Organization of comprehensive assessment of children’s development: a Practice-Oriented approach

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Organization of comprehensive assessment of children's development: a Practice-Oriented approach

Nataliia Matveieva,

Ph. D. (Pedagogy), Candidate, Departmen of pedagogy of primary education,

Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University (Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine)

Організація комплексного оцінювання розвитку дітей: практико-зорієнтований підхід

Наталія Матвеева,

кандидат педагогічних наук, доцент кафедри педагогіки початкової освіти,

Прикарпатський національний університет імені Василя Стефаника (м. Івано-Франківськ, Україна)

Анотація

У статті схарактеризовано нормативно-правові основи організації та проведення комплексного оцінювання розвитку дітей різного віку. Проаналізовано мету, зміст, основні завдання, напрями комплексного оцінювання розвитку дітей різного віку. Схарактеризовано функції фахівців інклюзивно-ресурсного центру; розкрито специфіку проведення комплексного оцінювання розвитку дітей відповідно до їх виду порушення, індивідуальних особливостей. Визначено специфіку практичної діяльності команди фахівців, виокремлено особливості роботи вчителя- логопеда, учителя-дефектолога, учителя лікувальної фізкультури (реабілітолога), практичного психолога. Установлено та схарактеризовано основні принципи, на яких базується професійна діяльність фахівців у процесі комплексного оцінювання розвитку дітей. Розмежовано етапи комплексного оцінювання та напрями індивідуалізованої роботи з дитиною з порушеннями розвитку. Зауважено, що практична діяльність фахівців центру після завершення комплексного оцінювання має своє логічне продовження, що виражається в консультуванні педагогів закладів дошкільної, загальної середньої, професійно-технічної освіти з питань організації інклюзивного навчання. Наголошено на змісті методичної допомоги фахівців педагогічним працівникам, батькам або законним представникам дітей з особливими освітніми потребами. Розкрито та проаналізовано форми практичної роботи фахівців у забезпеченні психолого-педагогічних та корекційно-розвиткових послуг дітям з порушенням розвитку, організації консультацій батьків щодо вибору мережі закладів освіти. Наголошено на чинниках, що впливають на якість проведення комплексної оцінки розвитку дітей.. Проаналізовано види, форми та прийоми роботи кожного з фахівців, напрями здійснення комплексного оцінювання, завдання та прогнозовані результати.

Ключові слова: інклюзивно-ресурсний центр, розвиток, компенсація, консультація, результат, діагностика, порушення, особливі потреби.

Abstract

The article describes the regulatory and legal foundations of the organization and implementation of a comprehensive assessment of the development of children of different ages. The purpose, content, main tasks, directions of comprehensive assessment of the development of children of different ages are analyzed. The functions of the specialists of the inclusive resource center are characterized; the specifics of conducting a comprehensive assessment of children's development according to their type of impairment and individual characteristics are disclosed. The specifics of the practical activities of the team of specialists are defined; the specifics of the work of a speech therapist teacher, a special education teacher, a physical therapy teacher (rehabilitator), and a practical psychologist are highlighted. The main principles on which the professional activity of specialists in the process of comprehensive assessment of children's development is based are established and characterized. Stages of comprehensive assessment and directions of individualized work with a child with developmental disorders are delineated. It was noted that the practical activity of the center's specialists after the completion of the comprehensive assessment has its logical continuation, which is expressed in the consultation of teachers of preschool, general secondary, vocational and technical education institutions on the organization of inclusive education. Emphasis is placed on the content of methodological assistance of specialists to pedagogical workers, parents or legal representatives of children with special educational needs. The forms of practical work of specialists in providing psychological-pedagogical and correctional-developmental services to children with developmental disabilities, organization of parents' consultations regarding the choice of a network of educational institutions are disclosed and analyzed. Factors influencing the quality of comprehensive assessment of children's development are emphasized, namely: taking into account the results of observing the child, his environment and conditions of development, psychological and pedagogical characteristics, notebooks, drawings and creative works, documents of additional examinations. The types, forms and methods of work of each of the specialists, areas of comprehensive assessment, tasks and predicted results where analyzed. inclusive resource center

Keywords: inclusive resource center, development, compensation, consultation, result, diagnosis, violation, special needs.

INTRODUCTION

The problem formulation. At the present stage, the comprehensive development of the individual becomes the main task of education. It remains relevant to ensure the direction of international practice regarding the creation of a network of general education institutions with inclusive education, adapted to the needs and capabilities of this category of people, capable of providing quality educational services. At the moment, there is a need to determine priorities in the process of ensuring constitutional rights, state guarantees for children with special educational needs, carrying out their complex rehabilitation, forming their social skills and abilities, developing aptitudes and abilities. As one of the factors, this direction will help create a democratic system in the state, organize a new tolerant social environment, and ensure the realization of the rights and freedoms of every citizen.

Practice shows that the number of persons who are considered particularly vulnerable in society increases every year. Thus, the category of citizens who feel a lack of quality and equal coexistence in the social environment includes persons with various disorders and disabilities, which in Ukraine is 6.1%, children - 15.4%, and elderly people - 16.8%. In general, the number of vulnerable persons is 38.3% of the total number of citizens. On the one hand, this is the need for changes and special attention to this category of persons, and on the other hand, it is evidence of the need to update all spheres of life to the needs and capabilities of everyone, their adaptation and modification, architectural arrangement, regulatory and legal, educational and methodological, technical support.

It is a well-known truth that "A successful, happy individual is a guarantor of the state's prosperity." In other words, thanks to the implementation of rights and the creation of favorable conditions, the state provides opportunities for its own prosperity, both political, economic, social, and cultural. That is why such tasks are important today, which affect the organization of a democratic system, overcoming discrimination, creating any obstacles on the way to self-realization of the individual, namely: overcoming strains and labels, ensuring equal opportunities and guaranteeing medical, social, educational, cultural services; creating conditions for continuous lifelong learning; search for educational trajectories in order to achieve the maximum possible results (for persons with developmental disabilities); maximum reduction of the time gap between the detection of a developmental disorder and the beginning of education; establishment of cooperation with families of persons with special educational needs.

The relevance of the research lies in the fact that providing opportunities for harmonious development, creating conditions for meeting individual needs begins at the stage of early intervention. This is of particular importance in working with children with various disabilities, whose parents turn to the specialists of the inclusive resource center for help. Of course, the child's further success in various spheres of activity depends on the diagnosis of the child's development: personal, educational, creative. On the one hand, comprehensive assessment is an important condition for establishing the child's real level of development, identifying his gaps, difficulties, deviations from the norm, and on the other hand, it is a step towards the formation of the necessary skills and abilities, the cultivation of traits and qualities that will allow him to realize the goals set in the future task. Comprehensive assessment is one of the main areas of activity of specialists of the inclusive resource center and is based on the Regulations on the inclusive resource center.

TAIM AND TASKS Research - to reveal the peculiarities of comprehensive assessment of the development of children with special educational needs by specialists of the inclusive resource center.

RESEARCH METHODS: include survey, observation, analysis and characterization of results.

RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH

Providing high-quality educational services, ensuring the conditions for satisfying the interests of children of different levels of development and capabilities, creating an adapted developmental environment are extremely important in the organization of the educational process, including persons with learning disabilities in mass educational institutions (Andrijevsjkyj, 2010; Prokhorenko, 2018). In order to monitor the quality of the educational process by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in accordance with the Order of 03.11.2014 No. 1255 "On the formation of a working group on the development of criteria for determining the level of child development according to the Basic component of preschool education and the toolkit for their practical application", the need for the work of working groups in composed of scientists, methodologists, and practicing teachers who would develop criteria for determining the level of a child's development even before the beginning of his studies at school. This was to ensure the proper level of preparation of preschool children for schooling, to create favorable conditions for cooperation between preschool, general secondary, and higher education institutions with families and other institutions (medical, social, inclusive resource center, after-school institutions). The activity of practicing teachers and other specialists is based on the Resolution "On the Approval of the Regulation on the Inclusive Resource Center", according to which the inclusive resource center is "an institution established to ensure the rights of children with special educational needs aged 2 to 18 years." for obtaining preschool and general secondary education, including in institutions of professional (vocational and technical) education and other educational institutions that ensure the acquisition of general secondary education, by conducting a comprehensive psychological and pedagogical assessment of the child's development, providing psychological and pedagogical, corrective and developmental services and ensuring their systematic qualified support" (Regulations on inclusive resource center). The documents on which the activities of the inclusive resource center are based are the Laws of Ukraine "On Education", "On General Secondary Education", "On Preschool Education", the Constitution of Ukraine, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Specialists of inclusive resource centers carry out activities in various directions, namely: diagnosis of child development, educational and methodical work, and cooperation with teachers of educational institutions and families, professional development. Each of them aims at the development of personality using possible means, techniques, forms and methods. The main principles on which the activities of the center's specialists are based are:

• Respect and perception of individual personality traits;

• Study of individual characteristics, satisfaction of needs, interests of the child;

• Prevention of discrimination, violation of children's rights;

• Confidentiality;

• Availability of educational services from an early age;

• Interdepartmental cooperation (Regulations on inclusive resource center).

The field of comprehensive assessment is extremely important and is one of the conditions for the implementation of the entire program of personality development, the creation of its individual educational trajectory. A large number of specialists of the center participate in the comprehensive assessment, each of whom diagnoses one or another direction of the child's development. The purpose of the comprehensive assessment is to determine the special educational needs of the child and his intelligence quotient, to make recommendations for the educational program, and to provide psychological-pedagogical and correctional-developmental services in accordance with the potential capabilities of the child. The practical experience of the center's specialists also includes further counseling of teachers of preschool, general secondary, vocational and technical education institutions on issues of organizing inclusive education. In the same way, the specialists of the inclusive resource center provide methodological assistance to pedagogical workers, parents or legal representatives of children with special educational needs about the peculiarities of the organization of psychological-pedagogical and correctional-developmental services for such children, as well as regarding the network of educational institutions.

A comprehensive assessment of the child's development takes place upon prior application of parents or guardians to the inclusive resource center. In order to make a qualitative assessment of the child's development, the specialists of the center take into account the results of observing the child, processed data on his environment and developmental conditions, psychological and pedagogical characteristics (with the dynamics and quality of knowledge acquisition), notebooks (from the native language, mathematics), drawings, documents additional examinations of the child and others (Regulations on inclusive resource center).

One of the requirements for conducting a comprehensive assessment of a child's development is the creation of an atmosphere of trust, mutual understanding, and mutual assistance; taking into account her physical and psycho-emotional state during its implementation; individual characteristics, age, place of residence, language of communication. Practice shows that a comprehensive assessment is carried out by the specialists of the inclusive resource center individually and involves the diagnosis of the following areas of development (Fig. 1):

Fig. 1 Directions of comprehensive assessment of child development

In general, one or another specialist of the inclusive resource center, taking into account the individual abilities, analyzes each of the directions and capabilities of the child, taking into account the results of the conducted diagnostics and observations, surveys and testing, instructions and recommendations of other colleagues. This makes it possible to make a general picture of the development of the personality, to single out its certain gaps and omissions, to make recommendations for its further educational activities (Table 1.1):

Table 1.1

The purpose and tasks of comprehensive assessment Child development

Source: [author's own observations]

Importantly, if necessary, the specialists of the inclusive resource center conduct a comprehensive assessment in other areas, such as diagnosis of the level of social adaptation (in most cases, this happens when the child demonstrates a low level of sociability and social skills).

The conclusion on the comprehensive assessment is an important document that should be taken into account by both parents and practicing teachers. It contains general data about the child with special educational needs, his health condition, family (parents or guardians, brothers, sisters), conditions of upbringing in the family, educational institution (preschool or general secondary education institution). In addition, the conclusions include data on the directions of the comprehensive assessment, general conclusions, recommendations, information about the specialists of the inclusive resource center who conducted it. This document (the results of a comprehensive assessment of development) must be brought to the attention of parents (one of the parents) or legal representatives of a child with special educational needs, which will further guide them in creating conditions for the child's education and upbringing, providing psychological-pedagogical and correctional-developmental services in educational institutions. The weight of the conclusion is also confirmed by the fact that if specialists establish that a child has special educational needs, there are grounds for drawing up an individual development program, providing psychological-pedagogical and correctional-developmental services by a team of specialists, and organizing psychological-pedagogical support for the child.

At the current stage, specialists of inclusive resource centers use various techniques and means, methods of comprehensive assessment. The practical activity of specialists includes cooperation with other specialists, colleagues and teachers of educational institutions, social institutions, medical centers, who share their own opinions and work experience regarding the specifics of personality development in the presence of a certain disorder. The choice of the most effective method of comprehensive assessment of a certain direction of development of children of different ages depends on its purpose and tasks. The most used, for example, in working with children with disabilities are the following (Table 1.2):

Table 1.2

Methods of comprehensive assessment of children's development of different ages

Source: [author's own observations]

Each individual technique has its own structure and involves certain stages of implementation, preliminary (preparatory) work of a specialist, compliance with requirements and conditions of implementation, rules for drawing conclusions about diagnostic results.

Our research proved that the specialists of the inclusive resource center do not always use this or that method in its full, pure form, but combine it with other methods, author's techniques, which depends on a number of reasons (Fig. 2):

Fig. 2. Factors influencing the choice and frequency of use of the comprehensive assessment methodology

The survey of the specialists of the inclusive resource center proved that parents often do not trust the results of the comprehensive assessment conducted within the center and turn to various private clinics for re-examination. However, the same results obtained in another place using the same methods become indicative in accordance with the professional level of the employees of the inclusive resource center. As a result, parents of children with disabilities continue to consult with the specialists of the inclusive resource center, receiving answers to their questions, new knowledge about the rules of home care, education and upbringing of their own children.

It is characteristic that in practice there are situations when a specialist can almost immediately characterize the existing disorder, which is clearly expressed in the child's behavior, his abilities and skills, and other signs. High professionalism and extensive experience allow the employees of the inclusive resource center to accurately and correctly identify developmental disorders and carry out high-quality comprehensive assessments. At the same time, this contributes to the further search for ways of personal development that correspond to its individual capabilities, aptitudes and abilities, interests and needs, and do not pose difficulties in achieving success in self-development.

CONCLUSIONS AND PROSPECTS OF FURTHER RESEARCH

Therefore, comprehensive assessment is an integral part of the practical activity of the specialists of the inclusive resource center, which depends on the drawing of the educational trajectory of a child with a developmental disorder, his further educational, work, creative activities, the formation of social skills and abilities.

The choice of a specific method of comprehensive assessment depends primarily on the personality of the child, his individual characteristics and capabilities, the professional knowledge of the special education teacher, speech therapist or psychologist and the practical skills of using it in practice. A friendly atmosphere in the institution, a positive mentor, calm parents and a child who is not afraid of what will happen, in one way or another affect the duration and frequency of conducting, as well as the results of comprehensive eye. This allows us to assert that in order to increase its effectiveness, it is necessary to create appropriate conditions, to direct the practical activities of the specialists of the inclusive resource center to constant arming with new professional knowledge and the study, generalization, and further implementation of the experience of using various methods of comprehensive assessment.

REFERENCES

1. Andrijevsjkyj, B. M. (2010). Problemy ghotovnosti shestyrichnykh ditej do navchannja v shkoli [Problems of readiness of six-year-old children to study at school]. Pedaghoghichnyj aljmanakh: zbirnyk naukovykh pracj. Kherson: RIPO, 5, 6-9. (in Ukrainian).

2. Ghoncharuk, O. Jak provodjatj kompleksne ocinjuvannja rozvytku dytyny v IRC [How comprehensive assessment of child development is carried out in the IRC]. Retrieved from: https://www.pedrada.com.ua/article/1911-yak-provodyat-kompleksne-otsnyuvannya-rozvitku-ditini-v- nklyuzivno-resursnomu-tsentr

3. Polozhennja pro inkljuzyvno-resursnyj centr [Regulations on inclusive resource center]. Retrieved from: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/ show/545-2017-%D0%BF#Text

4. Postanova Kabinetu Ministriv vid 21 serpnja 2013 r. № 607 «Pro zatverdzhennja Derzhavnogho standartu pochatkovoji zaghaljnoji osvity dlja ditej z osoblyvymy osvitnimy potrebamy [Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of August 21, 2013 No. 607 "On approval of the State standard of primary general education for children with special educational needs]. Retrieved from: http://zakon0.rada.gov.ua/laws/ show/607-2013-%D0%BF

5. Prokhorenko, L.I. (2018). Dytyna iz trudnoshhamy u navchanni [A child with learning difficulties]. Kharkiv: Ranok. (in Ukrainian).

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