School Population: About 13-14% of the school population nationwide are identified as having a handicapping condition that qualifies for Special Education (SPED) services.
SPED Students vs. LD Students: One half all student who are identified for special education are classified as having a learning disability (LD). About 85% of those students have a primary learning disability in reading and language processing.
Population as a Whole: Up to 15-20% of the population as a whole may have symptoms of dyslexia, including slow or inaccurate reading, weak spelling, and poor writing. Not all will qualify for Special Education, but most benefit from systematic, explicit instruction in reading, writing, and language. (AKA, Structured Literacy Instruction).