Learning Disability Facts to Consider
- It is estimated that 4 million children have learning disabilities. (National Institute of Health)
- Nearly 2.9 million students are classified as having specific learning disabilities:
- Dyslexia
- Dyspraxia
- Dyscalculia
- Dysgraphia
- According to the National Institute of Health, 15% of the U.S. population has significant difficulty learning to read.
- Four times more boys than girls are diagnosed with learning disabilities.
- Two-thirds of secondary students with learning disabilities are reading three or more grade levels below their peers. (National Longitudinal Transition Study, 2003)
- More than 27% of children with learning disabilities drop out of high school (24th annual report to congress, 2002)
- There is no causal link between learning disabilities and substance abuse; however, the risk factors for adolescent substance abuse are very similar to the behavioral effects of LD, such as reduced self-esteem and academic difficulty. (National Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse, 1999)
