, the general education programs of regular schools may not be suitable for all children. It is extremely important to choose the right place and type of education, which will allow the child to develop his abilities to the maximum.

Regular and correctional schools, boarding schools and classes for schoolchildren with mental retardation ( PMPC recommendations)

In order for a child to develop as intensively as possible, you need to choose the right educational institution to send him to.

Education for mentally retarded children can be carried out:

• In secondary schools. This method is suitable for children with mild mental retardation. In some cases, mentally retarded children can successfully complete the first 1–2 grades of school, and no differences between them and ordinary children will be noticeable. At the same time, it is worth noting that as children grow older and the school curriculum becomes more difficult, they will begin to lag behind their peers in academic performance, which can cause certain difficulties ( low mood, fear of failure, etc.).
• In correctional schools or boarding schools for mentally retarded persons. A special school for children with mental retardation has both its pros and cons. On the one hand, educating a child in a boarding school allows him to receive much more attention from teachers than when he attends a regular school. In the boarding school, teachers and educators are trained to work with such children, as a result of which it is easier to establish contact with them, find an individual approach to them in teaching, and so on. The main disadvantage of such training is the social isolation of the sick child, who practically does not communicate with normal people ( healthy) children. Moreover, during their stay in the boarding school, children are constantly monitored and carefully cared for, to which they become accustomed. After graduating from boarding school, they may simply be unprepared for life in society, as a result of which they will need constant care for the rest of their lives.
• In special correctional schools or classes. Some general education schools have classes for mentally retarded children, in which they are taught a simplified school curriculum. This allows children to receive the necessary minimum knowledge, as well as to be among “normal” peers, which contributes to their integration into society in the future. This teaching method is suitable only for patients with mild mental retardation.

Sending a child to general education or special ( correctional) the school is run by the so-called psychological-medical-pedagogical commission ( PMPC). The doctors, psychologists and teachers included in the commission conduct a short conversation with the child, assessing his general and mental condition and trying to identify signs of mental retardation or mental retardation.

During the PMP examination, the child may be asked:

• What's his name?
• How old is he?
• Where does he live?
• How many people are in his family ( may be asked to briefly describe each family member)?
• Are there any pets at home?
• What games does your child like?
• What dishes does he prefer for breakfast, lunch or dinner?
• Can the child sing? they may be asked to sing a song or recite a short rhyme)?

After these and some other questions, the child may be asked to complete several simple tasks ( arrange pictures into groups, name the colors you see, draw something, and so on). If, during the examination, specialists identify any delays in mental or mental development, they may recommend sending the child to a special ( correctional) school. If the mental retardation is slight ( for a given age), a child can attend a regular school, but remain under the supervision of psychiatrists and teachers.

Federal State Educational Standard OVZ ( federal state educational standard

Federal State Educational Standard is a generally recognized standard of education that all educational institutions in the country must adhere to ( for preschoolers, schoolchildren, students and so on). This standard regulates the work of an educational institution, material, technical and other equipment of the educational institution ( what personnel and how many should work there?), as well as control of training, availability of training programs, and so on.

FSES OVZ is a federal state educational standard for students with disabilities. disabilities health. It regulates the educational process for children and adolescents with various physical or mental disabilities, including mentally retarded patients.

Adapted basic general education programs ( AOOP) for preschoolers and schoolchildren with mental retardation

These programs are part of the Federal State Educational Standard for Physical Education and represent the optimal method of training people with mental retardation in preschool institutions and schools.

The main objectives of the AOOP for children with mental retardation are:

• Creation of conditions for the education of mentally retarded children in general education schools, as well as in special boarding schools.
• Creation of similar educational programs for children with mental retardation who could master these programs.
• Creation of educational programs for mentally retarded children to receive preschool and general education.
• Development of special programs for children with varying degrees of mental retardation.
• Organization of the educational process taking into account the behavioral and mental characteristics of children with varying degrees of mental retardation.
• Quality control of educational programs.
• Monitoring the assimilation of information by students.

The use of AOOP allows:

• Maximize the mental abilities of each individual child with mental retardation.
• Teach mentally retarded children self-care ( if possible), performing simple work and other necessary skills.
• Teach children to behave correctly in society and interact with it.
• Develop students' interest in learning.
• Eliminate or smooth out shortcomings and defects that a mentally retarded child may have.
• Teach parents of a mentally retarded child to behave correctly with him and so on.

The ultimate goal of all of the above points is the most effective education of the child, which would allow him to lead the most fulfilling life in the family and in society.

Work programs for children with mental retardation

Based on basic general education programs ( regulating general principles teaching mentally retarded children) work programs are being developed designed for children with various degrees and forms of mental retardation. The advantage of this approach is that working programm takes into account as much as possible the individual characteristics of the child, his ability to learn, perceive new information and communicate in society.

For example, a work program for children with a mild form of mental retardation may include training in self-care, reading, writing, mathematics, and so on. At the same time, children with a severe form of the disease are not able to read, write and count in principle, as a result of which their work programs will include only general self-care skills, training in emotion control and other simple activities.

Corrective classes for mental retardation

Correctional classes are selected for each child individually, depending on his mental disorders, behavior, thinking, and so on. These classes can be conducted in special schools ( professionals) or at home.

The goals of correctional classes are:

• Teaching your child basic school skills- reading, writing, simple counting.
• Teaching children how to behave in society– Group classes are used for this.
• Speech development– especially in children who have impaired pronunciation of sounds or other similar defects.
• Teach your child to look after himself– at the same time, the teacher should focus on the dangers and risks that may await the child in Everyday life (for example, the child must learn that there is no need to grab hot or sharp objects, as this will hurt).
• Develop attention and perseverance– especially important for children with impaired ability to concentrate.
• Teach your child to control their emotions– especially if he has attacks of anger or rage.
• Develop fine motor skills of hands- if it is broken.
• Develop memory– learn words, phrases, sentences or even poems.

It is worth noting that this is far from full list defects that can be corrected during correctional classes. It is important to remember that a positive result can only be achieved after long-term training, since the ability of mentally retarded children to learn and master new skills is significantly reduced. At the same time, with properly selected exercises and regular classes, a child can develop, learn self-care, perform simple work, and so on.

CIPRs for children with mental retardation

SIPR is a special individual development program, selected for each specific mentally retarded child individually. The objectives of this program are similar to those of correctional classes and adapted programs, however, when developing SIPR, not only the degree of mental retardation and its form are taken into account, but also all the features of the disease that the child has, the degree of their severity, and so on.

To develop a CIPR, a child must undergo a full examination by many specialists ( from a psychiatrist, psychologist, neurologist, speech therapist, etc.). During the examination, doctors will identify dysfunctions of various organs ( for example, memory impairment, fine motor skills, difficulty concentrating) and evaluate their severity. Based on the data obtained, a CIPR will be drawn up, designed to correct, first of all, those violations that are most pronounced in the child.

So, for example, if a child with mental retardation has problems with speech, hearing and concentration, but there are no motor disorders, there is no point in prescribing him many hours of classes to improve fine motor skills. In this case, classes with a speech therapist should come to the fore ( to improve the pronunciation of sounds and words), classes to improve the ability to concentrate, and so on. At the same time, there is no point in wasting time teaching a child with severe mental retardation to read or write, since he will still not master these skills.

Methods of teaching literacy ( reading) children with mental retardation

With a mild form of the disease, the child can learn to read, understand the meaning of the text read, or even partially retell it. With a moderate form of mental retardation, children can also learn to read words and sentences, but their text reading is not meaningful ( they read, but don’t understand what they’re talking about). They are also unable to retell what they read. In severe and profound forms of mental retardation, the child cannot read.

Teaching reading to mentally retarded children allows:

• Teach your child to recognize letters, words and sentences.
• Learn to read expressively ( with intonation).
• Learn to understand the meaning of the text you read.
• Develop speech ( while reading aloud).
• Create the prerequisites for teaching writing.

To teach reading to mentally retarded children, you need to select simple texts that do not contain complex phrases, long words and sentences. It is also not recommended to use texts with a large number of abstract concepts, proverbs, metaphors and other similar elements. The fact is that a mentally retarded child has poorly developed ( or completely absent) abstract thinking. As a result, even after correctly reading a proverb, he can understand all the words, but will not be able to explain its essence, which can negatively affect the desire to learn in the future.

Teaching writing

Only children with mild illness can learn to write. With moderate mental retardation, children may try to pick up a pen, write letters or words, but will not be able to write anything meaningful.

It is extremely important that before starting school, the child learns to read at least to a minimal extent. After this, he should be taught to draw simple geometric figures (circles, rectangles, squares, straight lines and so on). When he masters this, you can move on to writing letters and memorizing them. Then you can start writing words and sentences.

It is worth noting that for a mentally retarded child, the difficulty lies not only in mastering writing, but also in understanding the meaning of what is written. At the same time, some children have a pronounced impairment of fine motor skills, which prevents them from mastering writing. In this case, it is recommended to combine grammar teaching with corrective exercises that allow the development of motor activity in the fingers.

Mathematics for children with mental retardation

Teaching mathematics to children with mild mental retardation promotes the development of thinking and social behavior. At the same time, it is worth noting that the mathematical abilities of children with imbecility ( moderate degree of oligophrenia) are very limited - they can perform simple mathematical operations ( add, subtract), however, it is not able to solve more complex problems. Children with severe and profound mental retardation do not understand mathematics in principle.

Children with mild mental retardation may:

• Count natural numbers.
• Learn the concepts of “fraction”, “proportion”, “area” and others.
• Master the basic units of measurement of mass, length, speed and learn to apply them in everyday life.
• Learn to shop, calculate the cost of several items at once and the amount of change required.
• Learn to use measuring and calculating instruments ( ruler, compass, calculator, abacus, clock, scales).

It is important to note that studying mathematics should not consist of banal memorization of information. Children must understand what they are learning and immediately learn to put it into practice. To achieve this, each lesson can end with a situational task ( for example, give children “money” and play “store” with them, where they will have to buy some things, pay and take change from the seller).

Pictograms for children with mental retardation

Pictograms are unique schematic pictures that depict certain objects or actions. Pictograms allow you to establish contact with a mentally retarded child and teach him in cases where it is impossible to communicate with him through speech ( for example, if he is deaf, and also if he does not understand the words of others).

The essence of the pictogram technique is to associate a certain image in the child ( picture) with any specific action. For example, a picture of a toilet can be associated with the desire to go to the toilet. At the same time, a picture depicting a bath or shower can be associated with water procedures. In the future, these pictures can be attached to the doors of the corresponding rooms, as a result of which the child will better navigate the house ( if he wants to go to the toilet, he will independently find the door through which he needs to enter for this).

On the other hand, pictograms can also be used to communicate with a child. So, for example, in the kitchen you can keep pictures of a cup ( jug) with water, plates of food, fruits and vegetables. When a child feels thirsty, he can point to water, while pointing at a picture of food will help others understand that the child is hungry.

The above were just some examples of the use of pictograms, but using this technique you can teach a mentally retarded child a wide variety of activities ( brush your teeth in the morning, make and spread your bed yourself, fold things, etc.). However, it is worth noting that this technique will be most effective for mild mental retardation and only partially effective for moderate degrees of the disease. At the same time, children with severe and profound mental retardation are practically not amenable to learning using pictograms ( due to a complete lack of associative thinking).

Extracurricular activities for children with mental retardation

Extracurricular activities are activities that take place outside of class ( like all lessons), and in a different setting and according to a different plan ( in the form of games, competitions, travel, etc.). Changing the method of presenting information to mentally retarded children allows them to stimulate the development of intelligence and cognitive activity, which has a beneficial effect on the course of the disease.

The goals of extracurricular activities can be:

• adaptation of the child in society;
• application of acquired skills and knowledge in practice;
• speech development;
• physical ( sports) child development;
• development of logical thinking;
• developing the ability to navigate in unfamiliar areas;
• psycho-emotional development of the child;
• the child’s acquisition of new experiences;
• development of creative abilities ( for example, while hiking, playing in the park, in the forest, etc.).

Homeschooling children with mental retardation

Education for mentally retarded children can be done at home. Both parents themselves and specialists can take a direct part in this ( speech therapist, psychiatrist, teachers who know how to work with such children, and so on).

On the one hand, this teaching method has its advantages, since the child receives much more attention than when teaching in groups ( classes). At the same time, during the learning process, the child does not have contact with peers, does not acquire the communication and behavior skills he needs, as a result of which in the future it will be much more difficult for him to integrate into society and become a part of it. Therefore, teaching mentally retarded children exclusively at home is not recommended. It is best to combine both methods, when the child attends an educational institution during the day, and in the afternoon the parents study with him at home.

Rehabilitation and socialization of children with mental retardation

If the diagnosis of mental retardation is confirmed, it is extremely important to start working with the child in a timely manner, which, in mild forms of the disease, will allow him to get along in society and become a full member of it. At the same time, special attention should be paid to the development of mental, mental, emotional and other functions that are impaired in children with oligophrenia.

Classes with a psychologist ( psychocorrection)

The primary task of a psychologist when working with a mentally retarded child is to establish friendly, trusting relationships with him. After this, in the process of communicating with the child, the doctor identifies certain mental and psychological disorders that predominate in this particular patient ( for example, instability of the emotional sphere, frequent tearfulness, aggressive behavior, inexplicable joy, difficulties in communicating with others, etc.). Having established the main disorders, the doctor tries to help the child get rid of them, thereby speeding up the learning process and improving his quality of life.

Psychocorrection may include:

• psychological education of the child;
• help in realizing your “I”;
• social education ( teaching rules and norms of behavior in society);
• assistance in experiencing psycho-emotional trauma;
• creation of favorable ( friendly) family situation;
• improving communication skills;
• teaching a child to control emotions;
• training in coping skills life situations and problems.

Speech therapy classes ( with a speech pathologist)

Speech disorders and underdevelopment can be observed in children with varying degrees of mental retardation. To correct them, classes are prescribed with a speech therapist who will help children develop speech abilities.

Classes with a speech therapist allow you to:

• Teach children to pronounce sounds and words correctly. To do this, the speech therapist uses various exercises, during which children have to repeatedly repeat those sounds and letters that they pronounce worst of all.
• Teach your child to form sentences correctly. This is also achieved through sessions during which the speech therapist communicates with the child orally or in writing.
• Improve your child's performance in school. Speech underdevelopment can be the cause of poor performance in many subjects.
• Stimulate the overall development of the child. While learning to speak and pronounce words correctly, the child simultaneously remembers new information.
• Improve the child's position in society. If a student learns to speak correctly and correctly, it will be easier for him to communicate with classmates and make friends.
• Develop the child's ability to concentrate. During classes, the speech therapist may have the child read aloud increasingly longer texts, which will require longer concentration of attention.
• Expand your child's vocabulary.
• Improve understanding of spoken and written language.
• Develop abstract thinking and imagination of the child. To do this, the doctor may give the child books with fairy tales or fictional stories to read aloud, and then discuss the plot with him.

Didactic games for children with mental retardation

During observations of mentally retarded children, it was noted that they are reluctant to study any new information, but with great pleasure they can play all kinds of games. Based on this, a didactic methodology was developed ( teaching) games, during which the teacher conveys certain information to the child in a playful manner. The main advantage of this method is that the child, without realizing it, develops mentally, mentally and physically, learns to communicate with other people and acquires certain skills that he will need in later life.

For educational purposes you can use:

• Games with pictures- children are offered a set of pictures and asked to choose from them animals, cars, birds, and so on.
• Games with numbers– if the child already knows how to count in various objects ( for blocks, books or toys) you can stick the numbers from 1 to 10 and mix them up, and then ask the child to put them in order.
• Games with animal sounds– the child is shown a series of pictures with images of animals and asked to demonstrate what sounds each of them makes.
• Games that promote the development of fine motor skills– you can draw letters on small cubes, and then ask the child to assemble a word from them ( name of animal, bird, city, etc.).

Exercises and physical therapy ( Exercise therapy) for children with mental retardation

The purpose of exercise therapy ( physical therapy) is a general strengthening of the body, as well as correction of physical defects that a mentally retarded child may have. A physical exercise program should be selected individually or by combining children with similar problems into groups of 3 to 5 people, which will allow the instructor to pay enough attention to each of them.

The goals of exercise therapy for oligophrenia may be:

• Development of fine motor skills of the hands. Since this disorder is most common in mentally retarded children, exercises to correct it should be included in every training program. Some of the exercises include clenching and unclenching your hands into fists, spreading and closing your fingers, touching your fingertips to each other, alternately bending and straightening each finger separately, and so on.
• Correction of spinal deformities. This disorder occurs in children with severe mental retardation. To correct it, exercises are used that develop the muscles of the back and abdomen, joints of the spine, water procedures, exercises on the horizontal bar and others.
• Correction of movement disorders. If a child has paresis ( in which he weakly moves his arms or legs), exercises should be aimed at developing the affected limbs ( flexion and extension of arms and legs, rotational movements of them, and so on).
• Development of movement coordination. To do this, you can perform exercises such as jumping on one leg, long jumps ( after the jump, the child must maintain balance and remain on his feet), throwing a ball.
• Development of mental functions. To do this, you can perform exercises consisting of several successive parts ( for example, put your hands on your belt, then sit down, stretch your arms forward, and then do the same in reverse order).

It is also worth noting that children with mild or moderate illness can participate in active sports, but only with the constant supervision of an instructor or another adult ( healthy) person.

To play sports, mentally retarded children are recommended to:

• Swimming. This helps them learn to solve complex sequential problems ( come to the pool, change clothes, wash, swim, wash and get dressed again), and also forms a normal attitude towards water and water procedures.
• Skiing. Develop motor activity and the ability to coordinate the movements of arms and legs.
• Biking. Helps develop balance, concentration and the ability to quickly switch from one task to another.
• Trips ( tourism). A change of environment stimulates the development of cognitive activity in a mentally retarded patient. At the same time, when traveling there is physical development and strengthening the body.

Recommendations for parents regarding the labor education of children with mental retardation

Labor education of a mentally retarded child is one of the key points in the treatment of this pathology. After all, it is the ability for self-care and work that determines whether a person will be able to live independently or will need the care of strangers throughout his life. The labor education of a child should be carried out not only by teachers at school, but also by parents at home.

The development of work activity in a child with mental retardation may include:

• Self-care training– the child needs to be taught to dress independently, observe personal hygiene rules, take care of his appearance, eat food, and so on.
• Training for feasible work– from an early age, children can independently lay out things, sweep the street, vacuum, feed pets or clean up after them.
• Teamwork training– if parents go to do some simple work ( for example, picking mushrooms or apples, watering the garden), the child should be taken with you, explaining and clearly demonstrating to him all the nuances of the work being performed, as well as actively cooperating with him ( for example, instruct him to fetch water while watering the garden).
• Versatile training- parents should teach their child the most different types labor ( even if at first he is unable to do any work).
• The child’s awareness of the benefits of his work– parents should explain to the child that after watering the garden, vegetables and fruits will grow there, which the child can then eat.

Prognosis for mental retardation

The prognosis for this pathology directly depends on the severity of the disease, as well as on the correctness and timeliness of the therapeutic and corrective measures taken. So, for example, if you regularly and intensively work with a child who has been diagnosed with a moderate degree of mental retardation, he can learn to speak, read, communicate with peers, and so on. At the same time, the absence of any training sessions can provoke a deterioration in the patient’s condition, as a result of which even a mild degree of oligophrenia can progress, turning into moderate or even severe.

Is a child given a disability group for mental retardation?

Since the ability for self-care and a full life of a mentally retarded child is impaired, he can receive a disability group, which will allow him to enjoy certain advantages in society. At the same time, one or another disability group is assigned depending on the degree of oligophrenia and the general condition of the patient.

Children with mental retardation may be assigned:

• 3 disability group. Issued to children with mild mental retardation who can take care of themselves, are amenable to learning and can attend regular schools, but require increased attention from the family, others and teachers.
• Disability group 2. Issued to children with moderate mental retardation who are forced to attend special correctional schools. They are difficult to train, do not get along well in society, have little control over their actions and cannot be responsible for some of them, and therefore often need constant care, as well as the creation of special living conditions.
• 1st disability group. Issued to children with severe and profound mental retardation, who are practically unable to learn or care for themselves, and therefore require continuous care and guardianship.

Life expectancy of children and adults with oligophrenia

In the absence of other diseases and developmental defects, the life expectancy of mentally retarded people directly depends on the ability to self-care or on the care they receive from others.

Healthy ( physically) people with mild mental retardation can take care of themselves, are easy to train, and can even get a job, earning money to feed themselves. In this regard, their average life expectancy and causes of death are practically no different from those among healthy people. The same can be said about patients with moderate mental retardation, who, however, are also trainable.

At the same time, patients with severe forms of the disease live much shorter than ordinary people. First of all, this may be due to multiple defects and congenital developmental anomalies, which can lead to the death of children during the first years of life. Another reason for premature death may be a person’s inability to critically evaluate his actions and the environment. In this case, patients may be in dangerous proximity to fire, operating electrical appliances or poisons, or fall into the pool ( while not knowing how to swim), get hit by a car ( accidentally running out onto the road) and so on. That is why the duration and quality of their lives directly depend on the attention from others.

Before use, you should consult a specialist.