Today, the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) released its biennial report: State of Learning Disabilities: Facts, Trends and Indicators. This publication provides the authoritative national and state-by-state snapshot of learning disabilities (LD) in the United States. 

The report looks at the impact of learning disabilities on the educational success and employment of individuals with LD and also clarifies what is, and what is not, a learning disability.

Key findings of the report include: 

• 2.5 million public school students have learning disabilities and are eligible to receive special education – representing 42% of the 5.9 million students with disabilities, down from a high of over 50% a decade ago.
• Learning disabilities do not include conditions such as Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, intellectual disabilities, autism, deafness and blindness yet such conditions are often confused with LD.
• More students with LD are graduating with a regular high school diploma (64%) than only a decade ago (52%) and fewer students with learning disabilities are dropping out of school (22%) than in 1999 (40%).
• Students with LD attend postsecondary education at lower rates than their non-disabled peers. Only 10% of students with learning disabilities enrolled in a 4-year college within 2 years of leaving high school.
• Adults with learning disabilities still struggle to find employment (55% employed) compared to their non-disabled peers (76% employed) with 39% of adults with LD not in the workforce.

State of Learning Disabilities makes it clear that NCLD’s public policy recommendations on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act are critical.  Even with growth in graduation rates, students with learning disabilities still attain a high school diploma at lower rates than other children and struggle to persist in college. Read NCLD’s ESEA recommendations > 

Please contact your Member of Congress to voice your support for NCLD’s ESEA recommendations!