Образование и охрана здоровья. Сборник научно-методических материалов

7.Периодическое издательство газеты или журнала психологической службы детского оздоровительного учреждения.

8.Активизация деятельности PR-специалиста по вопросам распространения рекламы, презентаций с целью популяризации деятельности психологической службы и формирования психологической культуры детей-рекреантов, вожатых и менеджеров оздоровительных учреждений.

9.Создание сайта психологической службы детского оздоровительного учреждения с целью выхода на международный уровень, обмена опытом с психологическими службами других рекреационных учреждений.

Задачи 2 блока направлены на сохранение и развитие физического и психического здоровья детей-рекреантов, вожатых и менеджеров оздоровительных учреждений:

1.Создание кабинета психологической разгрузки для детей-рек- реантов, вожатых и менеджеров оздоровительных учреждений.

2.Организация и проведение психотерапевтических сессий и тренингов с детьми-рекреантов, вожатыми и менеджерами оздоровительных учреждений.

3.Психологическое сопровождение развития личностно-профес- сиональнойуспешностивсехсотрудниковрекреационныхучреждений.

Задачи 3 блока предусмотрены нормативными требованиями к деятельности психологической службы, но с учетом специфики оздоровительных учреждений для детей.

1.Психологическая диагностика, профилактика, просвещение, методическая работа, консультирование, коррекционно-развиваю- щая работа, которая проводится с детьми-рекреантами, вожатыми и менеджерами оздоровительных учреждений по плану работы психологической службы и по личному запросу вышеобозначенных лиц.

2.Психологическая поддержка детей-рекреантов, вожатых и менеджеров оздоровительных учреждений при прохождении возрастных, социальных или индивидуальных кризисов и повышения их со- циально-психологической адаптированности.

Непосредственно касаясь работы психологической службы необходимо отметить, что она должна носить многовекторный характер, т.е. осуществляться по вертикали (все руководящие звенья: менеджеры рекреационных учреждений — вожатые — актив детских групп), по горизонтали (отдельная работа с каждой стратой: детьми-

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рекреантами, вожатыми, менеджерами рекреационных учреждений); а также иметь отдельные направления работы с другими оздоровительными учреждениями (создание психологических клубов, например «Школа психологических знаний», организация круглых столов, социально-психологических акций и др.), а также поддерживать контакты с другими детскими оздоровительными учреждениями.

С целью решения поставленных задач целесообразно использовать следующие формы работы: индивидуальная, групповая и дистанционная (телефон доверия, скайп доверия, социальные Internet сети). Также предусмотрены методы психодиагностики, психконсультирования, психокоррекции, психотерапии, ведущая роль среди которых принадлежит последнему. Он конкретизируется через арттерапию, игровую, педагогическую, телесную, когнитивно-поведен- ческую, гештальт терапию, символ драму, психодраму и тому подобное.

Методическое обеспечение должно включать нормативно-пра- вовые документы работы психологической службы, этический кодекс психолога, план реализации проекта психологической службы и ее стратегию развития, методическую литературу, разработки тренингов, коррекционных программ, психотерапевтических сессий, семинаров и мастер-классов, учебные пособия, монографии, мультимедийное обеспечение, видеотеку. Психодиагностическое обеспечение предполагает наличие методик для диагностики познавательных процессов, психических состояний и свойств личности, межличностных отношений.

В целях развития психологической службы детских оздоровительных учреждений, создания условий для оказания психологической и социально-педагогической помощи, а также для успешной деятельности психологов и других профильных специалистов целесообразно иметь различные функциональные помещения, каждое из которых имеет определенное назначение и соответствующее оснащение. Отдельные кабинеты должны быть предназначены для осуществления консультационной, диагностической, коррекционно-раз- вивающей, просветительской, профилактической, организационнометодической и научно-исследовательской работы. Кабинеты специалистов психологической службы должны отвечать определенным санитарно-гигиеническим, техническим и методическим требованиям, создавать атмосферу уюта и вызывать положительные эмоции.

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the same declaration also states that it is necessary to provide effective access to social services — “to ensure effective access to integrated services to disabled children and children with special needs, including rehabilitation and health care, and to develop family care support systems for these children’s parents, families, guardians and care takers”. [3.39.]

According to the statistical data, approximately 4—6 % of the world’s population is hearing impaired, 2 % of them do not hear with both ears. It can be partly explained by heredity, partly by the increase in the intensity of life, domineering noise in everyday life — too loud music, noise at work. We cannot also deny the harmful effects of certain medications on hearing. Skull injuries and some illnesses can also cause a significant hearing loss (meningitis, encephalitis, influenza). Some of the hearing impairment is associated with aging. It is significant to establish the hearing impairment as early as possible. Children need hearing for language development and learning. For adult patients, it is important for communication with the society: at school, at work and in life. [13.]

In Latvia there are approximately 942 children under 18 with differrent types of hearing impairment. As shown by the author’s research, half of these children get integrated into the hearing community’s educational institutions, and the other half attends special education institutions. [2.]

On average 2—3 children in every 1000 newborns are born with permanent hearing impairment, i.e., 2%. Annually 19,800 children are born in Latvia, so it can be concluded that annually in Latvia there are 40—50 children with hearing impairment. In 1998 European Consensus on Neonatal Hearing Screening was adopted, but only in 2006 the Cabinet of Ministers passed a regulation on the mandatory hearing screening on the 3rd — 6th day after the child’s birth. Annex 1 of the regulations of Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia on “Newborns’ Health Care” states that in the early neonatal period (up to the 6th day of life) — hearing tests with the otoacustic emission method of examination and screening on the 3rd — 4th day of life. Usually it is done in the risk groups and upon parents’ will. [5]

REHABILITATION

The development objective of the rehabilitation center is to reduce the problems caused by disability with complex activities focusing on the development of physical, intellectual and social abilities and skills, social integration into society of the disabled people, as well as the child and his/her family’s cooperation and full-bodied participation in the events of

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active living. Involvement is an essential factor characterizing health that significantly affects the quality of life. Involvement should be the main objective in the rehabilitation and social help; it is a key health indicator regardless the diagnosis and functional capacity (according to the World Health Organization established the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health).

Persons with special needs need complex care. They need medical services, as well as social care. In Latvia activities in this area are still not sufficiently coordinated. The Rehabilitation Center aims at providing complex care for different age groups of people with disabilities in the territory of Riga contributing to the quality of life with particular emphasis on children’s full-bodied development. [7.]

The Rehabilitation Centre aims at providing a full rehabilitation team to patients, to ensure an individual rehabilitation program to each client, to encourage clients’ participation in the processes of life and development of functional capacity.

The target group also is considered to include parents of children-pa- tients, where the rehabilitation center offers full-day care for children allowing parents to return to the labor market. It is important to develop cooperation with parents involving them in children’s rehabilitation process, counseling in solving various challenges, facilitating support groups. [6., 9.]

At the international level such documents as the UN General Assembly declaration “World Fit for Children”, Convention on the Rights of the Child, Copenhagen Declaration, Declaration on the Rights of People with Disabilities and Action Program for Social Development, Vienna Convention, European Social Charter and other international documents are considered as binding. The aim of the international documents is to serve as guidelines for national documents. [3., 1.]

The most significant documents at the national level, which are binding for preschool children with disabilities, are the Children’s Rights Protection Law; Law on Medical and Social Protection of Disabled Persons, Social Services and Social Care Law, as well as the General Education Law.

The legislation of Latvia provides similar settings on issues regarding preschool children with disabilities — enabling environment, differences in mitigating circumstances, prevention of discrimination, promotion of child’s development, access to information about available services, availability of information regarding freedom of choice and action, integration in the society, etc. It must be admitted that the laws do not always provide

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detailed disclaimers that specify how to ensure the realization of this setting. Rarely the laws disclose the precise nuances that specify exactly the national or local jurisdiction in the corresponding issues. [7., 4.]

Within the framework of local governments, the support for a specific group is provided, directly under Clause 2 of Section 21 of the General Education Law, which states that local governments in their administrative territory provide direct training of five and six-year old children for primary education and indirectly, e. g., through co-financing projects for social services for children, disabled children, children with special needs or their parents. [4.]

Child with hearing impairment

Fig. 1. Education and rehabilitation possibilities

of a child with hearing impairment (author’s construction)

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Basing on the Latvia Cabinet of Ministers Regulation No. 9 from January 4, 2011 “Regulations on the individual rehabilitation plan for persons with predictable disabilities and persons with a disability” issued in accordance with Section 10, Part 2, Clause 13 of the Disability Law. The Commission’s recommendations to the individual rehabilitation plan for a person with a disability include:

1professional rehabilitation, retraining and other need for occupational training;

2measures to mitigate the effects of disability:

3necessity to receive social rehabilitation services;

4necessity to receive assistant’s services;

5necessity to receive the state budget paid psychological services to a person as well as its legal representative if the disability is determined first time to a person under 18 years of age living in the family;

6necessity for special care or special care of a disabled child;

7necessity to receive sign language interpreter’s services.

Within the framework of this same law, under Clause 15.2 — to carry out an assessment of the individual rehabilitation plan measures at least every six months, if necessary in cooperation with the family or attending physician. [8., 4.]

As the official statistics on the use and availability of rehabilitation for hearing impaired children in Latvia proves, the parents of these children use hearing and neurological rehabilitation therapy twice per year, e. g., approximately 442 children per year use it. A majority of parents also use psychological and pedagogical rehabilitation for parents because this programme includes communication with a child and acquisition of his/her skills, e. g., elementary skills of the sign language. Speech therapy and social rehabilitation are less attended because a lot of municipal organizations provide explanations. It is worth mentioning that children having cochlear implantation (CI) have prenatal rehabilitation; currently in Latvia there are 105 children under 18 with cochlear implantation. Some of these children after CI rehabilitation integrate into comprehensive or pre-school educational institutions; only 3—5 % cannot integrate to general education institutions. The services of the rehabilitation centre are the most actively used in the age group 1—8, less at the primary school age, but at the basic school age they are not used anymore. LR Law “On Medical and Social Protection of Disabled Persons” of September 29, 1992 determines that state and municipality guarantees disabled

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persons availability of education at home, general or special pre-school education, basic education and secondary education institutions providing them special inventory and technical auxiliary devices; ensuring acquisition of appropriate education or trade corresponding to the health condition. [10., 11.]

EDUCATION

Regardless the type of disturbances a child has, education and its environment have a significant role in personality development. In comparison with the primary school level in mainstream school at the basic school level hearing-impaired children, who integrate into these schools, experience great psychological and social problems; in this case actually rehabilitation is needed more than at the primary school level, but statistics show that the children of this age group do not use it. They also do not use consultations with pedagogues and psychologists, thus aggravating their learning problems. The way teachers and school implements inclusion into a school or a course can be expressed differently [1.16]. Teachers have to cooperate with a lot of colleagues and they need practical and flexible support of colleagues. Sometimes a hearing-impaired child needs specific help. In this case teachers and supporting staff are involved being flexible in solving this issue. Development of good plan, cooperation between adults and a child, learning in a team — all of these can be referred the cooperation between education and rehabilitation centres. [11.] Inclusive education is facilitated by a range of factors, which could be grouped as cooperative learning. Cooperative learning refers to all kinds of cooperation between a class/group teacher and an assistant teacher, a teacher’s colleague and some other involved specialist. The main characteristic of this cooperative learning is that a child shall not be taken out of the classroom to have support, it is provided right there [2. 18].

To make the following amendments to the General Education Law: 1. to add Clause 14 to Section 1, Part Two having the following for-

mulation:

"14) special needs — the necessity to receive such kind of support and rehabilitation that provides an opportunity for the student to master an educational programme taking into consideration his/her health condition, abilities and level of development."

"Section 50. Implementation of Special Education Programmes

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(1)Special education programmes shall be implemented taking into consideration the main aims, tasks and compulsory content of education programmes in accordance with the type of developmental disorder, skills and health condition of the students.

(4)Vocational education programmes for students with special needs may be implemented during a period of one to three years in any special educational institution after completion of a basic education or general secondary education.

(5)Special education programmes designed for students having mental development disturbances and impaired vision or hearing are provided for a period of 10 years, but special education programmes for deaf students having mental development disturbances — for 11 years.

(6)Special educational programmes for acquisition of the general basic education designed for deaf or hearing impaired students are provided for a period of 11 years, but for acquisition of general secondary education — 3 years.

(7)Special educational programmes for acquisition of the general basic education for students with learning disturbances or serious speech disturbances shall be provided for a period of 10 years.

(9)Special educational programmes for acquisition of the general basic education designed for students with hearing disturbances are provided for hearing-impaired students a period of 10 years, but for acquisition of general secondary education — 3 years. [7., 12.]

“Section 53. Integration of Children with Special Needs in General Educational Institutions

(1)General basic educational and secondary educational institutions, which have the appropriate provisions, may integrate students with special needs. The requirements for general basic education and general secondary education institutions to ensure integration of students with special needs into the educational institutions mentioned above shall be determined by the Cabinet.

(2)Availability of corresponding support measures for students with special needs, who are integrated into a general education institution, shall be ensured by the educational institution. The educational institution shall develop an individual plan for acquisition of the educational programme for each integrated student with special needs." [4., 11.]

Acquisition of the levels of education for hearing-impaired children is depicted in Figure 2.

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Fig. 2. System of educational levels (author’s construction)

According to the system of levels one of the pre-school education institutions for children with serious hearing disturbances is Riga Special Pre-School Education Institution No. 218 being attended by 40 children under the age of 7. It shall be noted that at this age parents quite often do not notice hearing problems as well as children do not attend pre-school education institutions. As regards minority pre-school education institutions, there is Daugavpils Speech Therapy School, which is attended by 12 children. Valmiera Secondary Boarding School for Hearing-Impaired Children — Development Centre (VSBSHIC-DC) has pre-school educa-

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