The paper considers the possibility of using the principles of gradual development of intellectual activity in the training experts of developmental psychology. The issue of the managed development of professional work components is being raised. A possible way of working is discussed analysing the features of child actual development aimed at discovering the reasons for the learning difficulties, which served as an excuse for the parents to seek psychological assistance. The method of analysis becomes an important competence of a consulting psychologist against the background of a high variety of forms of mental development. Development of readymade algorithms for solving a problem situation, covering all their diversity seems next to impossible. In this regard, there is a need to prepare students for an independent analysis of a specific life situation. It is the ability to this kind of analysis that ensures the expert’s preparedness to develop recommendations that contribute to harmonizing the child’s development.

Elaboration of this competence implies the integration of knowledge and skills acquired in various training courses. This possibility is provided by shaping the student’s orientation in the learned action taking into account its level structure. Semantically speaking, orientation allows one to recover the logic of the child’s examination and child development according to the goal set. The orientation is based on the mechanisms and conditions of mental development. The choice of adequate diagnostic tools becomes an independent task of the analysis that requires understanding of the available techniques and diagnostic tools. Summing up, the operational level of orientation provides competent use of the means chosen during diagnostic examination. Taking into account the orientation level of the developed activity makes it possible to integrate the knowledge and skills gained in the process of training into psychologist expert practice.