Frequency of Learning Disability - A Comparison Between Juvenile Delinquent and Seventh Grade School Populations

• NCJ Number: 78098
• Author(s): W Swanstrom; C RandleSwanstrom W
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 41 pages
• Grant Number(s): 1405601377
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Rochester Public School District Number 535; Dodge-Fillmore-Olmsted Counties Community Corrections System
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Tests administered to seventh grade students in the Rochester, Minn., schools and a group of juvenile delinquents from the same area revealed that 15.8 percent of the students had learning disabilities compared to 59.7 percent of the delinquents.

Abstract

This study selected a random sample of 317 students -- 183 boys and 134 girls -- from the seventh grades of the Rochester public schools for testing during the summer of 1978. Participants were screened through the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (Revised) and the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT). If a significant discrepancy occurred between a student's intelligence test and the WRAT score, an additional test was administered in the academic subject appearing suspect. The same procedures were applied to 116 delinquents between 12 and 17 years old who were on probation in 3 Minnesota counties and a random sample of 28 delinquents from 2 additional counties. Federal and school district guidelines for the diagnosis of learning disabilities were followed in both groups. Analysis of test results showed that 15.8 percent of the students had learning disabilities and that these problems appeared with far greater frequency in boys than girls. Of the 144 delinquents, 59.7 percent had learning disabilities, a rate that is about 4 times higher than that of the general school population. The concluding discussion addresses different severity levels of learning disabilities, various types of learning disabilities, and the provision of special educational assistance. The results of this study suggest that learning disabilities are an important area of concern for education and corrections, even though they may not be a direct cause of delinquency. A delinquent youth's feelings against school are often so strong that an offer of help from a learning disability specialist may be refused. However, a remedial program for these individuals is needed, and teachers must be able to adapt their efforts to the lives of the delinquents. Tables and 14 references are included.