A Placement That Became Real Professional Experience

On 15 December 2025, the Faculty of Preschool, Special and Social Education hosted an online reporting conference presenting the outcomes of the diagnostic and analytical (industrial) placement completed by master’s students of the 016 “Special Education” programme. The event marked a logical conclusion to several weeks of intensive practical work carried out in mainstream and special educational institutions, Inclusive Resource Centres, and rehabilitation facilities.

During the placement, the master’s students went far beyond observation and actively engaged in educational and corrective developmental work. They conducted psychological and pedagogical assessments, analysed diagnostic findings, developed individualised recommendations, and designed their own educational and corrective projects. Particular attention was paid to cooperation with parents and collaboration with specialists from different professional backgrounds.

At the reporting conference, participants presented the results of their work, shared practical insights, and reflected on their professional experiences. The online format encouraged active discussion, during which the trainees demonstrated their ability to critically analyse their own practice and to justify the approaches they proposed.

The conference took place in an online format under conditions that are now familiar to all of us: power outages, unstable internet connections, unavoidable interruptions, and repeated reconnections. Despite these challenges, the participants showed a high level of responsibility, unity, and genuine commitment to their shared work. These circumstances once again highlighted the importance of flexibility, resilience, and mutual support in the educational process.

Special words of gratitude are extended to the Defenders of Ukraine, thanks to whom, even in the extremely difficult conditions of war, we are able to study, work, communicate, and plan our professional future. Awareness of this support gives particular meaning to every educational event and to our daily work.

This meeting once again confirmed that professional placement is not a mere formality, but a crucial stage in the professional development of future specialists in special and inclusive education, enabling them to connect theoretical knowledge with the real challenges of today.

Based on materials provided by the Department of Applied Psychology and Speech Ther