THE EVOLUTION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION IN UKRAINE AS A SEPARATE SCIENTIFIC AREA IN THE 1940-1960'S

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyze the main directions for the development of the theoretical foundations of special education and speech therapy in Ukraine during the 1940–1960's in the light of the decisions made by the pro-government bodies of the Ukrainian SSR. The article focuses on the need for critical analysis of the historical and pedagogical conditions for the development of speech therapy as a science in Ukraine as a definite experience for creative reflection in the course of modernization of special education in the current socio-economic, socio-political and cultural situation. A number of factors have been identified that have influenced the development of the special education system in different historical periods, such as: socio-economic conditions in the country; activity of the state towards people with various impairments in psychophysical development; legislation in the field of education and human rights; the state of special education as an integral branch of scientific knowledge. It was determined that the significant development of scientific and methodological work in the field of speech therapy at the beginning of the second half of the twentieth century was facilitated by the increase in the number of children with severe speech disorders, who needed vocational guidance and special forms of training and upbringing and by inconsistency of the existing network of pre-school and school education establishments for the specified category of children. The analysis of archival documents reflects important governmental decisions on the provision of professional correctional assistance to children with disorders of psychophysical development and the organization of scientific and methodological activities of scientists in the field. It is determined that scientific work in the field of special education and speech therapy in particular at different age periods was conducted by the staff of the Research Institute of Defectology, department, and later the laboratory of speech therapy of the Research Institute of Pedagogy, Defectology Faculty of the Kiev State Pedagogical Institute named after O. Gorky. As a result of the analysis of the problem, the peculiarities of scientific activity of state institutions were regarded through the prism of the state policy in the field of training and education of children with various disorders of psychophysical development.