This resource from the Department of Education - UK explains how the rapid evidence assessment reviews how mainstream education professionals can identify and support cognition and learning difficulties in children and young people aged 0 to 25, with a focus on literacy and mathematics.

Cognition and learning difficulties affect a wide range of skills and are often linked to underlying challenges in memory, reasoning, and processing speed. Evidence shows that while formal diagnosis is the role of specialists, teachers play a key part in early identification through structured observation, screening tools, and collaboration with families, SENCos, and external professionals. Identification is better supported in primary than secondary settings, with early screening more developed for literacy than for mathematics.

Effective support is systematic, targeted, and sustained, with successful approaches reducing cognitive load and matching interventions to individual learner profiles. Overall, outcomes depend on teacher expertise, collaboration, and access to appropriate tools, with further research needed in secondary and diverse educational contexts.