Mentally retarded children with complex defects

Among mentally retarded children there who have found two or more deviations in development. These are children with complex developmental disorders: Oligophrenic to defeat analyzers (hearing, vision), with specific speech disorders, disorders of the musculoskeletal system, autism.

Currently, these children are not adequately studied. Children with complex defect, of course, need to be more in special programs and methods of correctional training than conventional mentally retarded. For them acquainted with the surrounding social world, objects and phenomena located around much complicated, sharply hindered the understanding of life situations and their solution.

Normally developing child's identity is defined by its social experience and passes in its next stage of development: the first stage of the child is aware of his identity, set themselves apart from the people around them (about eleven or twelve months); on the second there is awareness of oneself as an active figure (to three years); on the third - the realization of their own mental processes and mastering the ability to manage them freely (in the early school years); the fourth stage, the awareness of moral norms, moral rules and the corresponding changes (during adolescence).

A child born deaf or lost their hearing in the first two years of life, it is in a different position in relation to the people around him and reality. Violation of communication partly isolates it from the people, difficult to form a personal identity and other entities. In the early stages of mental development of self-esteem of the child depends on the parents' assessments of their own standards it uses to assess the people around them. With age, more and more important in the formation of identity become more important for a child people - teachers, then peers.

Children with hearing impairment separation themselves from the people around them, highlighting their own qualities and other human qualities, ie. E. The formation of the first phase in the development of self-consciousness occurs at a later age than the normal hearing children. They later begin to point to itself. According to EI Iseninoy of 70 hearing children aged 9-20 months, all children, except one, indicated the gesture of 19 deaf children of the same age - only three. Similarly, the situation was showing his body parts (eyes, nose, etc.) - they are invisible part of his face did not show the children, although they indicated in adults and dolls.

Due to the delayed formation of children with hearing impairments a dominant activity, as an object, at a later date it is made and the transition to the second stage in the development of self-awareness - to realize itself as an active worker. The lag in the development of the cognitive sphere, the originality in the development of emotions lead to delay the transition to the third and fourth stages of the development of consciousness.

Formation of such an important component of self-consciousness as self-esteem, is a complex, multi-level process. During the development of the individual appear qualitatively new kinds of self-esteem, which contributes to the formation of that at each age stage, the child takes a different place in the system of social relations, with consequent specific requirements to its behavior, the well-known system of norms and rules of conduct, certain social expectations. Self-esteem plays an important role in the development of self-regulation mechanisms, determines the level of aspirations, influences the development of interpersonal relationships.

In domestic surdopsihologii personality development of children with hearing impairment, especially the formation of their self-studied VG Petrov, VL Belinsky, M. Nudelman, AP Gozova, T. N.Prilepskaya. These studies have shown that self-development and self-esteem in children with hearing impairment are observed the same stage as that of the hearing, but the transition from one stage to another is performed on two or three years later.

The study VG Petrova emphasized that self-esteem depend on man's relationship with others, his attitude toward the successes and failures, thereby self-esteem affects the efficiency of human activity. Self-esteem is closely linked to the level of claims, ie, degree of difficulty goals that people set themselves. The discrepancy between aspirations and real possibilities leads to the fact that he correctly evaluates himself and his behavior is inappropriate. Self-esteem affects the way a person assesses the capabilities and performance of the other.

In this study, children (with hearing and without) were asked to rate yourself as a friend, a friend. According to V. Petrova, a self-unformed deaf fifth graders show their lack of doubts and hesitations when answering this question, and high ratings, they give me: "I - a good friend." Children list their positive qualities ("good", "polite", etc.) and be sure to mention the school success ("good learning", "I am able to solve the problem"), ie, they are not differentiated the concept of "good friend" and "a good student".

At the hearing the students of class III already manifested modesty and self-criticism, fifth graders celebrated elements of analysis and doubt ("I'm not very good friend"), attempts to justify their point of view.

From class to class and deaf children experience changes in personality development. So, the seventh graders have more doubt, negative self-assessments. Some of them are only in their positive qualities, the other - both good and bad, many different expressions of excessive detailing, a large number of details (for example, they tell, one in particular help as help in any affairs), lack of generality. In class XII answer to this question has caused a lot of thought, even attempts to avoid answering: "Let others say about me..." Among the responses, there are some in which explained how they manifest themselves in friendship, deep enough reveals the essence of friendship. But at this age stage met the unnecessary clarification and details (which helps to solve and to whom). Thus, the older school age deaf children found the ability to critically evaluate themselves and compare their actions with the actions of other people.

According V.L.Belinsky, score yourself and fellow students of classes II -IV school for deaf children insufficiently critical, situational. Many students of classes VII-X overestimate their personal qualities at the same time the students XI - XII classes more critical view of themselves and adequate.

Learning assessment teenagers hearing impaired its performance and capabilities of mastering academic subjects shows that, for example, most fifth graders evaluate their performance highly, VII grade students already give it an average rating, while most of them claim that they can learn better. However, unlike many hearing peers (in the V class - 52%, in the VII - 30%) say that their abilities can take first place among the classmates. Do not think they are able to advance in the study attributed this to different reasons - lack of understanding, poor memory, lack of attention, diseases. We heard similar excuses are rare. Increases with age differentiation and value for self-evaluation (M. Nudelman). But deaf children move from the general, non-specific self-assessment to the more specific, differentiated occurs at two or three years later.

A study evaluating the expected peer showed that the important high school students with impaired hearing impart such qualities as diligence and accuracy, success in studies and sports. Hearing students are particularly sensitive to the assessment of their intellectual development. In a number of cases (33%) of deaf teenagers expect from a fellow higher ratings than it turned out in reality. Inflated usually proved assessment of personal qualities, rather than academic and sporting achievements. In the assessment of others and self-esteem of children with hearing impairments, especially of primary school age, significantly affect the views of teachers.

Studies TN Prilepskaya showed that from the younger to the older school age there is an increase in the stability of self-assessment and the adequacy of the claims, although the latter are still not sufficiently stable. Students of Class IV were correct 71% of assessments in Class VIII students - 89%. There was a trend toward revaluation: it was six times greater in the IV class of inflated estimates than understated. Self-assessment and evaluation of fellow deaf students of Class IV are often situational, dependent on the opinion of the teacher, the children often do not share the concepts of "good friend" and "a good student". Estimates of other pupils qualities (sporting success, health) are sometimes determined by academic performance. These TN Prilepskaya experiment suggest a great situational behavior of deaf pupils of primary school age, a marked influence on his views of the surrounding.

Pupils Class VIII longer adequate assessments than the fourth-graders, they correctly evaluate their performance; with the age of self-assessments increases stability.

Of unstable and inadequate, according to TN Prilepskaya is different and the level of claims of deaf children. range of tasks on the degree of difficulty is often dependent on making friends and did not correspond to the possibilities of the student, was overpriced. In general, children take into account the results of its activities: 4/5 the total number of reactions to success and failure could be attributed to adequate, if successful, select tasks at the same level or more complicated in case of failure - the same difficulties or lighter. Many noted the instability of the claims. Children who showed underestimated claims, among the deaf was higher than among hearing: deaf children often expressed reluctance to work on complex tasks. In those activities, the implementation of which does not involve extensive use of speech, deaf and hearing students showed themselves equally. But the successful achievement of the purposes of deaf students often changed not only their claim, but even reduced them, sought to succeed at the cost of less effort. With age deaf children rises correct evaluation of its operating results, increases self-criticism and the adequacy of the claims.

In domestic psychology of interest to the study of the personality of children and adults with hearing impairment has arisen in the last decade of XX century. Prior to this research focused on the cognitive sphere. The increasing spread of a systematic approach to the study of psychic phenomena, characteristic of the 1970- 1980-ies, the requirements of teaching practice, causes awareness of the need for a holistic study of the child, led to the development of studies of emotion and personality of children with hearing impairment.

A somewhat different situation in the foreign surdopsiho-ogy. In many countries (Germany, USA) before we were initiated study of personality characteristics of children and adults with hearing impairment. Of particular interest among the foreign studies are the work of American-surdopsi hologov: on the one hand, they are characterized by the use of a wide variety of different methods of studying personality, on the other - they have gained experience in the study of personality through various theoretical approaches.

One of the reputable destinations in the United States continues to be a psychoanalytic. According surdopsihologov working in the mainstream of psychoanalysis, verbal speech is the most important factor in the formation of structural components of personality as "ego" (I) and the "super-ego" (superego). In cases where verbal speech does not develop in a natural way due to hearing impairment, and difficulties observed in the formation of "ego" and "superego" of the child. Psychoanalysts find confirmation of this in terms of the deaf person, like lack of social adaptation, self-centered motives, prefer instant gratification, impulsivity, superficial emotional manifestations, colorless product of the imagination. Possible causes of such properties are, in their opinion, the difficulties experienced in identifying deaf child with hearing parents. Many hearing parents experience emotional stress when dealing with your child. This, in turn, negatively affects the development of the child's sense of security, a sense of acceptance and comfort needed to enhance its "ego". Therefore, a deaf child is forced to interact with the outside world with the "ego", weakened, on the one hand, the hearing impaired, on the other - limited ability to identify themselves with their parents, less of love and understanding, which he received during childhood.

The American surdo psychologists for the individual studies used a number of methods: questionnaires - both those that are designed to study the characteristics of the individual hearing (for example, the MMPI, 16 PF), and designed specifically for people with hearing impairments; projective tests of different types - Rorschach, Thematic Apperception Test, Hand test Wagner. Studies by American psychologists have shown that deaf children have less social maturity than their peers who hear. Deaf children of deaf parents have more social maturity, compared with children who have hearing parents. In families with children with any disorders - especially deaf children, parents often watch over their child, reluctantly giving him the freedom and independence of action of mothers are often prescriptive. All this leads to a gap between the capabilities of the child and the tasks that it performs regularly to strengthen its dependence on adults and thus the slower the formation of a social maturity. Compared to the respective groups at the hearing of deaf children much more common emotional and behavioral disorders, neurotic reactions (according to US surdopsihologov number of neurotic disorders in children and adults with hearing impairments in the two times higher than that of hearing peers).

The lag in learning verbal speech leads to restrictions of social contacts, the emergence of frustration for them and their parents. Inability to announce plans for the future, to describe the events of the inner life, to discuss emerging issues leads to a circuit, to the difficulties of social interaction.

Features self-dependent, according to the American surdopsihologov, on many factors - time and degree of hearing impairment, the level of intellectual development of the child, family relationships, such as to attend school. Presentation of a deaf person about himself ("I-concept") is less precise than that of hearing: they observed an exaggerated idea of ​​their abilities, the evaluation of other people. The self-development have the advantage of deaf children of deaf parents - they have it more adequate and stable. When hearing parents the greatest problems in the development of self-discovering deaf children who attend boarding schools, compared to those who attend day school.

Deaf children is greater than that of hearing, problems with adaptation to the outside world. This leads to the appearance of their personality traits such as rigidity, self-centeredness, lack of internal control, impulsiveness, suggestibility, a higher level of aggressive behavior, less than that of the hearing, the pursuit of cooperation, emotional immaturity. Thus women with hearing impairments observed as large as deaf men, emotional stability, intelligence, integrity, smaller than theirs, suspicion, perseverance, risk tolerance.

The dependence of the personal manifestation of the level of development of verbal speech, deaf artist of high achievements in the development of speech on the personal characteristics do not differ from those who hear; in the Deaf group of middle-verbal language development identified different types of psychological weakness, associated with difficulties in communicating (eg, isolation, emotional problems). Finally, in the deaf group with a low level of development of speech manifested pronounced features, such as rigidity, sense of difference from others, a sense of inferiority (E. Levine).

Information about the personality traits of people with hearing impairments, the peculiarities of their self-esteem, given by American psychologists, are contradictory: some authors say the predominance of inflated self-esteem, the other - on the low, one - an emotional sensibility, others - about its absence. Most of the results obtained by projective methods of personality research and questionnaires. According to the American scientist DF Mooresa, disagreement in the results generated by several factors. First of all, the inadequacy of the techniques used. The validity of the use of the same questionnaire as in working with normal hearing people (eg, MMPI), is questionable, since most of the questionnaires requires a high level of verbal speech. When using projective techniques requirements for speech production is also quite high, most of the subjects are waiting for the detailed statements, which should be described in the event of real or man's inner life.