Social and pedagogical assistance to adolescents with intellectual disabilities

Importance. One of the pressing problems of correctional psychological and pedagogical assistance to children with intellectual developmental disabilities is the possibility of early initiation of correction and the choice of effective correctional and developmental methods for the purpose of their maximum socialization. Purpose of the study: orrectional and developmental activities introduction into adaptive physical education classes to increase the social adaptation level of adolescents 14–15 years old with mild mental disability.Materials and Methods. 20 teenagers aged 14–15 years with mild mental disability, studying in a correctional school of type VIII, took part in the pedagogical experiment. Two groups are formed: a control group, studying according to a standard program for people with disabilities, and an experimental group, in which, as part of pedagogical control, 30 correctional and developmental classes, 30 minutes each, are conducted 1–2 times a week, as part of adaptive physical education classes. The tools for assessing the effectiveness of the correctional classes are: determination of the group cohesion index using K.E. Sishor’s psychometric test, determining the aggressiveness level using Bass–Darki’s questionnaire, assessing communication skills using B.A. Fedorishin’s assessment.Results and Discussion. Corrective and developmental activities carried out during adaptive physical education classes had a positive impact on the communication abilities development in adolescents aged 14–15 years with mild mental disability. After conducting a pedagogical experiment, adolescents in the experimental group significantly improved the average diagnostic test scores (p ˂ 0.05) on the following tests: K.E. Sishor’s psychometric test, B.A. Fedorishin’s communicative inclinations assessment, Bass–Darki’s questionnaire.Conclusion. The introduction of developed correctional and educational activities into the adaptive physical education classes program made it possible to increase the social adaptation level of adolescents 14–15 years old with mild mental disability.