Historical analysis of the formation of elementary mathematical concepts in preschool children with intellectual disability

The article is devoted to the historical analysis of the formation of elementary mathematical concepts in preschool children with intellectual disability. The specifics of the problems and possible ways to solve them are revealed. Historical analysis based on the researches of Russian and foreign authors such as L. S. Vygotsky, M. Montessori, F. Fröbel, K. D. Ushinsky and the comparative historical method were used. Throughout the entire period, researchers have made significant contributions to the methodology of teaching mathematics to preschoolers with intellectual disability. The most important achievement was the approval of the principles of L. S. Vygotsky's zonal development, according to which central attention should be paid to the zones of immediate development of each child. Classical studies by K. D. Ushinsky have demonstrated the importance of practical orientation of learning and the formation of natural ways of a child's interaction with the world. A significant contribution was made by foreign scientists such as V. A. Lay, whose method presented a number as an object related to feelings and perception, and F. Fröbel, who created an original system of sensory education. At the same time, significant limitations of the old approaches have been identified, mainly expressed in focusing on the formalized transfer of knowledge and underestimating the individual characteristics of children with intellectual disability. Modern research confirms that traditional methods are often insufficient to meet the needs of such children, and fundamentally new learning strategies are needed that combine pedagogical flexibility and the use of technical innovations. The points noted in the study emphasize the urgent need to create an adaptive educational environment that takes into account the diversity and differences in the levels of readiness of children with intellectual disability to master mathematical knowledge.