Efficiency of mathematical interventions in children with mathematics learning disabilities or at risk

Overview of a series of systematic literature reviews

Abstract

Numbers and mathematics are daily used in our society. Nevertheless, some children present with mathematics learning disabilities that have consequences on the school and professional life in adulthood. The objective of the present study is to present an overview and to establish a narrative synthesis of a series of systematic literature reviews and meta-analyzes on the efficiency of the interventions in mathematics for children with mathematics learning disabilities or at risk for it. The used methodology is the systematic review and the narrative synthesis. Among the thirteen selected studies, eight have an acceptable methodological quality. The results show that the interventions in mathematics are effective for the immediate learning and that the direct/explicit intervention is effective for many mathematics domains. Moreover, efficient practices of intervention are recognizable: learning of strategies, prompting, and modeling. Nonetheless, if general directions can be drawn, the results do not allow to provide precise information to develop a specific intervention.