LD/ADHD Overview Statistics

General

• One out of every five people in the United States is identified as having a learning or attention issue. “The State of Learning Disabilities” 2017. National Center for Learning Disabilities.
• A disproportionate number of students with disabilities who are imprisoned – 85% of incarcerated youth have learning and/or emotional disabilities. “Breaking the School-to-Prison Pipeline for Students with Disabilities.” 2015. National Council on Disability.
• Language-based learning disabilities cost society approximately $7.5 billion annually. The Dana Consortium on Language-Based Learning Disabilities (1999) as reported by: http://web.archive.org/web/20160516213003/http://coletti.org/ld/stats.html
• The annual cost of ADHD to society is estimated to be $14,500 per child, totaling $42.5 billion per year. Pelham, W. E., Foster, E. M. & Robb, J. A. “The Economic Impact of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents. 2007. Ambulatory Pediatrics (7)1, 121-131.
• A student with ADHD (grades K-12) costs society on average about $5,007 per year, as compared to $318 for students without ADHD. Robb, J. A. et al. “The Estimated Annual Cost of ADHD to the U.S. Education System.” 2011. School Mental Health 3(3), 169-177
• According to BLS, in 2016, 17.9% of persons with a disability were employed. By contrast, the employment-population ratio for people without a disability was 65.3%. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ( https://www.bls.gov/home.htm )

Poverty, Socioeconomic & Wage

• Roughly 92% of individuals diagnosed with an LD have incomes of less than $50,000 within 8 years of graduating high school, and 67% earned $25,000 or less. “The State of Learning Disabilities.” 2017. National Center for Learning Disabilities.
• “The Prevalence of reported LD is much higher among those living in poverty (2.6%) versus those living above poverty (1.5%). Among those 18–64 years of age, the percentage in poverty is almost twice as high as those above poverty.” “The State of Learning Disabilities.” 2014. National Center for Learning Disabilities.
• “In 2013, six% of children living in families at or above the poverty line, and 12% of children below it, were identified as having a learning disability.” “Learning disabilities.” 1014 Child Trends Databank.
• “Median earnings for people with no disability were over $30,469, compared to the $20,250 median income reported for individuals with a disability.” American Community Survey: Disability characteristics.” 2015. U.S. Census Bureau.
• “Between 2009 and 2010, the poverty rate and number in poverty for people aged 18 to 64 with a disability rose from 25.0% and 3.7 million to 27.9% and 4.2 million. Among people aged 18 to 64 without a disability, 12.5% and 22.0 million were in poverty in 2010—up from 12.0% and 21.0 million in 2009. People aged 18 to 64 with a disability represented 15.9% of people aged 18 to 64 in poverty compared to 7.8% of all people aged 18 to 64.” U.S. Census Bureau 2011
• Despite federal assistance, persons with disabilities are more likely to be unemployed and live in poverty. The high incidence of poverty among persons with a disability fuels doubts about the sufficiency of public assistance and incentives to help people return to work.” “Disability & Socioeconomic Status.” n.d. American Psychological Association. Accessed from: https://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/disability.aspx

Employment and Education

• Among LD youth, only 41% complete post-secondary education, and only 46% are able to obtain regular paid employment within two years of graduating from high school. “The State of Learning Disabilities.” 2017. National Center for Learning Disabilities
• Students with LD drop-out of high school at three times the rate of all students. “The State of Learning Disabilities.” 2017. National Center for Learning Disabilities
• Young adults with learning disabilities enroll in 4 year colleges at half the rate of the general population. “ The State of Learning Disabilities.” 2017. National Center for Learning Disabilities
• Students with disabilities are more than twice as likely to be suspended. The loss of instructional time increases the risk of course failure and school aversion. “The State of Learning Disabilities.” 2017. National Center for Learning Disabilities
• Paid transitional employment is one of the strongest predictors of positive post-school outcomes for youth with disabilities. Gold, P.B., Fabian, E.S., and Luecking. R.G. “Job Acquisition by Urban Youth With Disabilities Transitioning From School to Work.” 2013. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin (57), 31-45.