Meta-Analysis of Math Interventions for Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) struggle in the area of academics as well as behavior, and these academic difficulties manifest a great deal in mathematics. The number of children with EBD served in general education settings is increasing, and mathematics curriculum is expanding to include additional content areas and more complex mathematical processes. The convergence of these trends creates an enormous instructional challenge: an increasing number of children with EBD, with limited mathematics abilities, dealing with ever more complex subjects. This meta-analysis of mathematics interventions for students with EBD examines math performance outcomes as a function of study and sample characteristics, treatment effects of elements of math instruction, maintenance and generalization effects of these math interventions, and levels of mathematics investigated. Fifteen studies spanning nearly 20 years are included. Results emphasize the need for development of interventions for higher level mathematics and additional research to help guide instruction.