Professional training of future speech therapists for work in the inclusive educational environment of a city

¹ Moscow City University, Department of Speech Therapy, Moscow, Russia
² Belarusian State Pedagogical University named after Maxim Tank, Institute of Inclusive Education, Minsk, Belarus

^* Corresponding author: kiselevanju@mgpu.ru

Abstract

This article discusses the issues of training of future speech therapists for work in inclusive educational environment. One of the prioritized tasks of modern education is training of personnel for working with students with specific learning difficulties. In recent years due to modernization of the Russian education system the training of experts for work in inclusive educational environment becomes more and more important. However, the issue of analysis of professional competences of future speech therapists is insufficiently studied. This article is aimed at analysis of educational programs of training students in Moscow universities for work with children with specific learning difficulties on the basis of their knowledge and attitude to inclusive education. Aiming at analysis of competences of future speech therapists, the students were surveyed by various blocks: from knowledge of regulatory documents to personal attitude of students to foundations of inclusive education. The obtained results have confirmed the assumption that in general the students have positive attitude to inclusive education, the disputable issue concerns readiness of society for conditions of inclusive education and understanding of special demands of children with limited health capacities by teachers of educational entities. This article defines various approaches and trends of formation of tolerant attitude to students with specific learning difficulties, as well as the required professional competences corresponding to the requirements of Federal State Education Standard of higher education. Due to increased number of children with severe speech pathologies and expanded competences of speech therapists of educational entities, it would be reasonable to increase the number of disciplines expanding skills and habits of future speech therapists under conditions of inclusive education.