Children with special needs often experience a range of early developmental challenges that can affect their readiness for learning and their participation in school.
This population includes children with a wide range of neurodevelopmental conditions (like autism and ADHD) as well as physical or sensory conditions and impairments.
Overall, children with special needs are more likely to experience challenges in one or more areas of their development compared to other children their age. For example, about 80 per cent of kindergarten children with identified special needs do not yet have the skills needed to fully benefit from classroom learning, compared to 27 per cent of children without special needs.
In Canada, children with special health needs are more likely to live in lower-income neighbourhoods and to experience poorer developmental outcomes.
