Listed below are national statistics. For statistics specific to the Seattle area or Washington state, please see our series of blog posts on Seattle and Washington. Contact us if you want local statistics, if you have statistics to offer, or if you are willing to help with research.
Directory of major topics for boys and men’s issues
| Death Rates | K-12 Education | Special Education |
| Higher Education and Labor Force Participation | Educational Attainment of Young Adults | Other Indicators |
Note: The statistics on this webpage have not been refreshed since 2021. For up-to-date statistics specific to Washington state, click “Washington Statistics” in the website menu under “Boys and Men’s Issues”.
Gender Equity in Special Education
Boys require special education services at rates significantly higher than girls, including for communication disorders, ADHD, autism, and emotional disturbance. The percentages provided below draw attention to gender-based disparities, with latest-available statistics rounded to the nearest 5%.
Gender equity in special education calls for a country in which…
- fewer boys ages 3-17 years are diagnosed with communication disorders (currently 70% more boys than girls)
Source: Centers for Disease Control, Communication Disorders, 2012
- fewer boys ages 4-17 years are diagnosed with Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD (currently 140% more boys than girls)
Source: National Center for Learning Disabilities, Identifying Struggling Students, 2013
Gender equity in special education calls for a country in which…
- fewer boys ages 3-5 are served by public schools under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (currently 130% more boys than girls)
- fewer boys ages 6-21 are served by public schools under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (currently 95% more boys and than girls)
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Children 3 to 21 years old served by IDEA, 2019
- fewer boys receive services in public schools for autism (currently 160% more boys than girls)
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Students With Disabilities, 2020
Gender equity in special education calls for a country in which…
- fewer boys in K-12 in public schools are classified as having an emotional disturbance (currently 255% more boys than girls)
- fewer boys in K-12 in public schools are classified as having a specific learning disability (currently 110% more boys and than girls)
- fewer boys in K-12 in public schools are classified as having mental retardation (currently 40% more boys and than girls)
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Children with Selected Disabilities, 2004
(This list is based on “For Every 100 Girls…2020 Update” compiled by Tom Mortenson and originally published by Education Week on March 28, 2011, then updated in 2020 by Professor Mark J. Perry.)