Shypelik T. Psychological characteristics of personality formation of adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities

The dissertation study is dedicated to the problem of personality formation of adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities (MID), as well as the optimization of personal development of adolescents in this category. The dissertation describes the degree to which the problem is developed and the scientific approach to its study. It was found that the personal development of adolescents with MID occurs under the circumstances of pathological changes in “mental health” and “personality norms”. The development and functioning of the personality of adolescents with intellectual disorders are based on the same rules as the age development without intelligence disorders, or do not reach the psychological and personal norms. A structural model of personality of adolescents with MID was developed and experimentally confirmed, the main components of which are found in two areas: life-meaning and emotional-willed. A psychodiagnostic complex for studying the psychological characteristics of the personality of adolescents with MID was developed, and the levels of personality development (high-, medium-, and low-harmonious) were identified. Based on the stated qualitative and quantitative indicators of the formation of life-meaning and emotional-willed spheres, it was established that personality development of adolescents with MID is carried out spontaneously, excluding the self-development mechanism. Characteristics of social adaptation of adolescents with MID were established. A program for optimizing the personal development of adolescents in this category is presented and its effectiveness is proved using a formative experiment. Optimization of the personal development of the personality of adolescents with intellectual disorders and an increase of their adaptive potential are possible with comprehensive and integrated support that can involve several levels: correctional (correction of developmental disorders), preventive (prevention of deviations in development) and developing (optimization of development). In order to optimize the personal formation of adolescents with intellectual disorders, a correction- development program for the optimization of personality development has been developed, which includes three components: dolphin therapy, fairy-tale therapy, cognitive psychotherapy. The results of the molding experiment showed that the number of low-harmonic teenagers with intellectual disorders decreased significantly and, accordingly, the proportion of adolescents among the average harmonigs ingreased. At the same time the experiment recorded a small representation of the experimental group among high-harmonic teenagers, which was not noted during the experiment. Most teens of this category showed positive dynamics of personal development, as well as increased their viability.