FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMUNICATIVE ACTIVITY IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN WITH COMPLEX DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31392/UDU-nc.series19.2026.50.03Keywords:
preschool children, complex developmental disabilities, communication, complex communication needs, pre-communicative behavior, augmentative and alternative communication, communication partner, functional communication profileAbstract
The article presents a theoretical analysis of the functional characteristics of communicative activity in preschool children with complex developmental disabilities. The aim of the article is to systematize the functional characteristics of communicative activity, substantiate approaches to assessing functional communication, and identify pedagogical conditions for its support and development. The study employed methods of analysis, synthesis, comparison, and structural-functional generalization of Ukrainian and international scientific sources. It was established that the communicative activity of children in this category is multimodal and context-dependent, includes different levels of communicative intentionality, and is realized through nonverbal, object-based, graphic, gestural, and spoken means in the processes of message comprehension, initiation of interaction, turn-taking, and maintenance of social contact. Its effectiveness is determined by the interaction of sensory, motor, cognitive, emotional-regulatory, and social factors; the availability of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools; and the readiness of communication partners to support interaction. A structure of the functional communication profile of preschool children with complex developmental disabilities is proposed. It includes the level of communicative intentionality, the range of communicative functions, available forms of message expression, characteristics of spoken-language comprehension, the capacity for social reciprocity, the need for partner support, and consistency in the use of available communication means across different situations. The appropriateness of assessing communicative activity in natural life situations is substantiated, using repeated observation, video analysis, and information from familiar adults who are well acquainted with the child’s individual communication patterns. Pedagogical conditions for supporting the functional communication of preschool children with complex developmental disabilities are identified, including early intervention, multimodality, access to AAC, partner modeling, sufficient response wait time, integration of communication into play and everyday activities, and coordinated collaboration between families and professionals.
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