Why more and more children seem to have special needs — and why talking about it matters

If you feel like everybody knows a child who has dyslexia, ADHD, autism traits, high sensitivity, speech delays, emotional regulation challenges, or simply learns in a different way than the system expects… you’re not imagining it.

Parents today are noticing things that previous generations often missed. Teachers are spotting children who are struggling — not because they’re lazy, naughty, or “not trying hard enough” — but because their brains work differently.

At Kidooland, we see it every week. And instead of pretending it’s a tiny minority, we’ve taken a decision:

We’re working with the assumption that around 25% of children have special, additional, different, or developing needs.

Not because we want to label anyone, but because if we assume these needs exist, we can prepare, adapt, and support. If we assume they don’t — we miss kids who are quietly struggling.

And here’s the key message for parents:

🗣️ If we don’t know, we can’t help.

We don’t need diagnoses. We don’t need medical reports.We need conversations.

Tell us what works for your child. Tell us what worries you. Tell us what behaviours you notice at home. We are a safe place for those discussions — no judgement, no whispers, no shame.

The Jamie Oliver effect — and why it struck such a nerve

In his 2025 docuseries Jamie Oliver: Dyslexia Revolution, Jamie goes back into the classroom to explore what happens when children with undiagnosed learning differences are left to sink or swim.

His argument is simple and powerful:

Too many children are being failed by a system that assumes everyone learns the same way.

It’s not that more children suddenly have dyslexia, autism, sensory needs or attention differences — it’s that we finally have the language, the tools, and the courage to look at what’s happening.

You can watch more about his series here :https://www.jamieoliver.com/we-need-to-talk-about-dyslexia/

UK vs France — Are we all talking about the same thing?

This is where it gets interesting.

In the UK, the numbers are public, tracked, and rising:

• 18–19% of pupils are now identified as having special educational needs in some form

• 5.3% have a formal, legally binding support plan

That means nearly 1 in 5 children is officially recognised as needing adjustments — which is close to what Kidooland sees in real life.

France, however, paints a different picture:

• Around 4.7% of pupils are recognised as being “en situation de handicap” in ordinary schools

• Support exists on paper, but is often incomplete or missing — in 2025, nearly 49,000 children who were entitled to support had none

So yes — your impression that France feels behind is not wrong.

Why the gap?

Because in the UK, many children with learning differences are counted.

In France, only those with a formal PPS / MDPH recognition are counted — which is a small fraction of those who actually need help.

Put another way: The UK measures need. France measures diagnoses.

There’s a huge difference. And that leaves a lot of French children floating in a grey area — children who:

• don’t have a diagnosis yet

• are waiting for a specialist (sometimes for months or years)

• don’t qualify enough for support

• are “fine” until the classroom becomes too much

• don’t struggle in obvious ways, but still need help

Why Kidooland is stepping in

We see children who are:

• bright but overwhelmed

• curious but anxious

• social but exhausted

• capable but unable to show it in a traditional classroom

So we’re testing something new:

A Wednesday SEND-friendly beta programme

—not to replace school support, but to bridge the gap that families keep falling through.

Our goals are simple:

✔ help children learn the invisible skills needed to survive a classroom (mental, social, and emotional tools that make learning possible)

✔ build confidence so they can ask questions, join in, and cope socially

✔ give parents a team who listens

✔ avoid situations where concerns are ignored until it’s “too late”

This is not a label. This is a starting point.

So what do we want from you?

Not a dossier. Not a diagnosis (although if your child does have a specific diagnosis, please do share this with us!).

Just this:

👉 Tell us who your child is. If they hate loud noises, need time to warm up, get frustrated easily, can’t sit still, forget instructions, panic when plans change, or need a predictable routine — tell us.

No detail is too small. Every detail helps. Because again:

If we don’t know, we can’t help.

But if we do know…we can make miracles look like progress.

Final word

Whether your child has a diagnosis, is waiting for one, or is simply “wired differently”, Kidooland is a safe place for you, a place where they won’t be misunderstood.

Different is not broken.

Different is not less.

Different is simply… different.

And we’re here for that.