Inclusive teaching to prevent specific learning disorders in early childhood education

Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) are classified among neurodevelopmental disorders with a biological origin, and they are associated with behavioral symptoms. They are caused by the interaction of genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors, leading to difficulties in perceiving or efficiently processing verbal or non-verbal information. In early childhood education, the early identification of students displaying precursor symptoms of SLD can be beneficial for their future learning—also for all the students in the classroom—and can contribute to their academic success. The design and implementation of educational paths aimed at developing the prerequisites for writing, reading, and arithmetic in early childhood education require an intensive, systematic, and personalized preventive teaching approach, informed by evidence. This is essential to reduce learning difficulties in some children or to promote the use of compensatory strategies in others, thus mitigating otherwise poor learning outcomes. This contribution illustrates and describes the teaching strategy of early intervention, considered most effective by scientific evidence, and its long-term benefits for students with SLD.