What this tool is for

Learning disabilities and specific learning difficulties sit across several different parts of the UK system, and the help you can get often depends on age, diagnosis, and which part of the country you live in. This tool takes a short description of the person and the situation, and points you towards the assessments, support services and funding you can reasonably ask for.

It is a starting point rather than a legal opinion or a diagnosis. Think of it as a shortcut to the right doors to knock on, so you can spend less time guessing who to contact first.

Who it helps

It is aimed at parents, carers, teachers, adults who suspect they have a learning difficulty, and anyone supporting a friend or relative. That might be a parent wondering whether to push for an EHCP, an adult who has always struggled with reading and wants a workplace assessment, or a carer trying to work out what adult social care should be offering.

It covers conditions like dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, ADHD related learning needs, and broader learning disabilities. If you already know exactly which service you need and how to access it, you probably do not need this page. If you are stuck at the "where do I even start" stage, it should save you some hours.

How it works

You answer a few short questions about the person, their age, the difficulties they are facing, and what has already been tried. The tool then gives you a plain English summary of the assessment routes, the support you can ask schools, colleges, employers or local authorities for, and the benefits or grants worth looking into. Your answers are not stored or linked to you, so you can be honest about the situation without worrying about a record being kept.