Objective To investigate the current status of outpatient clinics for children with learning difficulties (LD) in medical institutions across China, and to provide evidence for standardized clinic construction.

Methods An online questionnaire survey was conducted among medical institutions with established LD outpatient clinics using a convenience sampling method from September to October 2024. The survey analyzed and compared the current status of outpatient clinics of LD outpatient clinics in different levels of medical institutions.

Results A total of 118 valid questionnaires were collected, yielding a response rate of 93.6%. Physicians accounted for 33.3% of the LD outpatient-related medical staff. The outpatient clinics were predominantly rehabilitation/training rooms (44.3%), with an average area of 46.43 (16.67, 125.00) m². Outpatient clinics with fewer than 10 types of LD assessment tools accounted for 23.7%. The number of medical institutions offering LD outpatient services has been raising since 2020, with the largest growth observed in 2022. Among the outpatient clinics, 96.6% primarily diagnosed children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and 94.1% employed family parenting guidance as the main intervention or treatment method. Additionally, 66.1% of the medical institutions conducted follow-up visits. The most frequently mentioned demand for outpatient clinic development (32.7%) was the enhancement of standardized training. Compared to secondary medical institutions, the outpatient clinics of tertiary medical institutions had a significantly higher proportions of rehabilitation therapists, physicians with senior professional titles and master’s degrees or above, used 11 − 20 types of LD assessment tools, medication treatment, electronic medical record management, and a higher proportion of children who did not receive intervention or treatment due to transportation inconvenience (P < 0.05).

Conclusion The number of medical institutions offering pediatric LD outpatient services in China has increased rapidly since 2022. However, there are significant disparities in staffing, facilities, service capabilities, and management practices between medical institutions at different levels. The primary demand for outpatient clinic construction focuses on the implementation of standardized training. There is an urgent need to develop relevant construction guidelines or expert consensus to provide guidance for the standardized construction of pediatric LD outpatient clinics.