The pandemic learning loss was worse for kids with special needs. Now, startups are helping students with autism, dyslexia, and ADHD get back on track.

• A new group of startups are helping children with conditions like autism and ADHD learn in schools.
• Data shows that children with disabilities had a sharper drop in 2022 reading and math test scores. 
• Venture capitalists have started to see this space as a market worth backing.

Vanessa Castañeda Gill wasn’t always open about her autism diagnosis.

When she was 14, her doctor diagnosed her with both autism and ADHD. She struggled connecting her identity with the stereotypes associated with autistic teenagers, which she felt didn’t fit the profile of a young woman of color.