[Disorders of psychological performance in mentally normal school children]

The authors deal with such psychic factors as weaknesses in concentration, reading and spelling which are to a major degree responsible for failure at school. These factors often occur in combination and may indicate early brain damage, in complex interaction with milieu conditions. Ample evidence of this is given in a literature survey. Principles of concentration training and a diagnostic verification procedure are then outlined, which have been derived from an analysis of attention requirements made at school. A therapy for reading and spelling weaknesses is dealt with, followed by a presentation of the results of training and catamneses. Using the method of Kossow mistakes were reduced by 78 percent and spelling marks improved considerably, after the children had returned to their original schools. In conclusion information is given on future projects for better assistance and prevention in the case of reading and spelling weaknesses at the elementary stage.