Psychological and Pedagogical Support of Students with Special Educational Needs in a Higher Education Institution

Kravchenko, O.; Chupina, K.; Koliada, N.; Safin, O.; Bondarenko, H.

The article deals with the peculiarities of psychological and pedagogical support of students with special educational needs in the conditions of higher education institution. Peculiarities of creation and functioning of the team of psychological and pedagogical support and inclusive groups as an innovative form of support of students with special educational needs are considered. The main forms and methods of teaching are determined. The regulatory legal base on this issue is analyzed. The experience of the Center for Social and Educational Integration and Inclusive Rehabilitation and Social Tourism “Without Barriers” (Faculty of Social and Psychological Education of Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University) on working with students with special educational needs is revealed. The main mechanisms of psychological support for students with special educational needs are identified, including psychological diagnostics, psychological counseling, psychological support, psychological education, psychotherapy, group work, pedagogical support. The results of the research are highlighted. In particular, a questionnaire was used to determine the level of students’ adaptation to the conditions of the educational process, to determine the range of problems faced by students with special educational needs. The following methods have been used: study of socio-psychological adaptation of K. Rogers - R. Diamond, “Diagnosis of communicative and organizational tendencies (COT-2)”, “Diagnosis of leadership skill” (E. Zharikov, E. Krushelnytsky), “Assessment of the level of sociability” by Riahovsky. A comparative data analysis for the last 2 years has been carried out. Particular attention has been paid to the training of students with special educational needs in terms of distance learning, which is caused by the spread of COVID-19. Generalized advice on teaching students with special educational needs within distance learning is offered, in particular, adaptation of educational material, increase of audiovisual means, psychological support of participants of educational process. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.