UDC 376.1:159.922.7 

Ambalova S.A.¹ (Vladikavkaz, Russian Federation) – svetagul11@mail.ru

¹North Ossetian State University named after K.L. Khetagurov 

Abstract. The relevance of this study lies in the fact that the development of inclusive education in Russia has highlighted the issue of interpersonal interactions between children with disabilities and their typically developing peers. Despite the legislative recognition of the right of children with disabilities to study in general education organizations, psychological barriers to acceptance remain a significant obstacle to successful inclusion. The purpose of this article is to identify and classify psychological barriers to the acceptance of children with disabilities by typically developing peers in inclusive education, as well as to determine opportunities for their psychological and pedagogical intervention. The study was conducted at two comprehensive schools in Vladikavkaz (Republic of North Ossetia-Alania). The sample consisted of 87 students in grades 2-4 (aged 7-10) studying in classes with 1-2 children with mild forms of developmental delay and speech impairments. The following methods were used: a sociometric survey (selection of the emotional acceptance index), the unfinished sentence technique (adapted for younger students), the projective technique “Class Drawing”, and a semi-structured interview with teachers. Three groups of psychological barriers were identified: cognitive (lack of knowledge about disabilities, stereotypical perception), emotional (fear, anxiety, disgust, insecurity) and behavioral (avoidance of contact, verbal aggression, exclusion from joint activities). A correlation was found between a child’s awareness of the characteristics of a classmate with disabilities and the degree of emotional acceptance. These results suggest that psychological barriers to the acceptance of children with disabilities are complex and require systematic psychological and pedagogical intervention.

Keywords: inclusive education, psychological barriers, peer acceptance, interpersonal relationships.

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For citation: Ambalova, S. A. (2026). Accepting children with disabilities by peers in inclusive education. CITISE, 3, 18-27. (In Russian).