“Atypical child” in an educational environment in the Murmansk region

Abstract

This article aims to identify the current state of the educational environment in the context of realizing its inclusive potential and ensuring the inclusion of children with disabilities. The inclusion of this category in the educational environment is guaranteed by Russian legislation and is an important element of the socialization and social rehabilitation of the child. However, today there are many difficulties in building an inclusive environment in educational institutions, taking into account the needs and requirements of an “atypical” child, which indicates the need to assess the features of the development of inclusive education at the present stage and identify difficulties among subjects of educational relations. To achieve this goal, the article presents the results of a survey of the authors conducted in the Murmansk region (Russia) in 2022. During the questionnaire survey, teachers of general education and special schools, as well as kindergartens in the region (n=417) were interviewed. The results of the study showed that today teachers attach greater importance to the formation of social skills than to the development of the abilities and cognitive activity of children with disabilities. The state of readiness of the infrastructure of educational organizations in the region for children with disabilities is assessed as average, as is the quality of the education they receive. Among the main difficulties in teaching children with disabilities, respondents noted problems with the pace of completing tasks and memorizing material. Teachers most often experience difficulties in organizing the independent activities of children with disabilities, ensuring the pace of work in the classroom, and in directly organizing the child’s work in the classroom.