Keyword: «individualized program»

This study aims to investigate the development of social and communicative skills in preschool children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other mental disabilities (OMD). The study's relevance stems from the need to promptly identify social interaction and communication difficulties in children with these conditions, as well as to improve diagnostic methods and organize personalized psychological and pedagogical support in preschool educational institutions. The aim of the study is to form social and communicative development in preschool children with ASD and mental retardation through diagnosis and subsequent socialization at the diagnostic, formative and control stages of the experiment. The study utilizes a systems approach that allows for the perception of social and communicative development as a multicomponent structure, an individualized approach that takes into account the specific psychophysical development of each student, and a person–centered approach that transforms the child from a passive object of pedagogical influence into an actively participating subject of the educational process. The assessment was conducted in fifty preschool children with ASD and mental disabilities (OMD) at the preschool educational institution during the 2025–2026 academic year. Analysis of results across all stages of the assessment indicates positive changes in the social and communicative skills of the majority of children. This is supported by the use of comprehensive diagnostic tools and individual educational plans to improve social interaction and communicative activity. The theoretical significance of the work lies in understanding Russian and global views on the socio-communicative development of children with ASD and OMD, as well as the importance of early diagnosis and correctional work for their successful socialization. The practical significance of the study lies in the diagnostic methodology, which is capable of recording not only the overall level of development of social and communicative competences but also qualitative changes within each stage, which is critical for working with preschool children with ASD and mental disabilities (OMD).