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Hunting for the Single Cause of Your Child’s Learning Struggles? Genes, Brain and Surroundings All Play a Part, and None Sets a Ceiling

Hunting for the one reason your child struggles? The 2025 dyslexia definition names several causes that work together. And a learning difficulty is not a ceiling. Here is what this infographic gets right, plus three steps to take.

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Learning Success infographic, Unlocking Potential: Myth vs. Reality of Learning Challenges. Myth: learning difficulties come from a single factor. Reality: genetic, neurobiological and environmental influences work together. Myth: children with learning difficulties have limited potential. Reality: every child has the potential to thrive, and a difficulty is not a ceiling. A multi-system panel names biology, environment and genetics. Parent action plan: provide targeted support for the exact skills your child finds hard, build on your child's strengths, and celebrate every win.
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Learning Success infographic, Unlocking Potential: Myth vs. Reality of Learning Challenges. Myth: learning difficulties come from a single factor. Reality: genetic, neurobiological and environmental influences work together. Myth: children with learning difficulties have limited potential. Reality: every child has the potential to thrive, and a difficulty is not a ceiling. A multi-system panel names biology, environment and genetics. Parent action plan: provide targeted support for the exact skills your child finds hard, build on your child's strengths, and celebrate every win.

Someone says it is the screens. Someone else blames the teaching. A relative says it runs in the family. You lie awake hunting for the one reason school is so hard. Under that search sits a scarier question. Will this hold them back for good? You are not the only parent asking it.

Common questions from parents

What causes learning difficulties in children?
For dyslexia, the 2025 definition from the International Dyslexia Association says the causes are complex. Genes, the brain and a child’s surroundings work together over time. Our view is that no single cause explains a child’s learning difficulty. So look at the skills that are hard, one at a time.
Does a learning difficulty limit how far my child can go?
Our answer is no. A diagnosis describes where your child is today. It does not predict where they’ll be in a year of the right kind of practice. Skills are taught and built, one step at a time.
Is my child less smart because reading is hard?
Struggling to read says nothing about how smart your child is. The 2025 dyslexia definition dropped the old IQ-gap wording. Catts and colleagues (2026) say those IQ-gap tests “lack predictive validity.”
What should I do first?
Write down what is hard, with the task and the day. Practice that exact skill in short, calm sessions. Notice what your child does well, and name each win out loud. Think your child needs an IEP or 504 plan? Only a professional evaluation can get one. The same goes if you suspect a vision, hearing or medical cause.
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No single cause sits behind a learning difficulty, and it is not a ceiling. Practice the exact skill, build on strengths, celebrate each win.

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What does this infographic say about learning difficulties?

The infographic takes on two myths. Then it gives parents three steps. Here it is in plain words.

  • Myth one: one cause. Learning difficulties do not come from one single thing. Genes, the brain and a child’s surroundings work together.
  • Myth two: a fixed limit. A difficulty is not a ceiling on what your child can do.
  • Step one: support the exact skill. Practice the skill your child finds hard.
  • Step two: build from strengths. Notice what your child does well, and build on it.
  • Step three: celebrate every win. Name each bit of progress out loud.

The image also shows a success rate. No source we hold backs that number, so we leave it out. It also talks about rewiring the brain. That is a picture of learning, not a brain scan. Skills grow through practice, and that is the part to hold on to.

“Stop hunting for the one cause. Start with the one skill in front of you.” Laura Lurns

Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert

Is there one cause behind my child’s learning difficulty?

To us, the honest answer is no. The International Dyslexia Association rewrote its definition of dyslexia in 2025. It says the causes are complex. Genes, the brain and a child’s surroundings all play a part. They work together as a child grows.

That definition is about dyslexia. Our position is that other learning difficulties work the same way. So you do not need to find the one cause. To us, there is not one to find.

That is good news, even if it feels messy. A search for one cause tends to end in one label. A label names the difficulty. It does not tell you what to teach next.

Here is what helps instead. Look at what is hard, one skill at a time. When reading is hard, we look at more than reading. The sounds, the page, holding words in mind. Write down what you see at home. Note the task, the day and what got hard. Our page on what causes dyslexia walks through the 2025 definition.

Key takeaways

  1. No single cause: Genes, the brain and a child's surroundings work together.
  2. No ceiling: A diagnosis describes where your child is today, not where they end up.
  3. Three steps: Practice the exact skill, build from strengths, and celebrate every win.

Does a learning difficulty put a ceiling on my child?

Our answer is no. “A diagnosis describes where your child is today. It does not predict where they’ll be in a year of the right kind of practice.”

The 2025 definition also dropped an old line. The 2002 version called the difficulty “often unexpected” next to a child’s other abilities. Catts and colleagues (2026) explain why it went. Those IQ-gap tests “lack predictive validity.” In plain words, they did not predict well. Struggling to read says nothing about how smart your child is. This page on dyslexia and intelligence says more.

Here is the infographic’s parent plan, in our words.

  • Practice the exact skill. If sounding out words is hard, practice sounding out words. Keep sessions short and calm.
  • Build from this child’s strengths. Notice what your child does well. Let that be a place where they feel capable. The hard skill still gets its practice too.
  • Celebrate every win. Say what you saw: “You stuck with that word.” Small wins, named out loud, help a child keep going.

“The causes of dyslexia are complex and involve combinations of genetic, neurobiological, and environmental influences that interact throughout development.” International Dyslexia Association, definition of dyslexia, 2025

“A hard skill is not a low ceiling. It is the next thing to teach.” Laura Lurns

Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert

Your child is not one cause or one fixed limit. Your child is a learner, and you are their first teacher. Finding one label and stopping there has never taught a child a skill. Our free Learning Difficulties Analysis asks what you see at home. It is a starting point, not a diagnosis. Only a professional evaluation can get an IEP or 504 plan. Start the free Learning Difficulties Analysis.

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Your school district must evaluate your child free of charge if you ask in writing, whatever your income and whatever the outcome (US, 34 CFR 300.111 and 300.301(b)). That route takes time and answers a different question than you do. This one starts today, from what you already know.

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A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If your child might need formal accommodations (an IEP or 504 plan), or you suspect a vision, hearing or medical cause, pursue a professional evaluation too. That is the only route to those supports.

References

  • International Dyslexia Association (2025). Definition of dyslexia.
  • Catts, H. W., Haynes, C. W., & Joshi, R. M. (2026). Defining dyslexia: 2025 revision. Annals of Dyslexia.
· Learning Success expert Writes about the learning brain for parents who want plain answers. Every article is grounded in current neuroscience and classroom practice.

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