ERIC Number: EJ1157254
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-2194
EISSN: N/A
Prevalence of LD from Parental and Professional Perspectives: A Comparison of the Data from the National Survey of Children's Health and the Office of Special Education Programs' Reports to Congress
Pullen, Paige C.
Journal of Learning Disabilities, v50 n6 p701-711 Nov-Dec 2017
Since the emergence of the field of learning disabilities (LD) in the late 1960s and early 1970s, controversy has surrounded issues regarding methods used for identification. The prevalence of students identified as LD increased steadily from the 1970s until the beginning of the 21st century, at which time it has decreased until at least 2011 (the most current data available from the U.S. Office of Education). In this article, I compare the prevalence rates of children aged 6 to 17 years being served in schools according to the Office of Special Education Programs with the prevalence rates as reported by parents on the National Survey of Children's Health. To date, no such comparison has been made that takes into account parents' knowledge of their children's disabilities. Results of the analyses reveal that parents report that their children have LD at a significantly higher rate than what is reported by schools of students receiving LD services. Most important, the longitudinal trend from 2001 to 2011 indicates that parents are reporting a slight increase whereas the Office of Special Education Programs is reporting a dramatic decrease in LD.
Descriptors: Learning Disabilities, Disability Identification, Incidence, Elementary Secondary Education, Parents, Knowledge Level, Trend Analysis, Federal Government, Public Agencies, Parent Attitudes, Longitudinal Studies, National Surveys, Questionnaires, Reports, Statistical Analysis, Effect Size
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A