Сorrection of Visual and Imaginative Thinking of Preschool Children with Intellectual Disabilities by Means of Play Activities

This paper analyzes the psychological and pedagogical characteristics of preschoolers with intellectual disabilities, explores patterns in the development of visual-figurative thinking, and reveals the remedial potential of play activities. The preschool period is considered a sensitive stage for the development of the basic components of visual-figurative thinking, since it is on this foundation that the consistent formation of verbal and logical thought processes occurs in primary school age. The empirical part of the study was conducted at the preschool educational institution “Kindergarten No. 473” in Chelyabinsk. A group of 14 pupils aged 5 to 7 years with diagnosed intel- lectual disabilities participated in the experiment. For diagnostics, specialized tools were used, including the stan- dardized methods “Group the Pictures” (by color and shape) by E. A. Strebeleva, and the “Series of Story Pictures” method (a girl bathing a doll) by E. A. Strebeleva, E. A. Strebeleva’s “Find the Season” method, S. D. Zabramnaya’s “Cut Pictures” method (modified version), and A. A. Venger’s “Draw the Whole” method. Based on the research findings, a comprehensive psychological and pedagogical program for the correction of visual-figurative thinking was developed, based on the principles of playful interaction and taking into account the developmental specifics of children with non-intellectual disabilities.