On October 18, 2025, an international Symposium on Development Pathways in Special Education was held in Beijing. It was organized by the Special Education College of Beijing Union University, which is one of China's leading higher education institutions in the field of training special education specialists and providing inclusive education for students with disabilities. Among the 700 students, more than 50% have disabilities resulting from various developmental disorders. Historically, the predominant category has been students with sensory impairments (vision and hearing); however, recent years have seen a diversification of the student body as more individuals with other types of impairments are included. Research conducted by the College's faculties focuses on the comprehensive study of students' needs and the improvement of educational outcomes and psychosocial development for students with disabilities. A significant portion of this work is dedicated to audiology and the development of methods for assessing speech recognition in complex acoustic environments (Gong et al., 2025; Qiu et al., 2025; Zhao, Qiu, Xl, 2025). Concurrently, work is being carried out in the field of teaching methodology, including curriculum reform and the implementation of effective new teaching models (Xiaomei, Xinyue, 2022; Yue et al., 2024). Finally, researchers are actively studying the psychosocial aspects of adaptation for students with disabilities, seeking to remove barriers to their social and educational integration by examining the mediating influence of religious beliefs and social support (Dai, Yu, 2025; Zhang et al., 2022; Zhang, Yu, Liu, 2022).
The Symposium brought together scholars and practitioners from Russia, Poland, Mongolia, the USA, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and across mainland China. It served as a platform for the exchange of experience between specialists of various profiles who share the ideas of a multidisciplinary, comprehensive, and integrated approach to the development of high-quality special education. Staff and experts from the Regional Non-profit Social Organization "Centre for Curative Pedagogy" (CCP), a leading Russian charity providing comprehensive assistance to children and adults with mental disorders, participated in the work of the symposium.
The foundations of special education in China are closely linked to Russian cultural-historical theory (Zhang, Miao, 2022; Wang, Xiao, 2022). Since the 1950s, Chinese specialists have been trained at Russian universities. During the Symposium, the Russian delegation met with Professor Piao Yongxin, the recognized founder of special education in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). In 1955, along with Yin Chunming, he became one of the first scholars sent by China to the Soviet Union to study special pedagogy and psychology. At the Lenin Moscow State Pedagogical Institute, he mastered four specialties, including education for children with intellectual disabilities and the deaf-mute students. Upon returning to the PRC, Professor Piao Yongxin actively promoted special education practices for 20 years while working at the Beijing No. 2 School for the Deaf. In 1979, he joined the faculty of Beijing Normal University, where he played a leading role in developing the first bachelor program in special education in the PRC and headed the Department of Special Education. Together with Yin Chunming, he made a fundamental contribution to the formation of the national special education system and the training of qualified teaching personnel. In a conversation with Anna L. Bitova, Chairwoman of the Board of the CCP, Piao Yongxin emphasized his commitment to the Russian school of special pedagogy and psychology and expressed particular respect for the concepts of L.S. Vygotsky, which remain relevant today and are actively utilized by Chinese scholars and educators.
The Symposium opened with a series of impressive keynote speeches that laid the intellectual foundation for the subsequent discussions. Professor Lei Jianghua from Central China Normal University explored the critical components of the composition, cultivation, and integration of teachers’ inclusive education literacy in the PRC. Anna L. Bitova delivered a presentation on inclusive education in the Russian Federation, which integrated international experience, Russian scientific theories, legislative innovations, and best national practices. Distinguished Professor Xu Jiacheng from the Special Education College of Beijing Union University presented a report titled "Chinese Practice and Innovation of Outcome-Oriented Support Model for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities", emphasizing the importance of support and a person-centered approach in this field. Associate Professor Liu Duo from the Education University of Hong Kong shared "Reflections on Neurodevelopmental Disorders from the Perspective of Transdiagnostic and Biopsychosocial Models", arguing that establishing a holistic, multifactorial structure of disorders and their underlying neurobiological mechanisms is a critical step toward personalized approaches in both comprehensive support for individuals with developmental disabilities and scientific research.
Subforum "Career Development Support for Children with Developmental Disabilities" featured a range of empirical research presentations and conceptual reports. Professor Ma Weina (Hangzhou Normal University) presented the results of a multidisciplinary study focused on the development of irony comprehension in individuals with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). The study analyzed factors influencing this process, including the role of Theory of Mind, as well as the impact of irony perception deficits on social interaction and adaptation. Professor Gerelt-Od Erdenebileg (National University of Education, Mongolia) spoke about progressive measures to ensure the political participation of persons with disabilities. In 2023, ten political parties in Mongolia signed a treaty to ensure equal representation at the decision-making level, establishing a legislative framework for the realization of the rights of this group of citizens. The revised Law on Political Parties mandates an increased representation quota for persons with disabilities, which led to the nomination of 12 candidates with disabilities to the State Great Khural (the Parliament of Mongolia) in 2024. Malaysian researcher Wong Yoke Seng (Sultan Idris Education University) discussed the potential of game-based learning, specifically the development and use of educational games aimed at building social skills in children with ASD within the "La Familia" project. The presentation by Professor Zhang Xu (Beijing Union University) was dedicated to the potential of neuroscience in advancing educational practices, with a focus on the concept of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). The speaker differentiated between terms "inclusion" and "integration," where inclusion is defined as the incorporation of specific groups into the community, while integration refers to the full involvement of individuals. The core principles of UDL are based on neuroscientific data highlighting the uniqueness of each learner's neurobiological organization. UDL empowers the subject to determine their own learning trajectory: it allows teachers and students to formulate clear goals, anticipate potential barriers, develop meaningful content options, and fully account for individual differences. Recommendations for the inclusive classroom include using technologies to enhance the emotional components of learning (engagement, participation) and maintaining a balance between support and challenge based on scaffolding. In a theoretical report, Professor Rafal Godon (University of Warsaw) presented conceptualizations of dialogue and "otherness" as philosophical inspirations for the professional activity of special educators. Openness and acceptance were articulated as key values in this field, while dialogue was defined as a fundamental form of implementing inclusive education that fosters the development of student autonomy and self-determination. Natalia A. Maltseva, a clinical psychologist at the CCP, presented a report on a holistic program for developing independence in adolescents with developmental disorders. She described the program's structure, which includes individual and group sessions, work with parents, home visiting, and training stage of assisted living. She also presented the results of a pilot study that revealed statistically significant improvements in participants' independence skills, particularly in household management and time orientation (Developing Independence, 2024; Portnova, Maltseva, Reitsen, 2025).
Subforum "Interdisciplinary Approaches to Inclusive Education" was dedicated to exploring a wide range of issues, interventions, and systemic strategies across various age groups and contexts. The report by Professor He Huizhong (Beijing Normal University) on the difficulties and necessary support for Chinese preschool teachers in implementing inclusive education highlighted the challenges facing the early childhood education system. While China has both public and private early intervention centers, the assistance provided to a child largely depends on parental initiative, and teachers in mainstream preschools often lack the necessary competencies for effective inclusion. Training and organizational support for educators have a significant impact on their self-efficacy and professional engagement, with self-efficacy serving as the primary mediating factor between the support received and professional growth. Associate Professor Liu Yujie (Beijing Union University) presented a report on the teaching intervention model designed to develop the socio-emotional competence of preschool children with ASD. This model integrates structured support and inclusive practices, focusing on skill formation through a multi-component approach that includes teaching basic emotional responses, creating specific environmental conditions for social learning, and implementing a clear individualized education plan. The model also emphasizes teacher training, effective communication between the family and the educational institution, and the fostering of positive peer interaction experiences. The report by Wang Lizhi, Associate Professor at the Education University of Hong Kong, addressed the pressing issue of preventing cyberbullying against students with learning difficulties. One of the causes of cyberbullying is the mediated nature of interaction, which precludes the direct observation of the victim's emotional reaction, leading to a lack of empathy on the part of the aggressors. The developers proposed animated games for schoolchildren in which players can choose their actions and the expected reactions of another student depending on the scenario. The games feature a scoring and leveling system, encouraging children to understand the reactions of peers with learning difficulties and to choose socially acceptable behavior. M.E. Sisneva, a clinical psychologist at the CCP, discussed social-psychological training aimed at preparing incapacitated citizens with mental disorders for the restoration of their legal capacity. Through a qualitative analysis of participant feedback, a study was conducted on the training's effectiveness and its role in developing socio-legal knowledge. The research examined the social situation of development for adults with psychiatric disabilities in various contexts, identified their zones of proximal development during the training process, and described the phenomenon of the emergence of their personal agency (Sisneva, 2025).
Within Subforum "Intelligent Assistive Technologies Empowering Special Education," particular attention was drawn to reports focused on the development of innovative digital solutions for persons with disabilities. Professor Chen Xiaomeng (South China Normal University) presented a report on a mobile application designed to enhance the spatial orientation and mobility of blind users. The application includes functionality for creating detailed virtual models of real-world spaces (campuses, shops, urban districts) for preliminary training and habilitation. Empirical data demonstrated that the use of this tool fosters the improvement of orientation skills, increases the level of independent mobility, and expands the range of accessible environments. The report by Gou Liqiong (Qingdao Binhai University) concerned the development of an application for teaching individuals with ASD social skills and rules of conduct in typical interactive situations. Cases of conflict resolution between children were provided as specific examples. E.Yu. Zablotskis, a lawyer at the CCP, and O.V. Karanevskaya, an associate professor at the Institute of Psychology and Complex Rehabilitation of the Moscow City University (MCU), delivered a joint report on the challenges facing Artificial Intelligence (AI) in light of the changes in Russian legislation over recent years (Zablotskis, 2021). A person with a disability—including those who are legally incapacitated or have limited legal capacity—is increasingly gaining opportunities to influence their quality of life, yet still faces difficulties in perceiving and understanding information (Bitova et al., 2024). Utilizing AI to assist parents, guardians, trustees, educators, and other helping professionals in providing information to people with disabilities in an accessible format is a pressing task that requires effective solutions. The Subforum also placed a strong emphasis on the ethics of AI as a powerful modern cultural tool. It is crucial that AI does not merely compensate for deficits but truly expands the freedom of choice and the agency (subjectivity) of persons with disabilities, contributing to their development and cultural self-determination without imposing alien solutions or forms of activity.
Discussions with colleagues during the Symposium provided insights into the challenges currently facing the special education system in the PRC. The country is undergoing a gradual transition from a system of correctional education toward inclusion; however, enrollment in inclusive programs is not yet accessible to all students. The choice of a child's educational placement is determined by both parental decisions and the opportunities available to them, which vary significantly depending on the region and living conditions (metropolitan, industrial, or agricultural areas). While the primary focus was previously placed on the development of school-age and vocational education, there is an increasing awareness of the importance of promoting early intervention and inclusive preschool education. A notable emphasis was placed on issues concerning individuals with speech, visual, and hearing impairments, a trend observed in both the formal program events of the Symposium and in informal discussions. At the same time, the number of children with ASD is rising in the PRC (Jiang et al., 2024). In recent years, while the number of individuals with intellectual disabilities has decreased slightly, the economic burden associated with their disability has increased (Dong et al., 2025). Consequently, there was significant interest in the development of educational programs for these categories of learners across all stages of the life cycle. Based on the analysis of the Symposium program and the content of its keynote reports, the following key challenges and developmental tasks for special education and psychology at the current stage can be identified:
- Insufficient mediation of theoretical concepts of inclusive education into actual pedagogical practice. This issue highlights deficiencies in methodological support and teacher qualifications necessary for the effective organization of education for children with disabilities within specific national contexts.
- The specificity of acquiring cultural tools in cases of dysontogenesis. An analysis of difficulties (such as understanding irony, developing socio-emotional skills, and social interaction) demonstrates how primary impairments complicate the mastery of cultural tools. It is proposed to develop specific mediated strategies to construct new pathways for the development of mental functions and the compensation of deficits, including the use of intelligent assistive technologies as cultural mediators.
- The need for the interdisciplinary design of the learning environment. The emphasis on holistic, integrated approaches highlights that supporting the development of persons with disabilities must be implemented within a specially organized learning environment and based on interdisciplinary interaction. Moving away from isolated interventions in favor of multi-level mediated support can enhance the overall effectiveness of the assistance provided.
- The challenge of developing dynamic assessment systems and individualized intervention programs. Educational programs must be oriented toward the unique developmental trajectories of individuals across various age groups and categories of persons with disabilities.