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Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran. , z_zanjani2005@yahoo.com
Abstract: (48 Views)
Background: Adolescents with developmental intellectual disability often experience deficits in executive functions, which can negatively affect their communication skills and academic performance. Previous research indicates that executive functions are significantly associated with the regulation of social interactions, learning processes, and academic success; however, the findings of existing studies are scattered and heterogeneous. Therefore, the lack of a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the true effect size of these variables highlights the necessity of the present study.
Aims: The present study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the effect of executive functions on communication skills and academic performance in adolescents with developmental intellectual disability.
Methods: This study was conducted as a simultaneous systematic review and meta-analysis. Relevant studies published between 2014 and 2024 were identified through searches of Iranian databases (Jihad-e Daneshgahi [SID] and Magiran) and international databases (Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Springer) using related keywords. Based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of nine studies were ultimately selected for analysis. Data analysis was performed using version 3 of the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) software.
Results: The findings indicated that the pooled effect size was 0.16, which was statistically significant at the 0.001 level. According to Cohen’s criteria for effect size interpretation, this represents a large effect. In other words, the available evidence demonstrated that executive functions can enhance academic performance through two specific pathways, namely learning-related behaviors and learning-related cognitions. Moreover, improvements in executive functions were associated with higher levels of academic performance. The meta-analysis showed high statistical validity, and no evidence of publication bias was detected, which strengthens the reliability of the results.
Conclusion: Examining and promoting executive function training in children with developmental intellectual disability can contribute to the prevention of communication skill difficulties and the improvement of academic performance, and consequently help reduce cumulative failure and the risk of adverse personal and occupational outcomes in adulthood.
Aims: The present study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the effect of executive functions on communication skills and academic performance in adolescents with developmental intellectual disability.
Methods: This study was conducted as a simultaneous systematic review and meta-analysis. Relevant studies published between 2014 and 2024 were identified through searches of Iranian databases (Jihad-e Daneshgahi [SID] and Magiran) and international databases (Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Springer) using related keywords. Based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of nine studies were ultimately selected for analysis. Data analysis was performed using version 3 of the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) software.
Results: The findings indicated that the pooled effect size was 0.16, which was statistically significant at the 0.001 level. According to Cohen’s criteria for effect size interpretation, this represents a large effect. In other words, the available evidence demonstrated that executive functions can enhance academic performance through two specific pathways, namely learning-related behaviors and learning-related cognitions. Moreover, improvements in executive functions were associated with higher levels of academic performance. The meta-analysis showed high statistical validity, and no evidence of publication bias was detected, which strengthens the reliability of the results.
Conclusion: Examining and promoting executive function training in children with developmental intellectual disability can contribute to the prevention of communication skill difficulties and the improvement of academic performance, and consequently help reduce cumulative failure and the risk of adverse personal and occupational outcomes in adulthood.
Article number: 10
Keywords: executive functions, intellectual disability, academic performance, communication skills, systematic review.
References
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This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)