The national learning disabilities postsecondary data bank: an overview

A survey was developed to assess support services, procedures, policies, the proportion of students with learning disabilities (LD), and the factors that affect differences in proportion in a nationally representative sample of postsecondary institutions (PSIs). The factors investigated included general characteristics about the PSI, such as size of the student body and type of PSI. The specific characteristics investigated in regard to LD were admissions procedures, year of initiation of LD support services, type and location of support services, eligibility criteria for services and accommodations, the number of students with LD, and demographic and diagnostic information available. In this article, descriptive data regarding the services, practices, policies, procedures, and proportions are provided. The findings indicated that the proportion of students with LD ranged from .5% to almost 10%. The factors that had a significant impact on the proportion of students with LD were size of the student body, the type of institution, the institution's Carnegie classification, and whether the institution offered graduate degree programs. These findings and their implications are discussed.