International Journal of Pedagogics
238
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijp
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue04 2025
PAGE NO.
238-240
10.37547/ijp/Volume05Issue04-62
1
Occupational Therapy Intervention in Correctional Work with
Children with Severe and Multiple Developmental Disabilities
(SMDD): Scientific, Methodological and Practical Aspects
Amirsaidova Shahnoza
Associate Professor of the Tashkent State Pedagogical University named after Nizami, Uzbekistan
Syrovatskiy Georgy Igorevich
Master's student of the Tashkent State Pedagogical University named after Nizami, Faculty of Special Pedagogy and Inclusive Education
Direction: Oligophrenopedagogy, Uzbekistan
Received:
28 February 2025;
Accepted:
25 March 2025;
Published:
28 April 2025
Abstract:
The article is devoted to the analysis of occupational therapy intervention in the system of correctional
care for children with severe and multiple developmental disabilities. The key scientific and theoretical
approaches to understanding occupational therapy as a method of increasing the level of autonomy, as well as its
role in the system of interdisciplinary support, are considered. The results of an applied study confirming the
effectiveness of targeted sensorimotor activity in correcting cognitive and behavioral manifestations of SMDD are
presented. The necessity of introducing occupational therapy into the system of special and inclusive education
in Uzbekistan is substantiated. The author summarizes international practices and formulates recommendations
for the training of specialists and standardization of occupational therapy programs.
Keywords:
Occupational therapy, severe and multiple developmental disorders, correctional and developmental
intervention, sensorimotor development, habilitation, inclusion.
Introduction:
The modern paradigm of education and
social policy is aimed at ensuring equal opportunities
and quality support for all categories of children,
including
those
with
severe
and
multiple
developmental disabilities. In the context of a rapid
increase in the number of children with severe forms of
central nervous system disorders, motor, sensory and
cognitive deficits, there is a need to rethink the
approaches and tools used. One of the most promising
and scientifically sound methods integrating medical,
pedagogical and social approaches is occupational
therapy.
The particular significance of this study is due to the
fact that in the Republic of Uzbekistan, occupational
therapy has not yet received institutional recognition,
despite its proven effectiveness in many countries
around the world. The work presented in the article is
aimed at filling this gap and demonstrating the
potential of occupational therapy strategies in the
context of the Uzbek correctional and educational
system.
Theoretical and methodological foundations of
occupational therapy
Occupational therapy is a field of activity based on the
use of meaningful and significant actions (activities)
aimed at restoring or developing human functional
capabilities. According to the definition of the World
Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT), the goal
of occupational therapy is to ensure a person’s
participation in everyday life, taking into account his or
her capabilities, needs and environmental conditions.
Basic principles:
• Significance of action
: any activity that has personal
value for the client can be therapeutic.
• Goal setting
: therapy is built taking into account
specific tasks arising from the client’s needs and life
context.
International Journal of Pedagogics
239
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International Journal of Pedagogics (ISSN: 2771-2281)
• Adaptation of the environment
: the occupational
therapist strives not only to develop abilities, but also
to transform the environment to suit the client’s
capabilities.
•
Interdisciplinarity
:
occupational
therapy
is
implemented in a team with other specialists
(psychologists, defectologists, speech therapists,
doctors, parents).
The methodology is based on the concepts of
functional systems development (Luria), sensory
integration (Ayres), neuroplasticity, learning theory
and behaviorism.
Characteristics of severe and multiple developmental
disorders
SMDDs are a combination of two or more persistent
disorders in the structure and functions of the div,
including mental retardation, cerebral palsy, hearing,
vision, speech and behavioral disorders. Such disorders
have an organic genesis and lead to significant
limitations in everyday activities, self-care and
communication. The complexity of the defect structure
requires not only a multidisciplinary but also a
transdisciplinary approach, when the boundaries
between professions are erased in order to achieve a
common goal - increasing the level of independence
and inclusion of the child in life.
METHODS
Materials and methods of the study
Participants: 10 children aged 5
–
6 years, with F72
diagnoses in combination with motor, sensory and
behavioral disorders. All children had no previous
rehabilitation experience.
Methods:
• Diagnostics using the AHA method (assessment of
hand involvement in activities);
• JTHFT test (functional assessment of hand motor
skills);
• Content analysis of video recordings;
• Method of formative pedagogical expe
riment;
• Interviews with parents and specialists.
Procedure of the experiment
: The program lasted 3
months. It included individual lessons aimed at:
• sensory activation;
• training of grasping movements;
• teaching actions with household objects;
• model
ing of everyday life situations;
• development of interaction with other children and
adults.
RESULTS
Before the intervention:
• inability to hold objects
- in 90%;
• complete lack of initiative —
in 80%;
• severe motor limitations —
in all participants;
• underdeveloped visual
-motor coordination;
• lack of productive play.
After the intervention:
• increase in the time spent holding objects by 2–
3
times;
• appearance of directed movements —
in 70% of
children;
• improvement of emotional response, reduction of
anxiety;
• increase in the number of episodes of involvement in
joint activities.
The analysis of the dynamics demonstrated that even
with severe mental retardation, it is possible to develop
basic skills that underlie functional independence.
DISCUSSION
The results obtained are comparable with international
studies in the field of pediatric occupational therapy
(Sterr, 2018; Buylova, 2020), confirming the high
adaptability of the method. Occupational therapy has
proven its worth as an alternative to formalized classes,
which do not always take into account the motivation
and characteristics of sensorimotor perception of
children with SMND. The principle of "occupation
through action" is becoming the most important tool
for including a child in life, despite the severity of the
impairment.
CONCLUSIONS
1. Occupational therapy is an effective method of
correctional and developmental work with children
with SMND and should take its rightful place in the
support system for this category.
2. An intervention program based on targeted actions
contributes not only to the development of motor
skills, but also to the formation of basic interaction
skills.
3. The results confirm the need for early, intensive and
ecologically sound interventions implemented in the
family and in specialized institutions.
4. In Uzbekistan, professionalization of the field of
"occupational therapy" is necessary within the
framework of training specialists in special pedagogy
and inclusive education.
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International Journal of Pedagogics
240
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijp
International Journal of Pedagogics (ISSN: 2771-2281)
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