Task sequencing for students with emotional and behavioral disorders: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Special Education
• Behavioral Interventions

Background:

• Task sequencing is a widely researched strategy to improve academic performance.
• A synthesis of recent applications of task sequencing for students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBD) in educational settings is lacking.
• Understanding current practices is crucial for evidence-based interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and synthesize recent studies on task sequencing interventions for children with EBD in educational settings.
• To analyze the characteristics of participants, designs, outcomes, and interventions in identified studies.
• To evaluate the certainty of evidence and research quality.

Main Methods:

• Systematic searches of electronic databases and ancestral references were conducted.
• Eleven studies meeting predefined inclusion criteria were identified and reviewed.
• Studies were analyzed based on participant characteristics, experimental design, academic outcomes, intervention details, evidence certainty, and reported results.

Main Results:

• Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria, focusing on task sequencing interventions for students with EBD.
• Interventions included high-probability, high-preference, and task interspersal techniques.
• Reported academic outcomes and the quality of evidence were analyzed across the selected studies.

Conclusions:

• Task sequencing interventions show promise for improving academic outcomes in students with EBD.
• The review highlights the need for continued applied practice and further research in this area.
• Findings inform educators and researchers on effective strategies for supporting students with EBD.