The new “Make America Healthy Again” report from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reveals a disturbing truth: America’s children are facing an alarming rise in mental health and learning disabilities. From ADHD and OCD to autism and depression, the rates of these conditions have skyrocketed over the past two decades. The question is no longer whether we have a crisis—it’s how we fix it. One of the clearest and most effective answers is school choice.
The numbers from the MAHA report are hard to ignore. Between 2009 and 2019, teenage depression nearly doubled. By 2022, more than 1 in 4 teenage girls reported a major depressive episode in the past year. Over 3 million high school students seriously considered suicide in 2023 alone. And suicide has become the second leading cause of death for teens ages 15 to 19.
Anxiety is rising, too—up 61% among adolescents between 2016 and 2023. More than 57% of girls report feeling persistent sadness or hopelessness. Suicidal thoughts in teen girls have gone up by 60% since 2010. These are not small bumps—they’re signals of a deeper, national crisis.
Alongside mental health struggles, diagnoses of neurodevelopmental disorders are also increasing. In the 1960s, autism affected fewer than 1 in 10,000 children. Today, it affects 1 in 31. ADHD affects over 10% of children, with nearly a million new diagnoses between 2016 and 2022. Over 7.5 million students now receive special education services in U.S. public schools.
These numbers demand action. Yet too often, our public school system is overwhelmed, under-equipped, and inflexible. That’s where school choice comes in.
Charter schools, education savings accounts, and vouchers can offer alternatives tailored to the needs of students—especially those with disabilities. According to a 2024 Education Week report, more than 418,000 students with disabilities are now enrolled in charter schools, up from 87,000 in 2018. A majority of those students—83%—spend most of their day in general education classrooms, compared to just 67% in traditional public schools.
That means students with disabilities in charter schools aren’t just being separated—they’re being included, challenged, and offered the same opportunities as their peers. In fact, charter school students with disabilities are more likely to enroll in Advanced Placement (AP) courses (4.4% compared to 2.8%) and experience fewer suspensions (0.7% versus 3%) than their counterparts in traditional public schools.
The academic results are just as promising. A 2023 Stanford CREDO study showed that charter school students outperform public school students by 6% in reading and 4% in math. The gains were even greater for low-income students and English learners. In New York City, for example, charter students outscore their public school peers by 7 points in English and 13 in math.
Some critics raise concerns that students in charter schools are not protected under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). However, that’s not entirely accurate. When a charter school receives federal funding, it is legally required to comply with IDEA. In other words, if a charter school is part of a school choice program funded by public dollars, it must abide by the same disability protections as traditional public schools.
The reality is that sticking with the status quo isn’t working. New York spends more per student than any other state, yet still struggles with failing schools and growing achievement gaps. That money could be used to reduce class sizes, train teachers to support students with dyslexia or ADHD, and expand evidence-based reading programs. Instead, it’s often spent maintaining a system that’s more focused on bureaucracy than results.
School choice isn’t a magic bullet, but it is a powerful tool. For students with disabilities, it can mean the difference between being overlooked and being seen. For students struggling with mental health, it can mean access to caring teachers and flexible learning models. And for families, it means the freedom to choose what’s best for their child—without being forced into a one-size-fits-all system.
America’s youth are crying out for help. The MAHA report confirms what many parents and teachers already know: we need change. We can’t afford to keep debating while another generation suffers. School choice is a bold step—but it’s also the right one.
