Prevention (learning support)

In pedagogy, prevention refers to methodical, preventive measures and early support , which mostly explicitly concern the area of learning disorders . Bleidick (p. 308) understands prevention to be a program of bundled subtasks. These are school measures that are intended to prevent or reduce disruptions in performance and social development. Zielinski (p. 153) distinguishes between the identification of risk persons and risk conditions in the prevention of learning difficulties.

Primary prevention (prophylaxis)

Primary prevention (PP) means, above all, a more general health promotion or body-specific health care (cf. Bleidick p. 143). It describes the measures to be taken before a disruption occurs so that a temporary crisis does not result in permanent misconduct (cf. Bleidick p. 312f.). Erwin Reichmann describes primary prevention as the early detection and treatment of disorders in development and mentions the right of all children to prevention and intervention, independent of social class. With regard to the PP, he calls for consideration of the entire environment that has an impact on the child: unhealthy living conditions, health disorders, risk factors in the family area and social conditions. Reichmann attaches great importance to educational work with parents and guardians.

According to Bleidick (p. 312) and Reichmann (p. 242), primary prevention also includes a competence concept. The aim of such a concept is to enable the students to correctly assess (real-life) situations and to deal with frustration and aggression. In this way they should be prepared for life outside and after school and for difficult life situations.

In summary, the PP describes a state in which the learning disorder does not yet exist or only rudimentary and should therefore be intervened before the actual manifestation. The PP takes place primarily in kindergartens and primary schools.

Secondary prevention

Bleidick (p. 143) describes secondary prevention (SP) as early detection or early support. Reichmann, on the other hand, (p. 242) also cites: preventive medical check-ups in toddlerhood, the use of screening methods (addiction tests) and the instructive support and educational advice from educators and parents. In addition, he refers to the "Recommendations of the Education Commission" of the German Education Council with regard to prevention and preventive measures.

The focus of the SP is therefore on early intervention or the prevention of generalized learning difficulties, mostly in children who have already become conspicuous, therefore the SP mainly affects primary and secondary schools.

Tertiary prevention

Bleidick (p. 143) labels tertiary prevention (TP) as preventing further damage. The TP is now definitely an institutional intervention in the case of damage that already exists (cf. Reichmann, p. 243f). Diagnostics, advice and treatment find their place here (ibid.)

The TP pursues the basic task of mentally stabilizing and rehabilitating children with learning disabilities . Another important aspect of the TP is the prevention of subsequent disabilities.