A total of 55 male offenders (average age 15.7 years) was studied at the University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences to determine type and frequency of learning disabilities among delinquent children. The results showed high incidence of perceptual disorders and academic underachievement, which disrupted academic progress from early childhood (e.g., 73 percent of the subjects were 2 or more grades below their expected achievement level in reading) even though all the subjects had average or above average intelligence. Thus, these results point to the responsibility of occupational therapists to diagnose and treat learning disabilities early in the child's school career, before the pattern of failure and frustration (which often results in truancy and subsequent delinquent behavior) has been established. Learning disabilities are not an only cause of delinquency, but they can be identified and treated early in life. Early intervention will significantly contribute to crime prevention. A brief history of studies on the relationship between learning disabilities and juvenile delinquency, 33 references, and tabular data are included.