Nedozym I. Features of social intelligence of preschool children with autistic spectrum disorders

The theoretic and methodological analysis and conceptualization of the concepts of "social intelligence" and " autistic spectrum disorders" are carried out. It was identified the components of social intelligence, and the program of social intelligence was developed. The theoretical model of social intelligence of preschoolers with autistic spectrum disorders is based on the structural and functional analysis of the social intelligence conception. The psychological content of the social intelligence structure was designated. It includes the cognitive, emotional and behavioral components. What is more, the dynamics of its development is described. The study proves that it possible to determine the level and qualitative features of social intelligence development in preschoolers with autistic spectrum disorders. Three levels of social intelligence development were identified: 1st – the lowest, 2nd – the middle, 3rd – the highest. Qualitative analysis shows that social intelligence in the majority of preschool children (68%) with autistic spectrum disorders has characteristic features of the 1st level. The underdevelopment of social intelligence is caused by the imperfections of the cognitive, emotional and behavioral components: the primitive understanding of their own actions, motives, emotions; bad memory for names and faces; there is no understanding that certain apperception of a person can be false; there is almost no ability to understand deception and the fact that deception will lead to the appearance of wrong opinions from other people; the impoverishment of emotional manifestations, the inaccuracy in using of words that denote emotions; significant lack of mutual attention; a significant disruption of the ability to identify the initiative in gaming activities and respond to the suggestions of other people to play. A program of social intelligence of children with autistic spectrum disorders has three blocks: conceptual/theoretical and methodological, content/developmental and organizational and methodical. The program was experimentally tested. The effectiveness and feasibility of introducing the proposed program and the positive dynamics of indicators of social intelligence (social knowledge, social memory, social forecasting, social thinking, self-esteem, emotional expressiveness, empathy, self-regulation, social perception, social adaptation, social interaction) are shown.