The following statistics are drawn from the Statistics Canada report on the 2006 Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS). The survey measures the prevalence of learning disabilities among Canadian children and adults.
- According to Statistics Canada, more children in this country have a learning disability than all other types of disabilities combined.
- According to Statistics Canada, of all the children with disabilities in this country, more than half (59.8%) have a learning disability.
- Statistics Canada reports that 3.2% of Canadian children have a learning disability – that’s the equivalent of one child in every school bus full of children.
- Statistics Canada reports that as children make the transition from home to school, the number diagnosed with a learning disability grows by nearly 25%. These transition years are a key time during which we need to assess children and begin accommodating those with learning disabilities so they can reach their full potential.
- According to Statistics Canada, more than half a million adults in this country live with a learning disability, making it more challenging for them to learn in universities and colleges, and on the job.
According to Statistics Canada, learning disabilities increased considerably between 2001 and 2006 among Canadians aged 15 and over by almost 40 per cent to 631,000 people, making it one of the fastest growing types of disabilities in Canada that isn’t related to aging.
Credit: Learning Disabilities of Canada
