A according to federal data analyzed by The Advocacy Institute, a nonprofit that works to improve the lives of people with disabilities, the number of students with disabilities ages 3-21 who qualify for special education services in the U.S. rose 3.8% — or by 301,991 students — in 2024 when compared to the year before. In fact, approximately 8.2 million students ages 3-21 qualified for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2024. IDEA also served 458,920 infants and toddlers through IDEA’s Part C early intervention services, according to The Advocacy Institute’ analysis of data collected by the U.S. Department of Education. Nationally, the number of students ages 3-21 qualifying for IDEA Part B special education and related services rose 12.6% between 2019 and 2024.
The enrollment data mirror trends that many local and state special and general education administrators have noted in recent years — that while their overall student counts are decreasing, the numbers of students with disabilities are on the rise and education experts point to several influencing factors, including more awareness and earlier identification of conditions like autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, the use of universal screeners for certain learning disabilities, and heightened attention to children’s mental well-being.
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