Fostering social competence in preschoolers in the context of collaboration and inclusion

The article explores the theoretical and empirical foundations for promoting social competence in senior preschool children with delayed mental development (DMD) in the context of collaboration and inclusion. The relevance of the problem is substantiated in light of the implementation of the Federal State Educational Standard for Preschool Education (FSES PE) and contemporary humanistic educational approaches. Mechanisms for developing components of social competence through joint activities, emotional interaction, and behavior regulation in child–adult and peer communities are described. The article presents empirical research involving 90 children, including a control group, an experimental group of children with DMD, and typically developing peers. Validated diagnostic methods were used to assess key components: emotional responsiveness, dialogue, argumentation, and conflict behavior. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of purposeful involvement of children with DMD in collaborative interaction within an inclusive environment. Statistical analysis revealed significant positive changes in the experimental group and a tendency toward convergence with the performance of typically developing children. The study concludes that the collaborative approach serves as an effective resource for inclusive education.