DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL PSYCHOLOGY AND MEDICINE: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE (ON THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS FOUNDING)

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to highlight the twenty-year practical experience of the Department of Special Psychology and Medicine in training professionals in special and clinical psychology. The article outlines the department's development stages, noting that its foundation in 2004 was driven by the urgent need to train experts with systematic psychological knowledge about children with developmental disorders—those who understand their difficulties and the specific nature of their education and daily life. In response to current challenges, the department has been continuously updating and expanding its curricula, academic programs, practical training content, and the topics of course and qualification papers. Methodological guidelines are being developed, and research findings by both faculty and students are published regularly. It is emphasized that the department actively builds a network of scientific and methodological cooperation with institutions of special preschool and school education, healthcare facilities, and social rehabilitation centers. This collaboration provides expert support for professionals working in those institutions and creates conditions for the practical training of future special and clinical psychologists. Over the past two decades, the department's academic staff has ensured a balanced integration of psychological, pedagogical, and clinical knowledge and skills, which contribute to the development of key professional competencies in special and clinical psychology. Today, the department offers professional training in the C4 Psychology field through the following programs: 1. Psychology (Special, Clinical) – first (bachelor’s) level of higher education (full-time and part-time); 2. Psychological Support of Developmental Processes – second (master’s) level (part-time, for those with higher education in another field); 3. Clinical Psychology – second (master’s) level (full-time and part-time).