Inclusive literature in the education system of persons with special educational needs in higher education institutions

This article is dedicated to the conceptualization of the term «inclusive literature» in contemporary literary and methodological studies. The classification approach to the phenomenon of inclusive literature is refined. The emergence of a diverse range of original, translated, and adapted inclusive literary works in modern Ukraine allows for their classification based on the following criteria: by time of publication: classical and contemporary; by place of origin: domestic and foreign; by factual basis: fictional and non-fictional; by storytelling type: narrative and descriptive; by audience age group: for the youngest readers, early school-age children, teenagers and young adults, and adults. The study substantiates the necessity of introducing courses on inclusive literature in higher education institutions as a means of overcoming stereotypes regarding people with special needs. The state of this issue is analyzed in relation to the content of educational programs on the discipline «Inclusive Literature», implemented in Ukrainian universities, as well as the author's personal teaching experience at the Educational and Rehabilitation Institution of Higher Education «Kamianets-Podilskyi State Institute». Courses on inclusive literature are viewed from two perspectives: аs an integral component of the didactic system; аs a reflexive-empathetic space. For both educators and students, studying inclusive literature fosters active co-creativity and a deeper perception of real-life situations. Drawing on personal experience in addressing various pedagogical situations, the author argues that a wellorganized process of observing the behavior of fairy-tale or literary characters in an inclusive environment helps students develop cognitive action algorithms and behavioral patterns essential not only for education but also for everyday life.