THE CONTRIBUTION MADE BY MYKOLA YARMACHENKO INSTITUTE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGY OF THE NAES OF UKRAINE TO DEVELOPMENT OF THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF SPECIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Abstract

The article examines and analyses the contribution made by Mykola Yarmachenko Institute of Special Education and Psychology of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine to development of the theory and practice of special psychology.
 The article highlights that Ukrainian special psychology faces the tasks to reflect methodologically and understand special psychology historical path and current status.
 Special psychology was an integral part of defectology, was an applied branch of knowledge by its nature and was formed as a multi-disciplinary discipline.
 After Ukraine had achieved independence, the issues regarding the theoretical and conceptual base of special psychology became really important, since the various areas of special psychology remained significantly detached from conducted applied research.
 The article authors reviewed modern Ukrainian educational and methodological literature for higher education and revealed that the publications were mainly writhing the framework of classical psychology and defectology and based on the natural-scientific paradigm.
 We also found that in recent years, psychological science had significant achievements in the field of special psychology due to the ever-increasing influence of the humanistic paradigm on the subject and methodology of psychological research.
 The article describes the achievements of Mykola Yarmachenko Institute of Special Education and Psychology in the field of special psychology, its role and influence on special psychology development, its contribution to theory and practice.