A systematic review of studies with parent-involved interventions for children with specific learning disabilities

Abstract

Parental involvement plays a crucial role in enhancing both academic achievement and social wellbeing of children with special educational needs. Compared to rich evidence from emerging systematic reviews of parent-involved interventions for children with other disabilities, little is known about those interventions for children with specific learning disabilities (SLDs). This review aims to fill this gap by systematically reviewing extant empirical studies on parent-involved interventions for children with SLDs. Through a comprehensive literature search across four databases, 16 interventions from 15 eligible studies were identified in line with the a priori defined inclusion criteria. This review presented the characteristics of the included studies, synthesised the interventions’ characteristics and outcomes reported, and analysed the effectiveness of these interventions using thematic analysis. Together with noticeable variations in intervention focus, duration, setting, and intensity, the review highlights the positive effectiveness of parent-involved interventions in enhancing the academic outcomes of children with SLDs with both immediate impacts and sustainable improvements generalised over time and across contexts. It also underscores the need for further research involving children with SLDs with specific characteristics, including larger samples, random assignment, focusing on social aspects and making comparisons among different intervention elements.