Level exploration cognitive activity

in children with intellectual disabilities

An experimental study of the development of cognitive processes in children with intellectual disabilities was carried out in a correctional schoolVIIIview of Kamenny village. A group of 8 children took part in the survey. The work was carried out in the following order:

1. Examination of children's cognitive processes.

2. Development of visual aids.

3. Repeated examination and summing up.

In order to identify the characteristics of cognitive processes in children with intellectual disabilities, testing was carried out.

Method No. 1 “Recognition of figures.”

Bernstein test to assess visual memory.

For children we offer a table measuring 50x50 cm with 9 geometric shapes, exposure time - 15 seconds. They need to remember the shapes. Immediately after the show, they need to cross out the 9 figures they saw on the table, located among the other 24 figures (10x10 cm), on the response form.

When assessing, we use a new classification of levels of short-term visual memory.

We mark and count the number of correctly and incorrectly recognized figures. In order to characterize the level of recognition, we calculate the recognition coefficientE :

E = (M: 9) + N

WhereM - number of correctly recognized figures;

N - number of incorrectly recognized figures.

The most optimal recognition coefficient is equal to one, therefore, the closer the results of a particular subject are to one, the better his recognition processes function visual material.

Evaluation of results

Standards

High level – 7-9 figures are recognized correctly

Intermediate level - 6 figures

Low level- less than 6 figures

The results are listed in Table 1.

Table 1

Visual memory level

F.I.

Result

Level

Coefficient

1. Vadim

Short

4,55

2. Valya

Short

4,55

3. Igor

Average

3,66

4. Ira

High

1,88

5. Dima

Average

3,66

6. Roma

Average

3,66

7. Vova

Short

4,55

8. Sveta

Short

5,44

Testing showed that out of the entire group of children, only 1 had a coefficient of 1 or closer to one, that is, the level of visual memory is quite high. Three children completed the task at the standard or low standard level, that is, they recognized 6 or fewer figures. Three examined children with intellectual disabilities showed a low level (recognition coefficientE > 4 ).

One girl (Dawn) showed a very low result (recognition coefficientE > 5 ).

Rice. 1. Results of examination of memory development (%)

Thus, the data obtained during the methodology indicate that the majority of children with intellectual disabilities are at a low and average level of visual memory development. Their memory is characterized by slow memorization and rapid forgetting. At the same time, the remembered moments are reproduced fragmentarily and inaccurately.

The next step was to conduct an attention diagnostic.

Method No. 2 “House” (N.I. Gutkina)

The technique is a task of drawing a picture depicting a house, the individual parts of which are made up of capital letters. The task allows us to identify the child’s ability to focus his work on a model, the ability to accurately copy it, reveals the features of the development of voluntary attention, spatial perception, sensorimotor coordination and fine motor skills of the hand. The technique is designed for children 7 years old (normal). In this case, it was used to identify the attention characteristics of mentally retarded 6th grade students.

Instructions to the subject: “In front of you lies a sheet of paper and a pencil. On this sheet, I ask you to draw exactly the same picture that you see in this drawing (a piece of paper with “House” is placed in front of the subject). Take your time, be careful, try so that your drawing is exactly the same as this one on the sample. If you draw something wrong, you can’t erase it with an eraser or your finger, but you need to draw it correctly on top of the wrong one or next to it. Do you understand the task? Then get to work."

Processing of experimental material is carried out by counting points awarded for errors.

The following are considered errors:

a) the absence of any details of the drawing;

b) an increase in individual details of the picture by more than 2 times while maintaining a relatively arbitrary size of the entire picture;

c) incorrect representation of the elements of the picture;

e) deviation of straight lines by more than 30 degrees from the given direction;

f) breaks between lines in places where they should be connected;

g) lines climbing one on top of another.

Good execution of the drawing is scored 0 points. The worse the task is completed, the higher the total score received by the subject.

More than 3 points - satisfactory, more than 7 points - unsatisfactory.

The “House” technique was completed without errors by two children, Ira and Vadim, their drawings can be described as good completion of the task - 0 points. All details of the drawing are present. There are no separately enlarged parts more than 2 times. All elements of the picture are depicted correctly and their distribution in space is arbitrary. There are no deviations more than 30 degrees from the specified space. Lines without breaks. There are no lines one on top of another.

Other children have numerous errors. Basically, children with intellectual disabilities showed results within 1-7 points, which indicates a low and average level of attention development. These children do not perceive most small details, often simply do not complete the task completely, and are distracted, which indicates rapid exhaustion.

Figure 2 clearly shows the results of the study. Two children showed good results, five – satisfactory, these data indicate an insufficient level of development of attention.

Rice. 2. Results of a survey of attention development (%)

Method No. 3 “Chickens”

The technique gives an idea of ​​the formation of abstract logical thinking. It is a modification known tests G. Eysenck. It is necessary to find patterns in an empty square, based on the 8 drawn figures, and complete the missing figure.

“A friendly family of chickens went for a walk, but one of the most curious ones lingered, looking at the worm, and got lost. Help him find his brothers and sisters, draw him in the central square. Look carefully: all the chickens are somewhat similar, because they are brothers and sisters, so the lost chicken will be somewhat similar to the others.”

For each correctly found pattern, 1 point is awarded.

Maximum score for completing the task - 3 points.

Accordingly, 0 points is a low level, 1-2 is average, and 3 is high.

The results of the performed methodology are listed in Table 2.

Table 2

Level of thinking

Levels of development of thinking

high

average

short

Group of 8 people

100%

12,5%

62,5%

Rice. 3. Results of a survey of the development of thinking (%)

A survey of thinking showed that, like others, cognitive processes thinking in children with intellectual disabilities is at an average level. One child showed a high level (12.5%). About 62.5% of children received 1-2 points ( intermediate level). The remaining schoolchildren (25%) showed a low level of development of abstract logical thinking. Thus, we can talk about an almost complete absence of abstract logical thinking in this group of mentally retarded schoolchildren. Only 6 people showed that their thinking in general is at a level sufficient for studying at school, although their thinking is too concrete, they cannot abstract themselves and accurately complete the task.

Ability to consistently reproduce events - important quality formed personality. The process of mastering this skill begins in early childhood. Alexander Nikolaevich Bernstein’s “Sequence of Events” technique will help determine whether a child’s logical thinking and the ability to recreate the order of actions or phenomena are developing correctly.

Characteristics of A.N.’s technique Bernstein

The “Sequence of Events” technique was developed under the leadership of Alexander Nikolaevich Bernstein, a representative of a well-known dynasty of psychologists in Russia and abroad. At the beginning of the twentieth century, he studied the possibilities of psychoanalysis in the field of research of mental abilities. As part of this work, a number of techniques were created to determine the level of intelligence development.

The Sequence of Events test is aimed at:

• identifying the child’s intelligence level;
• diagnostics of the ability to build logical conclusions and establish connections between events and phenomena;
• determining the test subject's ability to generalize facts.

Due to the fact that the test is conducted orally, the experimenter can also draw a conclusion about how well the baby’s speech is developed.

It is recommended to use the technique for testing children 5–12 years old - during the period of entry into school and the beginning of secondary education, when active mental development occurs. The stimulus material is a set of 5 cards with 2–8 pictures on each, which are united by one plot. The subject's task is to determine the sequence of events that occurred in the illustrations and tell the story. The images are presented in two versions:

• with an obvious plot, when the characters find themselves in a situation, the nature of which can be judged from the image (for example, a chicken climbed into a chimney lying on the ground, and came out covered in soot - such a card is suitable for children 5–7 years old);
• with a hidden plot (in this case, an 8-12 year old subject will need to use certain knowledge about some natural phenomena, the laws of the surrounding world).

Conducting a test among preschoolers and primary schoolchildren

Diagnostics are carried out individually with each child, but to train logical thinking, test pictures can also be used in organizing group written work (in this case, the plot is discussed with the children collectively). For the research to be informative, it is important to conduct it in an atmosphere of goodwill and calm.

Instructions for organizing testing:

1. The experimenter explains to the child the essence of the task: “Let's play writing a story. I will put in front of you fragments of one picture that are mixed up with each other. You will have to fold them the way the artist intended.”
2. Then the baby begins to examine the image and begins to collect it.
3. When everything is ready, the test organizer asks the child to compose a story based on the resulting picture.
4. In case of an error in the narration, the adult asks the subject leading questions (“Where did the chickens go to get so dirty?”), the purpose of which is to stimulate the child’s ingenuity, as well as teach him to correct his own mistakes. If a child persistently repeats the same violation storyline, then it is necessary to more clearly push him to understand the development of events (“Would the bird have been able to drink water if he had not seen the pebbles next to the jug?”). When, even after the second hint, the child fails to complete the task, the organizer tells him how it should be and asks him to repeat it, laying out the pictures again.

When working with young children, adult support is to ensure that the parts in front of the child are not positioned upside down. Middle-level students no longer need help.

If the test results are not required in the future, all received information can be recorded in free form without creating a protocol

Based on the test results, a protocol is generated:

Before filling out the form, the experimenter should carefully look at the order the child followed when arranging the elements. You can write it down in the report after listening to the subject’s story to the end (for example, 5, 3, 2, 1, 4).

File: Pictures for the “Sequence of Events” diagnostic

Processing and interpretation of results

The famous English writer Agatha Christie said: “Irrefutable logic is characteristic only of abnormal people.”

Based on the work done, the experimenter can make the following conclusions about the intellectual level of development of the subject:

• high - the child himself established the sequence of images (even with 1 mistake), came up with a logical story, and told the story coherently;
• middle - the child reproduced the order of events, but could not compose a story; only later he picked up the leading questions of an adult and eventually formulated a story;
• low - the subject was unable to put the pictures in the correct order, and also refused to write a story, or:
  • using cards arranged independently, he came up with a completely illogical narrative;
  • the invented plot does not correspond to the images;
  • the subject describes each picture as a separate story;
  • the baby simply names the individual objects drawn on the sheet.

Reading out loud with your child and discussing what you read will help develop logic and attentiveness.

In addition, about intellectual development the child is evidenced by a number of accompanying factors:

• If the subject happily picks up the adult’s prompts, this indicates that the development of the baby’s logical thinking is within normal limits, but may be a little inert. To activate thought processes, the child needs to read aloud as often as possible and complete tasks after reading (for example, answer questions, reproduce the sequence of events of a learned story). When the subject does not understand the adult’s comments, then you should pay attention to the style of communication with the baby. Perhaps his family often shouts at him, which is why he does not listen to the words of the experimenter.
• If the child’s speech is coherent and grammatically correct, then the subject’s figurative-logical thinking is at its best. high level. If the child's language grammar is violated, the child needs to be trained. To do this, you need to ask him to comment on everything that is happening around him - this way the subject will learn to associate images with descriptions in his mind.
• If the test taker expresses himself laconically, then most likely this is a feature of his temperament, but in cases of excessive detail and associated distractions, we can talk about a low level of generalization processes.

Methodology A.N. Bernstein’s “Sequence of Events” will help you find out whether a child can reason logically and build cause-and-effect relationships, which is important for the child’s successful education at school. It can also be used to train the indicated skills.

An esophageal test or Bernstein test is performed to test the muscular movement and contraction, strength and coordination of the esophagus. The Bernstein test includes the following studies:

• Esophageal acidity test or pH monitoring - these are necessary to measure the pH content of the esophagus. A low level suggests acid reflux.
• Esophageal manometry measures the pattern and strength of esophageal muscle contractions.

Reasons for performing the Bernstein test

There are several reasons for conducting this analysis:

• It helps to find out whether chest pain is felt due to GPR (gastroesophageal reflux)
• Can establish the causes preceding the symptoms of gastrointestinal tract
• Checks how effective treatment for gastrointestinal tract is
• Determines the nature of esophageal spasms and chest pain
• Monitors whether the functioning of the esophagus is normal

Preparation

• The day before the test, stop taking antacids and acid reducers.
• Your doctor will also tell you what other medications you should avoid before the test.
• The day before the test, avoid alcohol.
• You must stop eating 17 hours before the test.
• You should tell your doctor about other health problems, such as heart disease, heart failure, and esophageal varices.

Procedure

During the procedure, your nose and throat will be under anesthesia. A narrow tube will be inserted into your nose and passed through your throat and into your stomach. This may trigger your gag reflex. To overcome this sensation, it is recommended to breathe slowly and concentrate on breathing. During the procedure, your blood pressure and pulse will be displayed on the monitor.

PH monitoring

A probe passed through the nose/mouth into the lower esophagus is used to monitor pH levels.
For further details about the test, contact your doctor.

Feelings after the test

• When the tube is inserted into your esophagus, you may gag and the lubricant may taste foul.
• If added more acids in your stomach, you may experience heartburn.
• The throat may be sore, but this sensation will go away in a few days.

Possible risks

The risks may be the following:

• You may experience an irregular heartbeat.
• The tube may accidentally end up in the windpipe instead of the esophagus.
• The tube may make a hole in the esophagus.

Results

You can usually get the results of the test from your doctor within a few hours.

This method can be used for the purpose of early detection of esophagitis in children in a clinic setting. It should be noted that this test is indicative in identifying pathology of the esophagus and is currently practically not used. The test is based on the assessment of the child’s subjective sensations during artificial acidification of the lower third of the esophagus with a 0.1 N solution hydrochloric acid. Hydrogen ions are known to diffuse relatively easily into the lining of the esophagus, causing a sensation of pain or heartburn. By artificially reproducing the clinical situation that occurs with gastroesophageal reflux, the doctor has the opportunity to suspect esophageal pathology when the patient experiences retrosternal pain or other sensations

To carry out test a perfusion apparatus is used, which consists of two vessels, reinforced & tripod, and connected through a tee to a probe. The first vessel is filled with physiological solution, the second - with 0.1 N hydrochloric acid solution. The temperature of both solutions is about 37°C. To regulate the flow of liquid from the bottles, two clamps are provided. A duodenal probe is inserted into the esophagus on an empty stomach so that the oligos is 5 cm above the esophageal valve. Perfusion begins with the introduction of a saline solution into the esophagus at a rate of 30 calamine (therefore, a dropper should be provided in the system) . The solution is administered over 3-4 minutes. Then, unnoticed by the subject, a switch is made to perfusion of a hydrochloric acid solution, approximately 100 drops of the solution are injected over 3 minutes.

The test is scored as positive if during perfusion of hydrochloric acid solution in the first 3 minutes of the study, chest pain or heartburn occurred; weakly positive - if the administration of hydrochloric acid causes a feeling of cold behind the sternum; and negative - if the perfusion of hydrochloric acid does not cause any sensations.

String test

For the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux the so-called “thread” test, proposed by A. V. Mozheiko (1991) and S. V. Tsarelorodtsev (1986), can help

Research is being carried out in the morning on an empty stomach. A thin probe perforated every centimeter with a Congo red-stained thread stretched inside is inserted through the nasal passage to the lower third of the esophagus (length, equal to distance from under the chin to the xiphoid process). After 30-60 minutes, the probe with the thread is removed.

Depending on acidity esophagus, the color of the thread removed from the probe changes from red-violet (pH 4.0-5.0) to blue (pH 3.0-4.0) and black (pH< 2.0). Проба позволяет оценить высоту заброса желудочного содержимого в пищевод от нижней трети пищевода до ротоглотки.

The thread test is also is indicative only, but it is very reliable and can be used in non-core medical institutions; research for the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux.

Scales: level of development of recognition

Purpose of the test

Study of the processes of perception and recognition of children and adults.

Test description

The experimenter presents the subject with a table depicting 9 figures and asks them to carefully examine and remember these figures for 10 seconds. After which the subject is shown a second table, with a large number of figures. The subject must find among them the figures from the first table.

Test instructions

First instruction: “Now I will show you images of figures. You have 10 seconds to try to remember as many figures as possible."

Second instruction: “In the next picture, among the drawn figures, you must choose those that you saw in the first case.”

Test

Processing and interpretation of test results

The experimenter notes and counts the number of correctly and incorrectly recognized figures. The level of recognition (E) is calculated using the formula:

E = M / 9 + N, Where

. M- number of correctly recognized figures,
. N- number of incorrectly recognized figures.

The most optimal level of recognition is equal to one, therefore, the closer the test subject’s results are to one, the better his processes of recognizing visual material function. In a similar way, you can study the processes of recognition of other material: alphabetic, digital, verbal.

Sources

Figure recognition / Almanac psychological tests. M., 1995, pp. 86-87.