WAYS OF DEVELOPING LIFE SKILLS IN STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES

Abstract

The article reports the outcomes of an empirical investigation into the pedagogical approaches to fostering life skills in students with intellectual disabilities. The research employed theoretical analysis of scholarly literature alongside a survey of specialists in the field of special education. The survey data reveal considerable variability in professional interpretations of the relationship between life competence and social competence. A substantial proportion of respondents conceptualize social competence as a constituent element of life competence, whereas others regard the two constructs as only partially overlapping or fundamentally distinct. The study underscores the centrality of life skills for learners with intellectual disabilities, emphasizing their role in facilitating successful social integration, promoting autonomy, ensuring personal safety, supporting adaptation to educational environments, and preparing students for subsequent vocational engagement. The life skills identified as most essential include self-care abilities, domestic skills, social and communicative competencies, safety-related skills, financial literacy, and foundational work skills. The findings further indicate that the development of life skills should be undertaken through coordinated efforts between teachers and parents, primarily within the context of corrective and developmental interventions, formal instruction, and supplementary educational activities. The teacher’s role is characterized as pivotal: teachers function as mentors, organizers of practical learning experiences, and mediators between the student and the broader sociocultural environment. They are responsible for creating conditions conducive to the formation of independence, social adaptability, work-related competencies, and communicative skills, while collaborating closely with families and multidisciplinary specialists to ensure a comprehensive and coherent developmental framework. In addition, the vast majority of surveyed specialists highlight the necessity of enhancing the preparation of future teachers for the effective development of life skills in students with intellectual disabilities. This objective may be achieved through the introduction of specialized courses within higher education curricula, the implementation of elective modules, or the integration of relevant content into general professional training programs in pedagogy and psychology.