The U.S. Dept. of Education has released new data on students with disabilities (eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA). Section 618 of the IDEA requires that each state annually submit data about the infants and toddlers, birth through age 2, who receive early intervention services under Part C of IDEA, and children with disabilities, ages 3 through 21, who receive special education and related services under Part B of IDEA.

The new data show the number of IDEA-eligible children ages 3-21 in 2024 increased significantly from 2023, which also showed a 3% increase.

Students ages 3-21 increased by 3.8% (an additional 301,991 students over 2023, totaling 8,194,424) which breaks down as follows:

  • students ages 3-5 (not in kindergarten) increased by 2.7% (additional 15,744 students, totaling 603,652)
  • school age students (ages 5 in kindergarten to 21) increased by 3.9%, (additional 286,247 students, totaling 7,590,772).

GENDER

Among school age students with disabilities (ages 5 (in kindergarten) to 21) 35.6% are female (2,704,404) while 64.4% are male (4,882,768). However, this varies by disability category. For example, school age students with autism are 20.4% female and 79.6% male. (Total school enrollment is almost evenly split: 48.6% female and 51.4% male.)

RACIAL/ETHNIC DISTRIBUTION

DISABILITY CATEGORIES

The distribution across IDEA’s 13 disability categories of school age students (ages 5 (in kindergarten) to 21) in 2024 showed increases in the autism, multiple disabilities and developmental delay categories while other categories remained relatively unchanged. The increase in the autism category accounted for 40% of the total increase. Autism now accounts for nearly 15% of all school age students with disabilities.

CHANGES BY STATE

Changes from 2023 in state-level rates of school age students are shown below.

NUMBER OF YOUNG CHILDREN (birth through age 2) DECLINED

The number of children served under IDEA Part C (birth through age 2) declined slightly in 2024, to 458,920, a decrease of 1%.

See also:
Number of School Age IDEA-eligible Students Increases 3 Percent in 2023
Number of School Age IDEA-eligible Students Increases 3 Percent in 2022