Students with Learning Disabilities at Primary, Intermediate, and Secondary Grade Levels: Identification and Characteristics

Abstract

This study provided descriptive information about 790 students with learning disabilities at primary (K-2), intermediate (3–5), and secondary (6–12) grade levels who were identified during the 1987–88 school year in Indiana. The results revealed that identification of students with learning disabilities peaked in the first grade, and that 76% of these students were identified by the end of grade 5. Furthermore, students with more severe discrepancies tended to be identified at the primary level; discrepancies became less severe in higher grade levels. Additional findings were reviewed, and the results of the investigation were compared to previous large-scale studies of students with learning disabilities.