Development of intellectual abilities in children with mental retardation

The problem of the development of intellectual abilities in children with difficulties in learning and insufficient conditions for the realization of their potential abilities is investigated. It is noted that in recent years there has been a high growth rate in the number of children with mental retardation. The combination of various factors of biopsychosocial nature cause dysontogenesis of varying severity and forms of manifestation, which significantly complicates the diagnosis and qualification of the presence/absence of pathogenesis and, in fact, the very definition of the concept of “mental retardation”. The definition of the concept of “mental retardation” is clarified within the framework of which an experimental study of the development of intellectual abilities of students in specially organized conditions of additional education is carried out according to the author’s program “Intellectual Drive”. Attention is drawn to the methodology of the additional education program, which is based on a psychological and didactic approach to learning. A characteristic feature of the principles of the psychological and didactic approach to learning is their scientifically based combination of didactic and psychological patterns into a single system tool designed to optimize the productivity of students’ mental activity as a key task of education. The results of additional education of children with mental retardation under the program “Intellectual drive” are presented. Positive dynamics in the development of intellectual abilities of students with mental retardation has been revealed.

intelligence, mental retardation, cognitive abilities, educational activity of a junior student, the program “Intellectual drive”