**Current Perspectives on Prevention of Reading and Writing Learning Disabilities Writing Learning Disabilities**

**Current Perspectives on Prevention of Reading and** 

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.68627

Maria-José González-Valenzuela Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

Maria-José González-Valenzuela

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.68627

#### **Abstract**

This chapter intends firstly to analyze the problem of identifying learning disabilities, from the standpoint of competing diagnostic models. The controversy between different models for identifying learning disabilities was presented, contrasting the characteristics of diagnostic models and models based on response to intervention. Second, an analysis of the main predictive factors of reading and writing was offered, using recent results from research carried out in different languages. The most often studied predictors—phonological awareness, speech perception, the alphabetic principle, rapid automatic naming, and vocabulary—were analyzed for their relationship to reading and writing. Finally, a discussion follows on the effects of certain programs that have been developed in different countries to prevent reading and writing learning disabilities. Most of these programs have been developed in the United States or Spain; they have also been implemented in other countries such as Canada, Australia, Mexico, Chile, and Israel.

**Keywords:** LD identification, reading, writing, predictive factors, prevention program

### **1. Introduction**

The prevention of learning disabilities has always been and continues to be a topic of great relevance in the clinical and educational areas. There is limited research, however, on the effects of implementing programs to prevent these difficulties. One reason for this is the lack of consensus about the conceptualization of learning disabilities, and the use of different models to identify them. In this chapter, the problem of identifying learning disabilities is analyzed, including the characteristics of different diagnostic models, such as discrepancy models, models based on response to intervention, and main component models.

© 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2017 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Another reason has been the diversity of theories and hypotheses to explain the appearance of learning disabilities, the variety of factors that produce them, and the few studies that have analyzed predictive factors of reading and writing. An analysis of the main predictive factors of reading and writing will be offered here, based on recent research results in studies with different languages.

Finally, this chapter provides an analysis of the effects of some programs that have been developed to prevent reading and writing learning disabilities in different countries. We analyze the characteristics of the primary prevention programs, such as Success For All (SFA), Starting Out Right (SOR), Comprehensive Early Literacy Learning (CELL), and the Prevention Program of Reading and Writing Learning Disabilities (PREDALE).
