Abstract:

The presented expert text presents specific research results focused on the area of intervention for children with a risk of developing specific learning disabilities (SLD) in the Czech Republic. The research provides a comparative view of (special) pedagogical care for children at risk of developing SLD in the Czech Republic and abroad (Poland, Slovakia). The research results are complemented by the research results entitled "Prevalence of SLD development", which was carried out by the paper’s author at the University of Hradec Králové in 2015-2016 and led to the identification of children at risk of developing SLD in a population of 800 children aged 5.5 - 7.5 years in the Czech Republic. The results of this research have shown teachers’ ability to identify children at risk of developing SLD, both at the kindergarten and primary school levels.

The main objective of the presented research is to find out how to provide intervention for children at risk of developing SLD in the Czech Republic and with the secondary objective to provide a comparative view on (special) pedagogical care for children at risk of developing SLD in the Czech Republic and abroad (Poland, Slovakia).

Research will be carried out using a mixed research design. Research is carried out using the questionnaire method. The research sample consists of randomly selected teachers in kindergartens and primary schools in the Czech Republic (1,000 teachers), Poland (200 teachers) and Slovakia (200 teachers). In addition, a qualitative analysis of interviews with 10 kindergarten teachers and 10 primary schools teachers in the Czech Republic were used, in order to verify primary school/kindergarten teachers ability to identify children at risk of developing the SLD and to analyse the access of kindergarten and primary school teachers to children/pupils with the risk of developing SLD aged between 5.5 and 8 years at the level of eliminating their specific difficulties (SLD predictors) and supporting their education, in the context of the Czech Republic’s current legislation.

The research results show that 65% of teachers constituting the research sample in the Czech Republic are acquainted with the issue of children at risk of developing SLD, in Slovakia it’s 45% and in Poland 98%. Special support methods are used for children at risk of developing SLD in the Czech Republic by 42% of teachers, 25% in Slovakia, and 91% in Poland. 85% of respondents from Poland stand by the opinion that care for children at risk of developing SLD and with SLD is continuously assured, only 28% of the respondents perceive it as continuous care in the Czech Republic and 21% of Slovakian respondents.

The research results show that interventions regarding school-age children with SLD are systemically provided in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland, but children with a risk of developing SLD in pre-school and younger school age are only conceptually paid attention in Poland. Despite the fact that teachers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia are able to identify children at risk of developing SLD, their specific expressions are paid attention only when they are demonstrably causing specific difficulties in learning reading, writing and counting.

Keywords:

Risk of developing SLD, a Pre-School Child, a Younger School Aged Child, Diagnostics and Teachers’ Competencies and Comparison.