Structural and functional characteristics of prediction in preschool children with speech impairment

The ability to predict is one of the important aspects of human mental development. There is a relationship between prognostic competence and the process of socialization. Psychological studies show that children with special educational needs, including children with general speech underdevelopment, when compared with their peers without speech pathology, are more susceptible to impaired socialization and the occurrence of school maladjustment. This affects the success of their schooling. Such children experience difficulties in complying with social norms in the implementation of their goals, since they cannot anticipate the consequences of a certain situation. This can lead to deviant behavior and failure at school. This article examines the features of the structural and functional characteristics of forecasting in preschoolers with general speech underdevelopment. It analyzes the research results given in the scientific literature, presents the results of the authors’ own experimental research conducted using the “Prognostic stories” technique developed by the teachers of the Department of Psychology and Pedagogy of Special Education of the Kazan (Volga region) Federal University, and a comparative analysis of the data obtained during the experiment. The study showed that preschool children with general speech underdevelopment have lower indicators in all predictive characteristics in comparison with normative peers, and also have specific prognosis features due to speech pathology and deficiencies in higher mental functions. The most important of these are the lack of cognitive predictive function and prediction of utterance. The disadvantages of the prognostic ability of preschoolers with speech pathology determine the risk of social maladjustment, which requires the attention of specialists in the field of special education. The results obtained expand the understanding of the state of development of the prognostic competence of preschoolers with general speech underdevelopment. They present a more complete picture of its specific features, and highlight the most significant disadvantages of the forecasting process for this category of children. This indicates the directions of work on the development of prognostic processes in preschoolers with general speech underdevelopment, as well as the prevention or minimization of the outcomes of school maladjustment.