The research is dedicated to the issue of professional competence of specialists (consultants) of inclusive resource centers and aims to assess the effectiveness of the educational program for the professional development of pedagogical staff - specialists (consultants) of inclusive resource centers in the conditions of postgraduate education (as one of the components of the organizational and methodological support for the activities of specialists in inclusive resource centers). The relevance of the chosen research problem is driven by the implementation of the inclusive paradigm into the national education system, which required providing service (resource) support for participants in the educational process. This specifically involved engaging specialists in the field of special education and psychology, updating approaches to defining special educational needs and individual educational trajectories for each child, among other things. The new conceptual changes became a catalyst for the creation of fundamentally new institutions - inclusive resource centers (IRC), which, together with resource centers for supporting inclusive education (RCIE), comprised a unified system of service (resource) support for educational institutions engaged in inclusive learning at a new historical stage of building an education for children with special educational needs. Based on a systemic theoretical analysis of the studied issue, the theoretical foundations of service (resource) support in the system of inclusive education have been identified. These foundations are built upon contemporary methodological approaches (systemic, activity-based, axiological, sociocultural, person-centered, competency-based), conceptual principles of the inclusive paradigm, and key provisions of the social/biopsychosocial model for understanding special needs and educational difficulties. They also encompass the instrumental component of the international classification of functioning, disability, and health; systemic-evolutionary changes in the support organization for children with special educational needs; activities of inclusive resource centers; principles of the concept of the new Ukrainian school and international framework documents. The scientific novelty of the obtained results lies in conducting a systemic analysis of resource support for inclusive education. It substantiates the organizational and methodological framework for the activities of specialists (consultants) in inclusive resource centers amidst contemporary challenges. This includes the normative and legal foundations, organizational specifics of IRC activities, and professional development for specialists. The research identifies the theoretical and methodological basis for enhancing the qualifications of pedagogical staff - specialists (consultants) in inclusive resource centers, embodied in an original educational program. This program allows for variability in curriculum plans for various learner categories (IRC directors, special education teachers, speech therapists, rehabilitation teachers, practical psychologists). The latest program revision incorporates changes stemming from quarantine restrictions, states of emergency, and other factors. The essence of the concept of 'service (resource) support for inclusive education' has been further deepened and clarified as a system of measures aimed at providing psycho-pedagogical support for the professional activities of educators in inclusive educational institutions, parents/legal guardians, and children with special educational needs. It involves identifying the educational difficulties and specific needs of the child, determining the directions and extent of additional support in educational institutions, consulting educators and parents, conducting corrective and developmental sessions, and facilitating interaction between educational institutions. The ultimate outcome of this service support is to enhance the qualifications of educators, increase parental awareness, determine an optimal individual educational trajectory, and ensure successful learning aligned with individual capabilities and needs. The historical aspects of the consultative-diagnostic service in Ukraine emphasize the shift in approaches to defining educational difficulties and needs - from medical diagnosis to standardized international methodologies, considering individual developmental peculiarities and barriers in the educational environment. It also explores the regional experience of resource support for inclusive education in the Dnipropetrovsk region, particularly within the context of contemporary challenges, involving institutions like the Communal Higher Education Institution 'Dnipropetrovsk Academy of Continuous Education' under the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council, the resource center for supporting inclusive education, and the network of IRCs (Inclusive Resource Centers).
