What proportion of children receiving special education services have an intellectual disability?

• A. 1 in 10
• B. 1 in 3
• C. 1 in 20
• D. 3 in 4

Answer: (A)

Think about how the special education population is composed. Intellectual disability refers to substantial limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior that originate before age 18. While many students receive services for a variety of other categories, a relatively small portion meet the criteria for intellectual disability. In practice, the share is about seven to ten percent, so rounding to one in ten is the best match. The other options imply far larger or smaller proportions than what is typically observed in the mix of service categories.