This year we celebrate the anniversary of one of the leading specialists in the field of special psychology, Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Professor Irina Yurievna Levchenko, Professor of the Department of Social-Psychological Technologies and Correctional-Developmental Methods at the Institute of Psychology and Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Moscow City Pedagogical University.
The entire life of this remarkable woman, educator, and scholar is an example of devotion to the cause she has served for more than fifty years. Irina Yurievna’s creative path is remarkably harmonious—from studying and creating conditions for the rehabilitation of children with musculoskeletal disorders to being a methodologist who determines the theoretical foundations of modern correctional psychology, psychological-pedagogical diagnostics, special and inclusive education, and the training of personnel to work with children with special educational needs.
In 1976, I.Yu. Levchenko graduated from the Faculty of Psychology of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, immediately after which she immersed herself in scientific and practical work on the rehabilitation of children with musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), which she continues to pursue to this day. The scientific and practical experience in this area was summarized in her Candidate’s and Doctoral dissertation research. In 1986, Irina Yurievna defended her Candidate’s dissertation devoted to the psychological study of adolescents with MSD. The academic degree of Doctor of Psychological Sciences was awarded by the decision of the Higher Attestation Commission of the Russian Federation on October 19, 2001; the topic of the dissertation: “The System of Psychological Study of Persons with Cerebral Palsy at Different Stages of Social Adaptation.” She and under her supervision created unique methods for diagnosing the development of children not only with musculoskeletal disorders but also with other developmental disorders, and developed methodological support for the correctional-developmental process in educational organizations, as well as in healthcare and social protection institutions. She is one of the developers of the Federal State Educational Standard of Primary General Education for students with musculoskeletal disorders, the Draft Approximate Adapted Basic General Education Program of Primary General Education for students with musculoskeletal disorders, the Federal State Educational Standard of Preschool Education for children with musculoskeletal disorders, and the Draft Approximate Adapted Basic Program of Preschool Education for children with musculoskeletal disorders.
Speaking about Irina Yurievna’s creative achievements, one must remember the versatility of her activity and the monographs and articles she has prepared. I.Yu. Levchenko is the author of more than 250 works (articles, scientific-methodological and practice-oriented manuals, a monograph, textbooks) on special psychology and correctional pedagogy, and on the problems of studying, teaching, and upbringing of persons with musculoskeletal disorders and other developmental disorders. It was on her initiative and under her leadership that a whole series of textbooks and journals were created, with the help of which defectological personnel are trained in our country. She is the scientific supervisor of the book series “Special Psychology” at the National Book Center publishing house, editor-in-chief of the journals “Correctional Pedagogy: Theory and Practice” and “Practical Defectology,” chief editor of the journal “Upbringing and Education of Children with Developmental Disorders,” and a member of the editorial board of the scientific-practical journals “Systemic Psychology and Sociology”; “Autism and Other Developmental Disorders”; “Child and Adolescent Rehabilitation”; MGPU Bulletin. Series: “Modern College”; “Psychological-Pedagogical Search.”
Her sphere of scientific interests includes the study of children with various developmental disorders and the development of organizational forms of activity and content of the work of teacher-defectologists in special correctional-educational institutions.
I.Yu. Levchenko makes a great contribution to the training of teacher-defectologists and special psychologists, conducts extensive teaching work, and is involved in the retraining of specialists in the system of higher and postgraduate professional education. Since 1993, she headed the Department of “Special Pedagogy and Special Psychology” of the Defectology Faculty of Sholokhov Moscow State University for the Humanities. Since 2015, she was the head of the Laboratory of Inclusive Education of ISO and KR GAOU VO MGPU.
A few more touches to the portrait of the jubilee. Irina Yurievna is the initiator and scientific supervisor of many scientific-practical conferences, and a member of the dissertation council at MGPU for the defense of dissertations in the specialties “Correctional Pedagogy” and “Correctional Psychology and Defectology.” She heads the Expert Council on the Education and Upbringing of Persons with Musculoskeletal Disorders under the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. She is an expert of the All-Russia People’s Front; a member of the Association of Defectologists of the Moscow Region; a member of the Expert Council on the Education and Upbringing of Persons with Severe and Multiple Developmental Disorders; a member of the National Association of Experts in the Field of Cerebral Palsy and Concomitant Diseases; a member of the Scientific-Methodological Council of the Federal Resource Center for the Development of the System of Comprehensive Support for Children with Musculoskeletal Disorders; and a member of the jury of the All-Russian competition “Teacher-Defectologist of Russia.”
A large number of students—postgraduate and doctoral students from various parts of our country—Moscow, Astrakhan, Ufa, Samara, Kazan, Krasnodar, Ryazan, and other cities—successfully defended their dissertations under her supervision. And not only defended dissertations, but opened new research directions: psychological assistance to families raising children with disabilities (V.V. Tkacheva), logopsychology (T.N. Volkovskaya), a synergetic approach in the process of social adaptation of children with MSD (T.N. Simonova), study and rehabilitation of children with complex disorders (M.V. Zhigoreva), creation of special conditions for general education of schoolchildren with MSD (A.Ya. Abkovich)…. It is difficult to list all of I.Yu. Levchenko’s students and followers—although the designation of the topics of their research can show the diversity and depth of Irina Yurievna’s own scientific interests. During her scientific and teaching activity, I.Yu. Levchenko served as a scientific consultant for six doctoral dissertation studies (2 in special psychology, 4 in correctional pedagogy) and as a scientific supervisor for 27 Candidate’s dissertations.
Irina Yurievna is known in many cities of our country and many countries of the world—both as a participant in conferences, congresses, and symposia, and as an excellent lecturer who is able to convey to listeners and clarify the most complex problems. Among the numerous conferences organized by I.Yu. Levchenko, the annual Suvorov Readings, which have been held since 2024 largely thanks to her active role, should be noted. That is why she is the permanent chairman of the organizing committee of the Suvorov Readings, attracting leading scientists not only from our country but also from other countries where research on persons with severe multiple developmental disorders is conducted. The first readings, held in May 2024, were nominated for the title of laureate of the national All-Russian competition “Golden Psyche” in the nomination “Event of the Year in the Life of the Community.”
The awards received by I.Yu. Levchenko testify to the high evaluation of her multifaceted activity: the medal “In Memory of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow,” the K.D. Ushinsky Medal, the G.I. Chelpanov Medal (II degree) “For Contribution to the Development of Psychological Science,” the commemorative badge “For Personal Contribution to the Development of Defectology,” the commemorative badge “For Merits before the University,” winner of the annual “People of MGPU” award in 2025 in the field of scientific activity, and certificates from the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, and the Moscow Department of Education.
The faculty of the Institute of Psychology and Comprehensive Rehabilitation of MGPU, students and followers of Irina Yurievna Levchenko warmly congratulate her on her glorious anniversary and wish her good health and new creative achievements in the development of special psychology, the improvement of special and inclusive education, and the training of modern defectological personnel.