Tyshchenko L. Formation of self-service skills in preschool children with moderate mental retardation

The thesis shows the results of studying the problem of the self-service skills formation in preschool children with moderate mental retardation. The theoretical analysis of research in this field in general and special pedagogy and psychology are realized, the absence of scientifically grounded problem's solution in terms of self-service skills formation in this category of children is proved. The concept of "skill" and "self" was investigated, and the relevance of the formation of "self-service skills" was represented. We have identified the following key components of the self-service skills formation: cognitive, speech and activity that in some way correlated with each other. The practice of special kindergartens and the role of parents in formation of self-service skills in children with moderate mental retardation were studied, as well. The method of establishing the state of formation of self-service skills in preschool children with intellectual disabilities, which made it possible to detect the features of formed abovementioned skills in children with mild and moderate mental retardation, was developed. The main indicators and criterions of skills formation were detected: self-image; domestic utensils, clothes and footwear, foodstuff images; skills of things recognition in pictures and their comparison with real household items; gradual actions implementation, manual dexterity development; orientation in sequence of tasks performance. Four levels of self-service skills formation were determined (law, moderate, sufficient and high) that demonstrated the early self-service skills formation necessity in preschool children with moderate mental retardation. Pedagogical technology of self-service skills formation in preschool children with moderate mental retardation, which includes the model, program, algorithm and guidelines for teachers and parents for improving the efficiency of the self-service skills formation, was substantiated and developed. The model of formation of self-service skills included four components: theoretical, diagnostic, technological, productive. The theoretical component represented goals, objectives, principles and functions of self-service skills formation in children with moderate mental retardation. Diagnostic component included methodology of research and analysis of results. This proposed pedagogical technology provided raising the level of self-service skills formation in preschool children with moderate mental retardation. Summarized results of the experiment showed the presence of qualitative changes in formation of self-service skills in preschool children with moderate mental retardation and identified the most significant differences in their dynamics. The results obtained during the study replenish scientific data about the features of self-service skills formation in preschool children with moderate mental retardation.