DEVELOPMENT OF SPATIAL ORIENTATION SKILLS IN CHILDREN WITH MILD INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY

Abstract

The article examines the process of developing spatial orientation skills in children with mild intellectual disabilities. Spatial orientation skills play a crucial role in children’s learning and adaptation processes. Developing these skills promotes sensory integration, enhances social and daily life adaptation, and prepares children for academic learning. For children with intellectual impairments, the development of spatial orientation skills follows similar stages as in typically developing children but includes specific adaptations due to delayed cognitive and sensorimotor functions.The article provides a detailed overview of the stages in developing spatial awareness. The first stage involves body schema orientation, where children learn basic concepts like “up”, “down”, “left”, and “right”, which are foundational for further spatial skills. The next stages involve orienting in spatial directions and understanding relationships between objects, such as “between”, “in front of”, and “behind”. Special attention is given to planar orientation, where children learn to position objects on paper and recognize two-dimensional spatial relationships.The importance of spatial orientation work grows with the need for social adaptation among children with intellectual disabilities. The article emphasizes the value of using games that facilitate this development, helping children move actively in space, complete tasks with their eyes closed, and verbally identify spatial relationships. Approaches to spatial orientation include educational games, relay races, and movement exercises that stimulate higher mental processes – thinking, memory, and language – ultimately improving sensory and motor integration.The intellectual development characteristics of these children make it more challenging to acquire spatial skills within standard timeframes. Gradual task progression allows children to move from simple exercises to more complex forms of spatial orientation, expanding their life experiences. The authors highlight that forming spatial awareness is fundamental for further successful learning and social adaptation in children with intellectual disabilities. Achieving this goal is possible through children’s active involvement in corrective work focused on practical skill development.