Striving for self-actualization. Many researchers consider the desire to reveal one's inner potential to be the main motive for human creativity. A. Maslow believed that people are initially, genetically motivated to search for personal goals, which makes their life meaningful. In general, he imagined human development as climbing the "ladder of needs", where below are basic needs associated with the desire to survive, and the highest level is the need for self-actualization - to realize, "objectify" oneself, one's essence. In people who are prone to self-actualization, joy is most often the dominant motive, and in this they differ from people who try to satisfy the needs of what they lack. In his opinion, “growth in the direction of self-actualization heals ailments,” since this is the path to existential knowledge, to the perception of inner values, the ultimate values ​​of being. Creativity is an integral characteristic of the very nature of man, but according to A. Maslow himself, self-actualization in practice is a rarity. Only about 1% of all births reach it. Most people, for various reasons, do not reveal their creative potential.

perfectionism- the desire to bring the products of their activities to meet the most high demands. Expressed in a relentless endeavor to make and remake to the highest personal standards. In gifted children, this quality is already manifested in early age when the child is not satisfied with the result until he reaches the maximum level for himself (intellectual, aesthetic, moral). Too much perfectionism causes neurosis, dissatisfaction with oneself, paralyzes the will of a person, makes it impossible to complete the work. This often annoys others, especially those who work alongside such a perfectionist.

Independence- independence of judgment, the ability to implement important decisions and take responsibility for their actions and their consequences. Independence is almost always a risk. It is formed by the whole lifestyle that encourages a person from childhood to make decisions, take actions and bear responsibility for them. The overwhelming factor is total external control, strict disciplinary requirements that do not allow individual variations. No less harmful is permissiveness, a hothouse atmosphere that protects the child from problems and the ability to make decisions independently (on the one hand, slavish discipline gives rise to a slavish character, on the other hand, without clear disciplinary rules it is impossible to bring up a strong character).

Social autonomy close to independence. In a gifted child, it often manifests itself in the rejection of traditional education: the orientation to a simple reproduction of what has been received causes boredom. He is characterized by relative freedom from generally accepted restrictions, he is not inclined to succeed in situations that require normative behavior and activity according to the model. The result is a hidden or obvious conflict with teachers, poor grades in subjects that are not interesting. Gifted children are characterized by non-conformity - the desire to resist the majority at all costs, which is manifested in the willingness to defend their point of view, even if it contradicts the opinion of the majority, in the desire to act and act unconventionally.

Egocentrism- a lack of understanding that others are significantly different from you in thoughts, desires, actions. This is natural for age development child, due to limited experience. However, it is more characteristic of gifted children - the more you know something, the more chances you have to behave egocentrically. However, this is complex personality trait, and in some areas egocentrism, on the contrary, manifests itself less in gifted children. The most characteristic of gifted children is cognitive egocentrism: they practically cannot understand how what is simple and understandable to them cannot be comprehended by others. At the same time, moral egocentrism is less characteristic of gifted children: the ability to grasp cause-and-effect relationships more subtly, to perceive what is happening more deeply and more subtly creates a basis for understanding the motives of other people's behavior. Gifted children are easier to take the position of another person, they are also less characterized by communicative egocentrism. However, cognitive egocentrism is the most difficult to overcome. By remark American psychologist C. Tackax, the inherent inability of the gifted to develop a patient and friendly attitude towards a less gifted person often leads to frustration, acrimony, and misanthropy that kill potential leaders.

Leadership- dominance in interpersonal relationships. In communicating with peers, a gifted child often takes on the role of leader and organizer of group games and affairs, and is inclined to command other children. The main reason for the propensity to command is intellectual superiority, a better representation of the development of game actions, and the prediction of possible errors. This is clearly manifested in the older preschool age. In the younger age, a gifted child loses interest in team games, which is associated with a passion for in-depth intellectual work and self-sufficiency. If, with age, the desire to establish itself in the role of a leader increases and suggestive opportunities (influence on others), the ability to insist on one's own and at the same time get along with other children are added to intellectual superiority, then we can talk about special leadership talent.

competitiveness– tendency to competitive forms of interaction. the experience of victories and defeats is an important factor in tempering character. without this, it would be naive to count on the education of a creator who is not afraid of life difficulties. Through competition, the child forms his own idea of ​​his abilities, asserts himself, gains confidence in his abilities, learns to take risks, gains the experience of “reasonable adventurism”. A gifted child is capable of differentiated self-esteem, which stimulates him to competitive forms of interaction. It is important that you have to compete with equal forces. Moreover, the experience of not only victories, but also defeats is especially valuable.

Features of emotional development. Most researchers emphasize the emotional vulnerability of a gifted child. The ability to capture cause-and-effect relationships, combined with an advance in the number and strength of perception of surrounding phenomena and events, gives rise to a deeper and more subtle understanding of them. Gifted children are able to follow several phenomena at once, subtly noticing their similarities and differences. The ability to catch what is left unnoticed by others, combined with their inherent egocentrism, leads to the fact that they take everything personally. Therefore, outwardly neutral remarks, remarks, can have a strong impact on a gifted child, while his "normal" peers are indifferent to them. Increased emotional sensitivity is also associated with another, more important feature- the ability to enjoy creativity. According to Stendhal, the title of genius is awarded only to those who experience special pleasure from the creative process and continue to work, despite the obstacles.

Creative perception of chance. In the concept of A. Tannenbaum, one of the points is random factors - “to be in right place in right time". The ability to find benefit in an unforeseen set of circumstances is one of the traits of a person with high mental faculties. This seriously increases the chance of success in almost all areas of life (there are many examples of this in the fates of prominent people, and in the fate of outstanding discoveries). According to F. Nietzsche, one who is ready for a meeting meets with chance-illumination. Or “the more I work, the luckier I get.”

Humor- quality creative person: the ability to detect absurdities, to see the funny in a variety of situations. Researchers talk about a direct correlation between the level of development of creativity and humor. Humor is evidence of talent and, at the same time, an effective mechanism of psychological defense.

It is widely believed that such a gift as talent, giftedness will definitely manifest itself (“talent will always break through”, “you won’t drink away talent”). However, recent studies refute this view. Giftedness exists only in constant motion, in development - either develops or fades away. The symbol of giftedness is the image of Alice in fairyland, where you need to run to stay in place, and run twice as fast to move forward.

At preschool age, the child has the first conscious moral judgments, those. ideas about what is good and what is bad. Some of them relate to the manifestation of care, compassion for others. The child draws these ideas from books and from observation of adults. The preschooler closely follows adults and strives to imitate them in everything, however, in real life often acts on the basis of their own interests. But gradually he begins to understand that the manifestation of complicity, care is supported by adults, highly appreciated by them, therefore, he begins to show these qualities in his behavior. The child begins to be proud of his good deeds, rejoices when adults notice them. Such behavior, of course, cannot be fully considered a manifestation of concern for another person, since it is focused on encouraging adults, but it is a necessary prerequisite for participation.

Gayana, 4 years and 6 months

My daughter loves chocolate very much, walks and begs: "Well, give me at least two pieces. If you don't give me two, I'll ask for one." Having received, she treats her brother and says: "I'm a good girl!"

In one curious psychological experiment 3-4-year-old children were asked to fairly distribute four toys between themselves and another child, with two toys being large and beautiful and two being small and inconspicuous. All children took the best toys for themselves, although when they talked about another child and his similar behavior, they unanimously condemned him. In fact, the children acted absolutely normal for their age, and therefore the parents of such children are not right when they call them greedy or dishonest. As already noted, at the age of three to five, a child masters kind behavior at the verbal level, and only at five to seven years does he begin to learn to show sympathy and care.

As the child grows older, he begins to focus on life situation in which another person finds himself, for example, to understand how badly children who have no parents live. Then, in addition to the ability to show situational empathy for another person, the child gradually adds the ability to share the experience for a long time, and when he can experience joy in helping others, it will be possible to say that the foundations of kindness have already been laid in him.

Gayana, 4 years and 3 months

The daughter heard that we were going to congratulate grandfather on his birthday, and demanded to write down her wishes: “Dear grandfather! I wish you to hear better. I wish grandfather learned to run. So that Masha (hamster) becomes a man. Let grandfather tell Denis ( grandson) to send grandfather beautiful trousers and a golden festive shirt.

Speaking about the sympathy of a preschooler, one must understand that it is carried out in the field of life experience of the child himself, who is not yet able to put himself entirely and completely in the place of another person.

Roma, 5 years old

Roma suffers from a severe form of asthma. Talking to him, he argues: “In general, I feel very sorry for my mother, she worries so much about me, she even cries sometimes. I love it when my mom laughs."

As already noted, it is not worth demanding from a child an understanding of the interests of adults at this age, but paying attention to which fairy-tale characters he likes the most, he wants to be like a cat, which character he often turns into in games, is simply necessary. These characters will tell adults what qualities the child wants to have. With a high degree of probability in real life they will appear later. Thus, if the characters that the child focuses on can be called kind, then the understanding of kindness as life value the child already has.

Oleg, 4 years and 4 months

Oleg is taught to sleep at night in pajamas, and to do this, first completely undress. He asks his grandfather: “Grandfather, did Admiral Nakhimov also take off his panties? And Ilya Muromets?

And Alyosha Popovich?"

Oleg, 4 years and 5 months

Today, the son rushed to his grandfather's bed at seven in the morning, sat on horseback and said that he was Peter I and was riding on the enemy. When the grandfather woke up and “bitten” his leg, the son said: “You, grandfather, are not a centaur, but the war horse of Peter I, who must love his master. And if you are a centaur, then I am Hercules and I will defeat you.”

It is important that the child does not so much show care and attention as he wants to do it; so that kindness becomes a significant life value for him.

Oleg, 4 years and 5 months

The grandson dreams of learning how to swim, and when everyone goes for a walk on the lake and someone gets tired of swimming, he will save him. He's also going to protect everyone from the Nemean Lion.

Already in the second half of preschool childhood, one should expect a manifestation of real kindness from the child.

Gayana, 6 years old

Before going to bed, my daughter suddenly said to me: "I want to be kind, hardworking, love nature." And when she woke up in the morning, she brushed her teeth herself, prepared everything for breakfast for us.

Oleg, 6 years and 10 months

Oleg is resting with his grandmother in the summer. They walk, pass by the window of a shoe store. The boy begs his grandmother to buy sandals for his mother:

- I know her taste, such a heel will do.

I fell in love with white sandals with huge heels - such that it is impossible to wear. Grandma, of course, does not buy. The grandson is offended:

You don't love my mom.

Oleg misbehaves at dinner. Grandmother promises to write to mother. He is asking:

“Don’t, don’t upset your mother.

The human body consists of countless cells that differ from each other, and each of them is responsible for a specific organ. Information about which part of the body will be built by a particular cell and how it should work, we get from the set of chromosomes.

The human chromosome set is based on 46 chromosomes. Each cell contains certain number chromosomes. In a person with Down syndrome, this normal number (46 chromosomes) is broken. He gets one extra chromosome in every cell of the body. This is hallmark Down syndrome, which drew the attention of the English doctor Langdon Down, who in 1966 described this symptom for the first time.

Down did not then have at his disposal the cytogenetic technique and he gave this syndrome the name Mongoloism, since. appearance these people reminds him of immigrants from Mongolia. This concept is not now generally accepted, because it is false and not scientific. Down syndrome is present worldwide in everyone human races. It exists on everyone on all continents and its time is not defined. In all likelihood, Down syndrome has existed since the existence of mankind. The oldest mention of this comes to us from the inhabitants of Mexico and Central America who lived more than 3000 thousand years ago during ancient culture Oltzman.

At the same time, stone and clay figures with Mongoloid features of Down syndrome were created, and this shows that among any people people with Down syndrome enjoyed a certain respect.

The essence of the appearance of Down syndrome is still not clear. In a very small percentage of cases (translocations), along with spontaneous errors in cell division, there are also generic factors (heredity). Researchers and doctors are looking for the main reason that would reveal the frequency of occurrence of people with Down syndrome. At the same time, it is revealed that the belonging of parents to one ethical race, to certain social strata or the area where the parents live does not play any role.

Also, various effects on the body during pregnancy, such as maternal illness, lack of food or vitamins, the effects of alcohol or nicotine, are not very significant, because the syndrome has already arisen before. In all likelihood, these causes can harm the child, but they do not affect the appearance of Down syndrome.

The so-called external factors do not play on present stage significant role in the development of Down syndrome. Scholars are more inclined to see main reason frequency of birth of children with Down syndrome age of parents. In practice, the situation is such that most children with Down syndrome appear in mothers between the ages of 24 and 35 years. The explanation for this phenomenon is very simple. The women of this age group give birth to more children, while older women are less likely to expect a child. Between 65% and 80% of all children with Down syndrome are born to mothers under the age of 35.

It has been proven that numerous transient premature births affect the chromosomal changes in the embryo. Some research centers prove that every second abortion affects chromosomal changes. In addition, there are many other factors that lead to preterm labor, so find true reason on this issue is not yet possible.

Many centers view the incidence of Down syndrome as part of a variety of influences. Most give a number between 600 and 700 births with a child with Down syndrome. In total, the number of people with Down syndrome is 1.1 - 1.2% for every thousand people.

How big is the risk for having other children? This question depends on chromosomal changes The child has. The risk of having a second child with trisomy in the 21st chromosome pair is 1% greater than the percentage of the risk of having a child with Down syndrome from the age of the mother.

A personal interview in this situation on all questions can give an exhaustive answer.

Newborn feeding. Breastfeeding is important point for all children, as well as for children with Down syndrome. They are positively affected by feeding with mother's milk, it tempers immune system. At the same time, motor skills of the mouth develop during feeding. Development mandible, supporting tongue movements and learning to close the mouth is facilitated by breastfeeding. Due to the fact that these skills are less developed in children with Down syndrome, they need timely help at the very beginning of development. If your child does not yet have these skills, then it is not at all necessary to place him in a clinic.

mentioned chromosome pair from the very beginning of the birth of the child affects its development. This is markedly different in Down syndrome. But this not only affects further development, and above all on his environment and training.

Children with Down syndrome have the same opportunities as all other children. They want to be with their parents in the family, with their brothers and sisters, to discover the world, play, learn to laugh and become more independent.

Therefore, it is especially important to help a child with Down syndrome so that he, if possible, lives and develops normally. Assistance in the development of such a child is similar to assistance to a mentally retarded child, but each child is individual and is an individual.

In the first year of life, the child makes important steps in the development that parents are happy to expect, for example, the first smile or the ability to sit up independently, crawl, take the first steps, pronounce the first words.

Children with Down syndrome learn all this more slowly than other children, and achieve positive developmental results also later.

But you must always be sure that your child will achieve this.

Early Help in the family and early diagnosis is very important. Children with Down syndrome do amazing things sometimes, but they should not be identified with children of normal development. Any assistance should take into account the individuality of each individual child in the family and specific situation. Children need above all loving treatment, not rational training.

But we must not forget that for all the similarities with Down syndrome, each child has his own specific features, love for something or denial of something.

Early help and support increases the developmental opportunities for children with Down syndrome. The advice and interview that a self-help group can offer is essential support for parents.

Often, self-help group members connect parents of children with mental retardation so that they can exchange views. Very often, other diseases are also associated with Down syndrome, for example, multifaceted lesions, a third of children have heart disease, many have problems with the stomach and intestines, vision and hearing, and increased susceptibility to information. But here, too, timely advice and help is often very necessary in order to significantly change the development of a child with Down syndrome.

In the first year of life, early diagnosis and care is very important for development. motor functions. With the help of early diagnosis or therapeutic exercises, your child acquires motor skills much earlier than without this help. Joint play is important for the development of all children, and especially for the mentally retarded. Finger play, knee jumps, rhymes and songs are fun for the child and parents. They help develop language social status, expand the possibilities of the child, corresponding to his abilities.

Children with Down syndrome, like other children, need a lot of toys. Toys should encourage active action and facilitate the process of learning. It is important to include other children in the game. Find normally developing children in your neighborhood, so that your child will have a lot of fun and the children will also be happy to play with him.

If a child has brothers and sisters, then they, of course, will be important partners by games.

In the second year of life, it is especially necessary to develop speech and the ability to speak. This is helped by children's songs and easy rhymes, picture books and simple game material. At the same time, a sensible choice is important. You should always follow the rule: even small things for a child can be big! A favorite book helps to recognize, consider, and name already known pictures, and this is better than a senseless examination.

As for all other children, so for children with Down syndrome visit kindergarten or special groups communication is a big responsible step in life. Living together with other children helps the child acquire group learning skills, meaningfully being among other people. Some retarded children find it difficult at first to be in large groups, but they learn by interacting with other children. They especially need the support of adults. It is important that the groups are small and have qualified staff.

A child with Down syndrome will develop better if parents, siblings, relatives and neighbors treat him with patience and love. Of course, the help of parents will be more effective if there is agreement and understanding in the family. If you, dear parents, try to solve your relationship once and for all, take care of each other and pay enough attention to other children, then all this will benefit the child with Down syndrome.

In Russia, self-help groups for parents and communication groups for children are now being created. These family support services work successfully with public organization Veliky Novgorod, including the Vita Center. They will help you look after your child so that free time you could pursue your interests, hobbies. It's a big help to the family when you know you can get rest and peace, but spending time with a mentally retarded child can be very rewarding for the whole family.

In most families, over time, experience of behavior with a mentally retarded child and the ability to accept him as he is.

Talking to other parents with mentally retarded children suggests how to endure difficulties, is a great mutual help. The self-help group of the Vita Center has parents who find themselves in a difficult situation, but who are striving to overcome it. At the same time, not only parents and families, but also neighbors should develop independence in mentally disabled children, help them cope with the difficulties of everyday life.

The judgments of our children are primitive, abstract thinking weak or unavailable. Speech develops late vocabulary poor, pronunciation with defects (3 people). Characterized by stiffness (3 people). Children have poor switchability, children easily get lost in an unusual environment (3 people), or vice versa - they are too active (2 people). Attention is unstable, very easily distracted (3 people). Children have a relatively well-developed mechanical memory, and this thread must be pulled, and not occasionally, but daily, systematically, very persistently. Mechanical memory must be constantly developed and training should be started as soon as possible according to individual special programs.

Before understanding the essence of the problems of the psychosocial development of orphans, it is worth considering and comparing them with other children growing and developing in a socially prosperous environment.

child development as natural process may proceed in different ways, depending on a number of factors. Conventionally, they can be divided into two main groups, external and internal nature.

The external ones include social factors like family, school, community, etc. If we consider in more detail the family factor, then we can conclude that it is he who plays a fundamental role in the development of the child, and laying the foundation for the future personality of a person.

The internal factor has psychological nature but is closely related to social environment, since this is what forms the basis of behavior over genetic disposition.

It follows from this that the first years in the family play a fundamental role in the formation of the child's psyche. In Russia, the problem with families included in the "risk group" is especially acute. This group includes families with such problems as: financial trouble, single-parent family, families with disabled children, etc. It is in such families that a large number of dysfunctional children are especially acute. The problems of a child in such a family are manifested through aggressiveness, low self-esteem, inadequate assessment self, which, as a rule, affects the future fate.

At primary school age, the first prerequisites for "personality" appear in the form of an internal position, which manifests itself in the form of arbitrary behavior. During this period, the main factor in voluntary behavior is educational activity or family work. The latter is connected with duties in the family, but only when this activity is arbitrary.

1. For the development of voluntary behavior, an important point is not only the ability to clearly fulfill the goals of adults, but namely to independently create these goals, and in accordance with them coordinate their actions at the physical and mental level. The goal is only fulfilled by the child when it was formed before the start of the activity, and has a small amount of work. Otherwise, the child refuses to previously conceived.

2. The next point is the increase in the importance of relations between schoolchildren. Against this background, a collective bond arises, a public opinion, mutual evaluation and exactingness. As a rule, this manifests itself on the threshold of 4-5 classes. At this age, children show a very rapid turnover of relationships, which is explained by the desire of the child to find a closer friend.

3. Correctness in the behavior of grades 4-5 is due to a sense of adulthood. It is expressed in the form of the presence of the child's own opinion, the desire for an "adult" to address himself, as well as the desire to protect some areas of his life from adults.

It is worth noting that "adulthood" in different children can differ significantly, the reason for the difference is different, but the dominant is social features environment. Social and moral adulthood is observed in a family that is experiencing certain difficulties, the child can take on adult responsibilities, such as systematic assistance to parents, participation in helping the family, etc. The desire of the child to be a "Real man" and "Real woman" is due to the desire to imitate adults, as the right father or mother, and manifests itself in the form of such qualities: endurance, courage, strength, courage, caring for others, etc. Intellectual adulthood is expressed in the desire of the child to know everything, which subsequently stimulates his cognitive activity.

Most likely, it is necessary to add about aggressiveness, since it turned out very briefly.

Also one of the problems of a psychosocial nature is excessive aggression in children. The reasons for its origin are very different, a couple of contradictory. According to research, it was proved that excessive suppression of aggression in children by parents only exacerbated the problem, leading to its manifestation at a later age. But it is worth noting that very soft and loyal parents had the same problem.

Aggressive children hardly notice that they are the cause of fears and worries of others. And on the contrary, it seems to them that the whole world wants to offend them, and everything that he does is a defense against this hostility. A vicious circle follows from this: aggressive children are afraid and therefore hate those around them, and those in turn experience similar emotions.

The explanation of this phenomenon lies on the surface and is a reflection of it. internal discomfort. Lack of attention from adults and peers manifests itself in the form of aggression and is understood by the child as the only way protect yourself in this cruel world. The blame for this behavior lies largely with the child's parents. Quite often in modern times, children are born to those people who, for one reason or another, are not ready to become parents, but for medical reasons, having an abortion was extremely undesirable. Subsequently, on the subconscious or conscious level understanding, children begin to feel not the love of their parents for them. Cruelty or indifference in his upbringing, strengthens in the child's head the idea that no one needs him.

Over the past hundred years, there have been quite a few psychologists who have tried to describe the stages and problems of child development, in the psychosocial sphere. The most successful can be called Erikson Erik Hamburger, as well as two Soviet scientists Vygodsky Lev Semenovich and Elkonin Daniil Borisovich. All their works are closely connected with each other, as a result of which many discoveries were built on the basis of each other's discoveries. In many ways, they are connected in one, the desire to gradually classify the lines of development human consciousness and their possible deviations.

In some sources, emphasis was placed on the normal stages of development (virtue) and abnormal ones, and in many, the emphasis was placed only on the crises themselves (in general) and on their interaction and separation.

According to Erickson, development human psyche was presented as a conditioned and meanwhile self-regulating process in which external circumstances, training and education always pass through the prism internal conditions. With age, the role of self-activity in mental development which leads to the formation of personality.

Erickson was a Freudian, from which many of his concepts and theories follow. But unlike Freud, who emphasized the "Ego" only at the childhood stage of human development, according to Erickson, development continues throughout life. At the same time, each of the stages of development leads to a certain conflict, the overcoming of which leads to the transition to new stage. In his opinion, the self-development of the individual is staged and irreversible. It follows that these stages can be predictable.

For a complete understanding of the development of early psychosocial processes in children, we can limit ourselves to the stages of play and school age. It is in the game period that the first social relations the child with peers. And at the school stage, they acquire more and more pronounced forms.

The age of the game (phallic stage) is characterized by the child's interest in his genitals and awareness of his gender. In contrast to Freud's theory, in which children of this age show a desire to take the place of a father (mother) in relation to a parent of the opposite sex, Erickson had a different point of view, namely, he believed this phenomenon only a particular moment in the development of the child. At this stage, the child is very actively trying to learn about the world around him, both alone and together with peers, taking part in gaming activity. Out of this comes natural desire the child will be included in a real joint activity with adults, leaving the role of a small one. Under normal circumstances, children develop in themselves such traits as enterprise and initiative. The sense of initiative developed in childhood plays an important role, namely, it accompanies a person at all stages of human life. At the same time, the aggressive behavior of the child entails the suppression of initiative and develops such crises as guilt and anxiety.

School age (latent stage) was also based on the results of psychoanalysis, and was perceived as a certain slumber of infantile sexuality in the form of a delay in genital maturity due to the need for a future adult to learn technical and social foundations labor activity. The school introduces the child to new knowledge, forms industriousness, thereby accelerating the natural process of development. The danger at this stage is manifested in a sense of inferiority associated with problems of an educational or social nature. Misunderstanding of peers at the age of active entry into social relationships plays a dominant role in this. If, in favorable cases, the parents of the child go by the wayside, then with a feeling of rejection and inferiority, the family again becomes a refuge for the child.

This is how Erickson saw the stages of psychosocial development of children. Outcome of dealing with the crisis certain intervals age, and is the main factor shaping the personality and psyche of a person. With normal development, the probability that the next crisis will be just as successfully overcome is much higher, and vice versa, not overcoming one crisis, as a rule, leads to a whole chain of subsequent ones.

Vygodsky's periodization is significantly different, and is limited only to childhood. The very dynamics of development distinguishes stable and crisis stages of development. In his understanding, development is the birth of something new, that is, such formations which were not in ready-made before. The very factor of development is the social environment in all its forms. The interaction of the child with the social environment that educates and educates him determines the emergence of new age-related neoplasms.

The stable stage of development is characterized by a smooth course of the development process, without abrupt changes in the development of the child. stable period is most childhood, as a rule, has a duration of several years.

Crisis situations, unlike normal ones, do not last long. The usual period lasts two months, under unfavorable circumstances, the period can be extended up to a year or even two years. During these brief stages, violent changes take place in the personality of the child.

AT crisis situations such contradictions are exacerbated: on the one hand, the increased needs of the child and his still limited opportunities, on the other hand, between new needs and previously established relationships with adults. In modern psychology, these and some other contradictions are often considered as one of the factors of mental development.

Each child is unique, but with all the individual originality of the real manifestations of children's giftedness, there are quite a few features that are characteristic of most gifted children. Moreover, along with the deep ones, hidden from the unprofessional gaze, there are quite a few that often manifest themselves in the behavior of the child, in his communication with peers and adults, and, of course, in cognitive activity.

Their value is that they can almost always be seen not only practical psychologists but also kindergarten teachers, school teachers, parents. Special attention deserves those qualities that significantly distinguish gifted children from their peers, conditionally called normal. Knowledge of these features is necessary for an adequate construction of the educational process.

Striving for self-actualization.

Strive to reveal your internal potential many researchers consider the main motive for human creativity (G. Goldstein, K. Rogers, and others). In this regard, it is natural to assume that the sprouts of this aspiration appear already in childhood and must be supported and formed.

A significant contribution to the development of this issue was made by the famous American psychologist A. Maslow. He believed that people are initially, genetically motivated to seek personal goals, and this makes their life significant and meaningful. In general, he imagined human development as climbing the "ladder of needs", where the highest - fifth - level is the need for self-actualization, self-realization in creativity. Thus, the desire for self-actualization is the desire of a person to constantly embody, realize, "objectify" himself, his abilities, his essence. In people prone to self-actualization, according to A. Maslow, the dominant motive of behavior is most often the joy of using their abilities, and in this they differ from those people who seek to satisfy the needs of what they lack.

A. Maslow argued that creativity is an integral characteristic of the very nature of man, and Creative skills not the lot of the elect, they are embedded in each of us. But at the same time, according to A. Maslow himself, self-actualization in practice is a rarity. Only about 1% of all births reach it. Most people, for various reasons, do not reveal their creative potential.

Perfectionism.

Creatively gifted people are distinguished by certain personality traits and ways of interacting with others. For example, perfectionism (from the English perfect - "perfect"). This desire to do everything the best way striving for excellence even in the smallest things. This quality manifests itself already at an early age, when the child is not satisfied with the result until he reaches the maximum level for himself (intellectual, aesthetic, moral). He is ready to rewrite an essay because of one blot, to reassemble a complex model if it occurred to him how it could be improved, etc.

The consequence of this constant striving for perfection is often just as constant feeling dissatisfaction with oneself, which affects self-esteem, and sometimes becomes the cause of neurosis and depression. Perfectionism expressed too strongly paralyzes the will of a person, makes it impossible for him to complete any work: after all, you can always find something else that needs to be corrected and improved. This often annoys others, especially those who work with the perfectionist or depend on the results of his work.

The teacher gave the task to little Niels Bohr to draw a house with a garden and a fence. The boy began to draw, but suddenly found that he did not know how many poles were in the fence. Without thinking twice, he ran out into the street and counted them. Nils could not allow his drawing to be in any way untrue.

Independence.

Independence as a personal property presupposes: firstly, independence of judgments and actions, the ability to outside help and hints, implement important decisions; secondly, responsibility for one's actions and their consequences; third, inner confidence that such behavior is possible and correct.

Independence is based primarily on the ability to evaluate, the ability to regulate one's own behavior and emotions, social autonomy, courage and a tendency to take responsibility. People who are prone to independence are more selective and intellectual. Independence is almost always a risk. These people value manifestations of independence in their children and students more.

Independence is formed by the whole lifestyle that encourages a person from childhood to make decisions, take actions and bear responsibility for them. The development of independence cannot be carried out according to certain recipes. The main factor suppressing the independence that is forming in the child is total external control, expressed in strict disciplinary requirements that do not allow individual variations. But in this case, permissiveness and the greenhouse atmosphere are no less harmful, protecting the child from problems and the possibility of acceptance. independent decisions. Famous English philosopher and educator John Locke once noted that slavish discipline gives rise to slavish character, and his German colleague Johann Friedrich Herbart noted another facet of this process: without clear disciplinary rules, one cannot cultivate a strong character.

social autonomy.

Social autonomy is very close to independence and often leads to difficulties in relationships. Teachers, parents, peers are often intolerant of the independent position of a creatively gifted child. The lower the level of development of others, the less tactful and attentive they are to the child, the more often they can resort to violence.

Associated with social autonomy is the dislike of creatively gifted children for traditional learning. They are rarely excellent students, and sometimes they are not considered good students at all. Classes in the traditional style, focused on the simple reproduction of the information received from the teacher, seem boring and uninteresting to them. And our education, as a rule, is not ready for their research impulses. The result in many cases is a hidden or overt conflict with teachers.

The teachers of Niels Bohr, who grew up in liberal Denmark, treated his original way of thinking with understanding and love (later contemporaries called Bohr "one of the most unprejudiced physicists"). The teacher could comment with deadpan humor on the roar coming from the school laboratory: "It's okay. It's Bor." Lucky in this regard, and Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, who was forgiven in the Lyceum for disagreements with mathematics, recognizing his bright poetic gift. But Albert Einstein felt very uncomfortable and showed poor results while studying at the Prussian barracks-type gymnasium. But as soon as he moved to Switzerland, where the schools were more tolerant and respectful attitude to students, immediately became one of the best students.

Rejection of conformism, characteristic of a creatively gifted child of senior preschool and younger school age, should not be identified with intellectual and moral nihilism. Numerous studies of their "normal" peers indicate that this age period is a period of clearly manifested inclinations to imitate, to liken to elders. The imitation of many actions and statements in these years is traditionally considered an important condition mental development. Suggestibility, impressionability of a child of this age, a tendency to believe in the truth of what he is taught, the focus of mental activity on repeating, internally accepting external requirements, - all this creates favorable conditions for the enrichment and development of the psyche.

impressionability, suggestibility, inclination and ability to mental and practical action on the basis of the proposed model are characteristic of a gifted child in the same way as his "normal" peer, but this is not the main determining factor in his cognitive activity and behavior. He is characterized by relative freedom from generally accepted restrictions, he is not inclined to succeed in situations that require normative behavior and activity according to the model. In addition, as noted by the well-known psychologist N. S. Leites, imitation itself in the initial teaching, in the conditions of the inevitable insufficiency of some knowledge, turns out to be creative to a large extent; it requires intuition, improvisation, unceasing mental initiative.

Egocentrism .

Both gifted children and, to a greater extent, their "normal" peers often do not understand that those around them differ significantly from them in thoughts, desires, and actions. This quality is also characteristic of many adults, but if the egocentrism of an adult is largely the result of egoism, then the egocentrism of a child has a different nature. It is natural and determined by the peculiarities of age development. This is expressed in the inability to take the position of another person, which is associated with the limited experience of the child. For most people, this goes away with age.

Many researchers note a high degree expressiveness of egocentrism in gifted children. They argue that the better you know something, the more likely you are to behave egocentrically in connection with your knowledge.

Egocentrism, like any complex personal property, cannot be considered in a simplified, one-dimensional way. A careful, in-depth study reveals that in some areas it manifests itself more clearly in a gifted child than in a "normal" one, in others, on the contrary, it is less pronounced.

Cognitive egocentrism. Manifested in cognitive sphere egocentrism is usually referred to as "cognitive". Own research practice allows us to conclude that this type of egocentrism is most characteristic of gifted children of both preschool and primary school age. Gifted children are practically incapable of understanding how what is simple and understandable to them cannot be comprehended by others. This type egocentrism is stable and largely persists in the future.

Third grader Misha found an original way to solve a very challenging task. The teacher asked him to explain how he arrived at the solution. Misha at the blackboard outlined his decision to the class. But the teacher noticed that many children did not understand Misha's explanation. The teacher again asked Misha to tell about his decision. With difficulty hiding his irritation, Misha told again. Despite this, the course of Misha's thoughts remained incomprehensible to many children. When the teacher turned to him for the third time with a request to explain everything again, Misha was indignant, threw up his hands and said: "How much can I explain to you, it's so simple! Look ..."

Misha really sincerely could not understand why what is easy and accessible for him is incomprehensible to others.

Moral egocentrism. It is not easy for a gifted child, just like his "normal" peer, to identify the reasons for the moral actions and actions of other people. However, in this regard, a gifted child

often finds superiority over peers. A higher level of mental development, the ability to capture causal relationships, to perceive what is happening deeper and more subtle - all this creates a good basis for understanding the motives of other people's behavior. Therefore, moral egocentrism is characteristic of a gifted child to a lesser extent than "normal" children, and it is more easily overcome.

Communicative egocentrism. The pioneer of children's egocentrism, the famous Swiss psychologist J. Piaget, observed the speech of preschool children a lot. He determined that in most cases Small child in his speech does not try to put himself in the place of the listener.

Children studying in the experimental school were given an unusual task. The psychologist read them an unfinished story and asked them to continue. The story was very short: “Seryozha lived on the twelfth floor of a large multi-storey building. One day the boy found a newspaper on the balcony that his dad was reading yesterday. Serezha immediately came up with an interesting game - he began to tear this newspaper and throw scraps of paper from the balcony. in the air currents and fell on the lawn, the sidewalk, on the trees ... "

Imagine that you are this boy's friend. You were walking along the sidewalk and saw what your friend was doing. What would you say to him and what would you do? Then imagine that you are a policeman... this boy's grandmother... his sister... his father or mother... etc.

The answers of the children showed that the majority responded stereotypically. Roles change, but answers remain the same. A different picture is observed in gifted children; they more easily take the position of another person.

Egocentrism, manifested in a gifted child, should not be classified as negative qualities. It has practically nothing to do with egoism and really manifests itself only in the cognitive sphere. Where, again, a gifted child thinks about others better than they really are. egocentrism in this case- a feature of age development. It is overcome with time.

It is somewhat easier for a gifted child to overcome moral and communicative egocentrism, which is based on high mental abilities and more high ability to metacognition.

The difficulty of overcoming cognitive egocentrism is not determined by the difficulty of a gifted child's perception of a different point of view: it depends on the gifted child's optimistic faith in intellectual ability surrounding. None of this undermines the importance of pedagogical work to overcome egocentrism in gifted children. In adulthood, this property leads to extremely negative consequences.

According to the American psychologist K. Tekaks, the inherent inability of the gifted to develop a patient and friendly attitude towards a less gifted person often leads to disappointment, acrimony and misanthropy that kill potential leaders.

Leadership.

A real leader is a rare phenomenon, a gift, a true leader is always a creator. But is the converse true? Is the creator always the leader? Unfortunately, we must admit that it is not. Indeed, it cannot be overlooked that modern world growing importance collective creativity. And this requires from the creator who wants to achieve noticeable results, not only the ability to work in a team, but also the ability to be a leader.

In communicating with peers (ungifted children), a gifted child quite often takes on the role of leader and organizer of group games and activities. Based on this observation, many researchers single out as one of the important features of gifted children - the tendency to command other children. Parents often speak about this with excitement and trepidation, intuitively understanding the value of these features of their child. But one has only to consider this phenomenon more closely, as a rather complex picture emerges.

Our observations during experimental work with children, allow us to conclude that the organizational abilities of a gifted child, manifested in this way, in most cases are of a somewhat different nature than those of an adult. They are usually based not on suggestive possibilities (the ability to influence other people), not on the ability to insist on one's own, and not even on the ability to get along with other children. True, I note that all these abilities can manifest themselves in a gifted child, but then we can talk about special "leadership" talent.

The main reason for the tendency of a gifted child to command his peers is his intellectual superiority over them, flexibility and fluency of his thinking. He better than others imagines the most effective nature of the development of play actions, predicts possible errors and inconsistencies in play behavior and, warning them, takes on the role of leader.

This is manifested quite clearly at the level of senior preschool age. At junior schoolchildren the situation is somewhat different. Some gifted children cease to be interested in collective games, preferring individual games and activities. Main reasons: received earlier negative experience communication with peers collective games(usually the result of pedagogical shortcomings); features of character (temperament), the consequence of which is not the desire to establish itself in the role of a leader, but an interest in certain activities. This is usually expressed in the enthusiasm for in-depth intellectual work, self-sufficiency.

Competitiveness.

Competitiveness, competition is an important factor in the development of personality, strengthening, tempering of character. The experience of victories and defeats acquired in the course of various intellectual, artistic, sports competitions is extremely important for later life. Without it, it would be naive to count on the education of a creator who is not afraid of life's difficulties. Through competition, the child forms his own idea of ​​his abilities, asserts himself, gains confidence in his abilities, learns to take risks, and gains the first experience of "reasonable adventurism."

The source of the tendency to compete in gifted children should be sought in the child's ability to exceed the usual capabilities, in the ability for highly differentiated assessment. The self-assessment built on this basis, even if it is not overestimated, but adequate, can stimulate interest in competitive forms of interaction with peers. But, noting this phenomenon as natural, many researchers constantly talk about the need for competition not so much with "normal" children as with the same gifted children. Moreover, the experience of not victories, but defeats is especially valuable. Not by chance this circumstance enshrined in the well-known proverb: "For one beaten they give two unbeaten."

Features of emotional development.

As one of the main features of the development emotional sphere gifted child, most researchers note an increased vulnerability. Its source is also the noted hypersensitivity, rooted in the peculiarities of intellectual development. The ability to capture cause-and-effect relationships, combined with an advance in the number and strength of perception of surrounding phenomena and events, gives rise to a deeper and more subtle understanding of them. Gifted children not only see more, feel more subtle, they are able to follow several phenomena at once, subtly noticing their similarities and differences. The ability to catch what is left unnoticed by others, combined with their inherent egocentrism, leads to the fact that they take everything personally. Therefore, outwardly neutral remarks, remarks, actions can have a strong impact on a gifted child, while his "normal" peers are indifferent to them.

Heightened emotional sensitivity may well be seen as the result of more high development research abilities. But from the point of view of improvement, another feature of creative people is much more important - the ability to enjoy creativity. This, according to Stendhal, distinguishes a genius from all other people. Indeed, the title of genius is awarded only to those who experience special pleasure from the creative process and continue to work, despite the obstacles.

Creative perception of chance.

In the concept of giftedness of the famous American psychologist A. Tannenbaum, one of the points is the so-called random factors - "to be in the right place at the right time." Accidents are accidents because you can't predict them. But the ability to find benefit in an unforeseen set of circumstances can and should be learned. This is one of the traits of a person with high mental abilities. This seriously increases the chances of success in almost all areas of life.

Many scientific discoveries and inventions have come into being through a happy coincidence. The biographies of almost all prominent people contain descriptions of fateful accidents. Chance often made it possible to see something that would never have been deliberately sought. True, even with randomness, not everything is as simple as it might seem at first glance. The famous philosopher F. Nietzsche believed that the most important thing in any discovery and invention was created due to chance, surprise, but most people do not encounter such a situation. What is called an accident, in fact, he believed, is an insight, and one who is ready for this meeting meets with it.

For example, the 19th-century French chemist Bernard Courtois was working in a laboratory when his cat, while playing, pushed two bottles standing next to each other off the table. In one was sulphuric acid, in the other - an alcohol infusion of seaweed ash. The liquids mingled, releasing a cloud of blue-violet vapor. This is how iodine was found. German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen even received Nobel Prize for the discovery x-ray radiation made by him quite by accident.

Randomness cannot be predicted, you cannot create it on purpose, but the ability to find benefit in an unforeseen set of circumstances is really a gift. Luck comes to those who are ready for it (more precisely, it comes to others, but it goes unnoticed). As one said a wise man"The more I work, the luckier I get."

Humor.

Without the ability to detect absurdities, to see the funny in a variety of situations, it is impossible to imagine a creative person. This ability is manifested and formed from childhood. It is evidence of giftedness and, at the same time, an effective mechanism of psychological defense.

AT different countries conducted numerous series psychological research, who specifically considered the problems of the ratio of the IQ and humor, the level of development of creativity and humor. Researchers say there is a direct correlation. Manifestations of humor are multifaceted, like life itself, and it is easy to detect both their presence and their absence.

Creativity is certainly a gift of nature. It is widely believed that if a person is given a gift, then he will not go anywhere, will not disappear, and will definitely manifest itself somewhere. There are even sayings: "Talent will always break through", "You can't drink away talent." However, recent studies refute this view. Giftedness exists only in constant movement, in development, it is a kind of garden that needs to be tirelessly cultivated. We remember that caught in fairyland Alice needed to run to stay in place and run twice as fast to move forward. In the same way, a creative gift does not tolerate stagnation and self-satisfaction. It exists only in dynamics - either develops or fades away.