My son was pretty severely language delayed as a toddler. He had speech therapy before he started school and additional support in school but it delayed his reading. That held him back in other subjects, so he had a private reading tutor and we read with him endlessly. He still struggled in the other subjects.
All of this struggling made him feel like he wasn't as smart as the other kids. We had him tested privately and the psychologist found that he was actually very bright, particularly with maths, and that the additional support in school was holding him back by creating a sense of learned helplessness. Then we had to convince the school district to mainstream him (i.e. put him in classes with regular kids but provide some support more discretely). The school district fought us tooth and nail because they received additional funding for the special needs kids (we're in the US). We finally got him mainstreamed, his language caught up and he did better but still had a lot of lingering self-esteem issues and low self-confidence.
He got into a good uni that has a really strong academic support and coaching program and majored in accounting. He's done brilliantly. He interned for a big four accounting firm last spring and they've offered him a full-time job when he graduates in May, paying absolutely silly money for someone right out of uni. And the best news of all, they're offering a fully remote option for professional staff, so instead of having to get a dodgy flat four hours away from home, he can move back in with us, not have to pay rent or most other expenses.
He's a lovely young man, helpful and kind. DH taught him how to cook and he's helpful around the house, and now his career is off to a brilliant start. 