Who experiences Learning Disabilities

• People with learning disabilities generally have average or above average intelligence. Their learning disability, however, creates a gap between ability and performance.
• Learning disabilities often run in families.
• Fifteen percent of the U.S. population, or 39 million Americans, have some form of learning disability.
• Fifty percent of all public school students in special education have learning disabilities.

What Can Be Done to Help Children with Learning Disabilities

• Early identification of youngsters with learning disabilities makes a critical difference in helping them learn the skills they need to compensate.
• Intervention by school personnel, who are required by law to create and carry out an Individualized Education Program (IEP), can help a youngster develop the skills to cope with his or her learning disability.
• Support from parents and educators is vital to help children with learning disabilities reach their full potential.

What Happens When Learning Disabilities Go Untreated

• People with learning disabilities that have not been diagnosed or properly addressed, or who are deemed "ineligible" for treatment, can experience serious, life-long negative consequences. The results can include loss of self-esteem, delinquency and illiteracy. The individual, as well as our society, is harmed.
• Thirty-five percent of students identified with learning disabilities drop out of high school, contributing greatly to the nation's school dropout rates.
• Fifty to eighty percent of adults with severe literacy problems have undetected or untreated learning disabilities.
• Fifty percent of young criminal offenders tested were found to have previously undetected learning disabilities. When offered educational services that addressed their learning disability, the recidivism rates of these young offenders dropped to below two percent.
• Up to sixty percent of teens in treatment for substance abuse have learning disabilities.