Based on an empirical study of over 3,000 learning disabled children and on a review of research, the paper outlines intellectual, attention and verbal mediation, social-affective, and oral and written characteristics of learning disabled students. Among the findings reported are the following: the median educational retardation is one grade below the mental age reading grade expectancy; there may be a characteristic Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised profile for the learning disabled group, but few individual learning disabled children actually conform to this pattern; children identified as learning disabled generally demonstrate a 2 or 3 year developmental lag in the ability to attend selectively; learning disabled children are less socially accepted and more unpopular than their peers; and learning disabled children are more deficient in nonmeaningful than meaningful aspects of language. (SB)