Modern approaches to studying pedagogical support for deaf-blind children with cochlear implants

Problem and goal. The article deals with various approaches to the understanding of deaf-blindness in Russia and abroad (on the example of EU countries). Domestic and foreign defectology contains a wide variety of terms and definitions of the concept of deaf-blindness. According to the selected hearing and vision ability groups of children with dual sensory impairments, the appropriate pedagogical systems of their support and the development of their communication are applied. However, neither Russian nor foreign literature raised the issue of the allocation of children with deaf-blindness into a separate group after cochlear implantation, and the approaches to their support and correction were not considered. Thus, the main issue is to discuss the the topic of allocation of cochlear implanted children with dual sensory impairments into a separate group, which may require different approaches in pedagogical support and correctional work. The purpose of the article is to analyse the main theoretical approaches to understanding the concept of deaf-blindness in Russia and abroad, identify the missing groups in the existing classifications of deaf-blind children and put forward a hypothesis for further research concerning approaches to pedagogical support and correctional work with children with dual sensory impairments after cochlear implantation. The research methodology consists of analysis and synthesis of regulatory documents in the field of education, researches of foreign and domestic scientists recognised by the scientific community as well as experience of pedagogical support for deaf-blind children according to the existing classifications. Results. Based on the analysis of theoretical approaches, the main conclusions and differences in the understanding of deaf-blindness as a phenomenon in defectology are formulated, a proposal to supplement the basic classification of deaf-blindness is made, and a hypothesis for further research concerning approaches to pedagogical support and correctional work with dual sensory impaired children after cochlear implantation is indicated. Conclusion. The analysis, provided in the article, of domestic and foreign sources on the understanding of deaf-blindness and pedagogical support of deaf-blind children allowed us to make the following suggestion: we propose to allocate a separate group of children with dual sensory impairments after cochlear implantation; as well as formulate a hypothesis for further research on approaches to pedagogical support and correctional work with dual sensory impaired children after cochlear implantation.