Recognizing How Common Learning Challenges often Overlap

This article provides helpful information about how some of the most common learning challenges often overlap. Integrated Learning Strategies (ILS) is a learning and academic center. As a reminder, ILS is not a health care provider and none of our materials or services provide a diagnosis or treatment of a specific condition or learning challenge you may see in your child or student. If you seek a diagnosis or treatment for your child or student, please contact a trained professional who can provide an evaluation of the child.

When you walk into almost any classroom or spend time with families at home, you may soon discover many children struggle with learning challenges, attention and behavior issues, or neurological disorders that aren’t always obvious or consistent. While we’ve provided some of the most common below, there is a wide spectrum of other learning challenges seen in the classroom.

Some of the most common learning challenges kids face today include the following:

• Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD)
• ADHD
• Executive Function
• Auditory Processing
• Autism

Many of these challenges show up frequently in both school and home environments. They often overlap and blend together in ways that can make them difficult to recognize, especially when kids have mild symptoms.

Signs of Learning Challenges

Individually, each of these conditions affects a meaningful percentage of children. When you consider them together, it becomes clear that a significant portion of kids experience at least one, and often more than one, of these challenges. Many times, these challenges stem from disconnections in the brain where foundational elements experienced a disruption — often early in life.

Teachers are often the first ones to spot struggles happening in the classroom. In any given classroom, they may see children having trouble with the following:

• Following directions
• Overwhelmed by background noise
• Can’t follow conversations or complete tasks
• Staying seated for long periods of time
• Impulse control

Parents may also notice early on their child may have difficulty with the following:

• Textures of clothing
• Difficulty transitioning between activities
• Challenges with organization and memory
• Loud noises
• Repeats instructions multiple times
• Big emotions
• Defiance or behavioral setbacks

When children experience these challenges, their bodies and their brain are often telling you and them that they are not regulated and they need additional support to build much-needed neural connections. They often need additional help for them to process and respond to the world around them.

Learning Challenges Unique in Every Child

One of the most important things to understand is that no two children experience learning challenges in the same way. Each child is unique and different with individual needs and supports to target the areas of growth and development.

Parents and teachers may see a variety or a combination of some of the following emotions and behaviors:

• A child with attention difficulties might be constantly moving and impulsive, while another may appear quiet, but mentally “checked out.”
• Sensory challenges might show up as avoiding certain sounds or textures in one child, but seeking intense movement or pressure in another.
• Executive function struggles can look like forgetfulness, disorganization, or difficulty starting tasks, but sometimes they’re mistaken for laziness or lack of motivation.
• Auditory processing issues might be confused with hearing problems or inattentiveness when a child simply can’t make sense of the information they are given.
• Autism covers a wide spectrum, from highly verbal children with subtle social challenges to those with more noticeable communication and behavioral differences.

Because these differences vary so widely, it’s easy for challenges to be misunderstood or missed altogether.

Overlap is the Rule, Not the Exception

Perhaps the most critical piece of the puzzle is these challenges rarely occur in isolation.

Overlap in learning challenges means that children don’t fit neatly into one category. Instead, they often show a combination of traits that cross traditional diagnostic boundaries.

When these learning challenges overlap, you may find the following:

• A child with ADHD may also struggle with executive function and sensory processing
• A child with autism often experiences sensory and executive functioning differences
• Auditory processing challenges can overlap with attention difficulties
• Many children show a mix of traits across multiple areas

This overlap can make it difficult to pinpoint a single explanation, but it also highlights why a broader, more flexible understanding is so important.

Parent and Teacher Support

Understanding that learning challenges often overlap is not only one of the biggest pieces of the puzzle, it also help you know how you can better support your child or students.

When we assume a single label explains everything, we risk overlooking important pieces of the child’s experience. But when we recognize that multiple factors may be at play, we can respond more effectively. There isn’t just one intervention that is the “magic solution” for every child. It often requires multiple strategies that address the whole child, not just one aspect of their behavior.

It also encourages more patience and curiosity. A child who seems inattentive might actually be overwhelmed. A child who avoids tasks might be struggling with planning or processing. What looks like defiance is often a sign that something deeper is going on.

How to Support the Child’s Needs

The goal isn’t to perfectly categorize every child, it’s to understand them.

By recognizing how common these challenges are, how differently they can appear, and how often they overlap, we create space for more compassionate and effective support. Whether at home or in the classroom, this awareness helps adults respond with strategies that are flexible, individualized, and grounded in understanding.

When we look beyond labels and focus on patterns, we’re better equipped to help every child succeed in their own way.

To better understand each of these most common learning challenges, here’s a look into each foundational area of learning.

Sensory Processing Difficulties

Sensory processing refers to how the brain receives and responds to sensory input. It encompasses all our senses like sound, touch, movement, and visual information. Some children are overly sensitive (hypersensitive), while others seek out more sensory input (hyposensitive). These differences can affect daily functioning in subtle or significant ways.

If a child experiences sensory sensitivities or setbacks, you may notice the following:

• Strong reactions to sounds, lights, textures, or smells
• Avoidance of certain clothing, foods, or environments
• Frequent meltdowns in noisy or busy settings
• Constant movement, crashing, or seeking physical input
• Difficulty calming down after stimulation

Sensory trouble can impact a child’s classroom learning in the following ways:

• Easily overwhelmed by background noise or visual distractions
• Trouble focusing due to sensory discomfort
• Avoidance of certain activities (i.e., art, PE, group work)
• Difficulty staying seated or regulated
• Fatigue from trying to manage sensory input all day

ADHD-like Symptoms

ADHD affects attention, impulse control, and activity levels. Parents and teachers often notice it as primarily inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive behavior, or a combination of both.

When a child struggles with ADHD-like symptoms, you may see the following:

• Difficulty staying focused on tasks or instructions
• Frequent forgetfulness or losing items
• Excessive talking, interrupting, or fidgeting
• Trouble waiting turns or managing impulses
• Starting tasks but not finishing them

If a child experiences challenges with ADHD-like symptoms, you may find the following in the classroom:

• Difficulty following multi-step directions
• Incomplete assignments or careless mistakes
• Disruptions during lessons or group work
• Trouble sustaining attention during instruction
• Inconsistent academic performance

Executive Function Challenges

Executive function is the brain’s management system where skills are developed to help a child plan, organize, remember, and complete tasks. These challenges often overlap with ADHD, but can also exist independently.

A child with executive function delays may have trouble with the following:

• Getting started on tasks (even simple ones)
• Organizing belongings or time
• Forgetting instructions or routines
• Making transitions or changes in plans
• Staying motivated when tasks feel overwhelming

In the classroom, setbacks with executive function can appear in the following ways:

• Difficulty planning and completing assignments
• Problems with time management
• Trouble keeping track of materials
• Challenges with multi-step tasks and projects
• Falling behind despite understanding the material

Auditory Processing Challenges or Disorders

Auditory processing is the way the brain interprets sounds. It’s often mistaken for a hearing problem, when it’s really how the child processes information through their auditory system. Children with these difficulties may have perfect hearing, but struggle to make sense of spoken language, especially in complex environments.

When a child experiences auditory challenges, you may see the following:

• Frequently saying “what?” or asking for repetition
• Difficulty following spoken directions
• Misunderstanding what was said
• Trouble remembering verbal information
• Seeming inattentive when spoken to at home or at school

Classroom learning can be very difficult for kids who experience auditory challenges. Many children have trouble with the following:

• Difficulty following verbal instructions
• Struggles with listening-based learning
• Falls behind during lectures or discussions
• Experiences challenges with reading and spelling (linked to sound processing)
• Is often frustrated or withdraws

Autism and Autistic Disorders

Autism is a developmental condition that affects communication, social interaction, and behavior. It exists on a spectrum, meaning each child’s strengths and challenges can look very different.

In some children, you may find the following:

• Differences in social interaction (i.e., eye contact, back-and-forth conversation)
• Repetitive behaviors or strong routines
• Intense interests in specific topics
• Sensory sensitivities or preferences
• Delayed or different communication styles

Children with autism may be high-functioning, but can still experience these challenges in the classroom:

• Difficulty with social communication and group work
• Trouble understanding social cues or expectations
• Prefers routine and dislikes transitions
• Sensory sensitivities affecting participation
• Strengths in specific areas alongside challenges in others

There is no one-size-fits-all profile for learning challenges. Each child brings a unique combination of strengths and struggles, shaped by how they process, respond to, and interact with the world.

By understanding sensory processing, ADHD, executive function, auditory processing, and autism, we can better support children both at home and in the classroom.

Learning Challenges Graph

To help parents, teachers and therapists understand the overlap and how to support a child with learning challenges, download this helpful graph below. When you complete the form, make sure to confirm your subscription to our free monthly newsletter and check your email inbox for the download link. Please email info@ilslearning.com if you don’t receive your copy or if it does not appear in your junk or spam folder.

Reference Materials

Li, Q., Li, Y., Zheng, J., Yan, X., Huang, J., Xu, Y., Zeng, X., Shen, T., Xing, X., Chen, Q., & Yang, W. (2023). Prevalence and trends of developmental disabilities among US children and adolescents aged 3 to 17 years, 2018–2021. Scientific Reports, 13, 17254. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-44472-1

Marco, E. J., Hinkley, L. B. N., Hill, S. S., & Nagarajan, S. S. (2011). Sensory processing in autism: A review of neurophysiologic findings. Pediatric Research, 69(5), 48–54. https://doi.org/10.1203/PDR.0b013e3182130c54

Bullen, J. C., Lerro, L. S., Hesse, T., Zajic, M. C., McIntyre, N., & Mundy, P. (2025). Sensory processing modalities and their associations with academic achievement in autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-025-07185-0

de Wit, E., van Dijk, P., Hanekamp, S., Visser-Bochane, M. I., Steenbergen, B., van der Schans, C. P., & Luinge, M. R. (2018). Same or different: The overlap between children with auditory processing disorders and children with other developmental disorders: A systematic review. Ear and Hearing, 39(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000000479

Krüger, R. J., Krüger, J. J., Hugo, R., & Campbell, N. G. (2001). Relationship patterns between central auditory processing disorders and language disorders, learning disabilities, and sensory integration dysfunction. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 22(2), 200–215. https://doi.org/10.1177/152574010102200205

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Integrated Learning Strategies is a Utah-based center dedicated to helping mainstream children and children with learning challenges achieve academic success. Our services provide kids with non-traditional tutoring programs within the Davis County, Kaysville, Layton, Syracuse, Farmington, and Centerville areas. Areas to find Integrated Learning Strategies include: Reading tutors in Kaysville, Math tutors in Kaysville, Common Core Tutors in Kaysville, Tutors in Utah, Utah Tutoring Programs