Cognition and learning

Support for learning difficulties may be required when children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation. Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD), through to profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) and specific learning difficulties (SpLD). This page aims to help support parents and carers of young people with cognition and learning needs.

Developmental concern

All children grow at slightly different rates. However, babies and children typically develop skills and abilities in a predictable order and at predictable ages.

Development concern is when a child takes longer to reach certain development milestones than other children their age.

How children develop

  • Motor skills: These are the muscle movements we use in everyday life.
  • Speech and Language: This includes babbling, imitating speech and identifying sounds, as well as understanding others.
  • Cognitive skills: This includes learning new things, making sense of information, organising your thoughts and remembering things.
  • Social and emotional skills: This includes interacting with others and developing personal traits and feelings, understanding and responding to the needs and feelings of others.

If a child doesn't reach at least 2 milestones, for example sitting up, walking, talking or toilet training, in each of these 4 areas, they might be classed as having developmental concern.

If you have concerns about this, please speak to your child’s GP, Health Visitor or education setting.

Specific learning difficulties

A specific learning difficulty (SpLD) means that a child or young person has a difference or difficulty with one or more parts of learning.

This can affect a child’s ability to receive, process, and recall information and can make learning harder in reading, writing, spelling, and maths.

Sometimes a person might have more than one SpLD or have one along with other issues like ADHD or autism.

The most common SpLDs are:

  • Dyslexia: Dyslexia is one of the most common learning difficulties, affecting about 10% of people. Children or young people with dyslexia often struggle with reading and spelling. Find out more information from The British Dyslexia Association.
  • Dyspraxia or Development Co-ordination Disorder (DCD): Dyspraxia may affect a child or young person’s balance and movement. It may also cause spatial awareness challenges. Dyspraxia is also known as developmental coordination disorder, (DCD).
    Read more about dyspraxia on the Dyspraxia Foundation website.
  • Dysalculia: Children and young people with dyscalculia have difficulty with maths and numbers in general. This includes understanding, learning, and having confidence with number-based tasks. Visit the Dyscalculia Foundation website for more information.
  • Dysgraphia: Dysgraphia generally affects handwriting. It can also affect organisation and taking in and understanding information.

Down’s syndrome

Down’s Syndrome is when you are born with an extra chromosome.

Everyone born with Down's syndrome will have a degree of learning disability. The level of learning disability will be different for each person and support for children and young people with Down’s Syndrome must be tailored to their individual needs.

Support for your child or young person

Cognition and Learning needs can vary from mild to severe. Mild difficulties might happen when someone struggles in one or two areas.

In an education setting, mild needs can often be managed with good teaching or adjustments at school with SEN Support, moderate needs might need special help and support and severe needs might need help from outside organisations and intensive support.

If you're worried about how your child is developing, talk to either:

  • their teacher
  • the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCO)
  • the Inclusion Manager

Local and national organisations offering support

The following local and national services can also support you with information, advice and diagnosis: