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Addressing the Mathematics Gap for Students with ASD: an Evidence-Based Systematic Review of Video-Based Mathematics Interventions

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Abstract

This systematic review of literature synthesizes research on video-based instruction (VBI) to teach mathematics to students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Eleven studies, including gray literature, were included in the synthesis resulting in data analysis of performance from 29 participants. To better align with transparent reporting guidelines of PRISMA (Moher et al., PLoS Medicine 6(7), 2009), we synthesize information regarding participants, intervention outcomes, and study design. Effects of student and study-level outcomes are presented in non-overlapping data (PND) and improvement rate difference (IRD). Findings show VBI has considerable support for positive effects across types of VBI, student characteristics, and mathematical concepts. Effective interventions incorporated academic and behavioral components with evidence base. With six studies demonstrating strong evidence, 16 individual cases of effect, and research spanning at least three research teams and research locations, results indicate that VBI meets minimum evidence set forth by Reichow et al., (Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 38:1311–1319, 2008) to be an established evidence-based practice to teach mathematics to students with ASD.

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Acknowledgments

This manuscript was not financially supported by any grants. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Pennsylvania State University, 212a CEDAR Building, University Park, PA, 16802-3108, USA

    Elizabeth M. Hughes

  2. University of Maryland, 3214 Benjamin Building, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Gulnoza Yakubova

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  1. Elizabeth M. Hughes
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Correspondence to Elizabeth M. Hughes.

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This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors. For the Authors’ publication(s) within the synthesis: All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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At the time of the study, Dr. Elizabeth Hughes was an Assistant Professor of Special Education at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA. Dr. Gulnoza Yakubova was an Assistant Professor of Special Education at University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA. No institution or other changes occurred during the study.

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Hughes, E.M., Yakubova, G. Addressing the Mathematics Gap for Students with ASD: an Evidence-Based Systematic Review of Video-Based Mathematics Interventions. Rev J Autism Dev Disord 6, 147–158 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-019-00160-3

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