Communication and connecting
Learning
Some children learn differently.
Communication and connecting
Some children learn differently.
Children vary in how they learn and what kind of things they need to support them. this could include:
Learning is more than school and academic subjects. It includes everyday skills, learning through play, learning to communicate, and making sense of the world. Children with neurodevelopmental differences learn all through life, often in their own way and at their own pace.
Learning can be uneven. A child may be strong in some areas and find others much harder. Abilities and skills may not come at expected times or ‘milestones’. A child may need a lot longer than others in some areas.
Children don’t all learn in the same way. Some learn best by seeing, some by doing, some through routine, and many through a strong interest.
A child who finds the usual classroom approach hard may learn well when the same thing is shown in a way that fits them. Following a child’s communication style can also open the door to learning.
How a child takes in, holds on to and uses information shapes how they learn.
Some need more time to process information. Some may find it hard to hold several steps in mind at once.
A child may struggle with reading, maths or writing. They may find coordination and sports difficult.
Sometimes assessments can find what the child struggles with in more detail.
The difficulties in learning can sometimes lead to frustration and distress. Read more on our coping page.
Cambridge University Centre for Attention, Learning and Memory has some resources on working memory and learning.
A learning difference, such as dyslexia, affects how a child processes certain types of information. A learning disability affects a child’s ability to learn new things and cope independently. These are different things. Dyscalculia and dyslexia are learning difficulties. Read more about these on our diagnosis page.
Dyscalculia is a specific learning difficulty with numbers.
Read our Easy Read resource on Dyscalculia
External links:
The Dyscalculia Association promotes understanding of maths difficulties in the UK
National Numeracy charity has a page on dyscalculia
Dyscalculia Network UK is a community interest company promoting awareness of maths difficulties
Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that mainly affects reading and spelling. Around 1 in 10 people in the UK may have dyslexia.
The environment a child learns in can affect how well they manage. For some neurodivergent children, this can include:
Read more on our environment page or sensory differences page.
A child’s learning can be misunderstood. For example:
Looking at the whole child helps. Read more on dual exceptionality.
School is one place children learn, but not the only one. At school the child may get help with:
These can all make a difference, but so does the environment around them. Learning also happens at home, in play, and in everyday life. Read more about education on our environment page.
Trust and a safe environment is particularly important for learning. This includes how the child feels within their place of learning, whether this is education, home or their community.
Example — Jack:
Jack is dyslexic. He is articulate and full of ideas, but reading and spelling are hard work. For a while his difficulties were mistaken for not trying.
Jack takes in far more when he can listen rather than read. He can understand a topic in depth even when he can’t get it onto the page.
Now, with audiobooks and the chance to explain his thinking out loud, his learning is being supported.
Reading will always take Jack more effort, and he needs the right support for it. But he is an imaginative thinker who learns better in his own way.
Example — Anjum:
Anjum is non-speaking and needs full support with daily life, and will do throughout her life. Her learning looks very different from traditional classroom learning.
Anjum learns through her senses, through routine, and through the people she knows. She recognises her dad’s footsteps before he reaches the room. She has clear likes and dislikes. She will push away a spoon of food she doesn’t want. She will hold your gaze until you find what she wants. Learning to indicate her choices took time.
She’s particular about texture and happiest outdoors when it’s windy. She has a sense of humour the people close to her know well. Recognising how Amara learns and communicates is what lets her shape her own day.
Note: Our examples are made up to show common experiences and are not real children.
Families told us about learning differences for their children with neurodevelopmental needs (Growing Different Parent Survey 2024).
1 in 5
parents said their child had a learning disability (78 out of 388 or 20%)
1 in 5
parents said their child was dyslexic (69 out of 388 or 18%)
1 in 3
reported significant learning difficulties
(124 responses out 394 total)
1 in 2
parents said their child had cognitive issues (198 out of 360 or 55%)
Growing Different Parent Survey 2024 – notes and limitations
394 families of neurodivergent children took part in our online survey. Most children were autistic (about 8 in 10). People chose to take part, so the figures show their experiences, not all children. We did not compare them with any other group, so they can’t show how common something is or what causes it. Some questions had more responses than others.
Please credit ‘Growing Different Parent Survey 2024‘ and read more in our survey insights page
A link is not an endorsement. We are not responsible for the content of external links.
Clear words and pictures – for children and adults with learning disabilities
Connecting I Coping I Daily living I Diagnosis I Environment I Health I Learning I Senses I Speech I Strengths
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Information created: July 2026 I Next review: July 2029
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