The National Child Development Study is a longitudinal survey of all people who were born in the week of March 3-9, 1958 in England, Scotland, and Wales--approximately 17,000 people. A project used information collected from 12,500 of these people through interviews in 1981 when they were 23 years old. The project sought to determine (1) what practical problems beset people with literacy and numeracy difficulties; (2) which groups report difficulties with basic skills but are underrepresented in adult basic education courses; and (3) whether those who will have difficulties with numeracy and literacy in adulthood can be identified earlier in life. The study found that 13 percent of the sample reported some problems with basic skills, with about twice as many reporting problems with writing/spelling as with numeracy or reading. Many did not report any practical problems with daily life, but said the lack of skills kept them from applying for jobs. Most persons with skills problems were in paid employment, the majority in the manual working class groups. More of the group who lacked basic skills were unemployed than the group as a whole. Although men were more likely to report literacy problems, they were also more likely to have received help. People reporting basic skills problems were more likely to live in crowded housing and to have less money. (KC)