Math abilities in autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis.

Area of Science:

• Neurodevelopmental disorders
• Cognitive psychology
• Educational psychology

Background:

• Research on mathematical abilities in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is limited and yields inconsistent findings.
• This meta-analysis systematically reviews and synthesizes existing studies to clarify math performance in individuals with ASD.
• The study compares math skills between individuals with ASD and typically developing (TD) individuals.

Approach:

• A systematic literature search was conducted following PRISMA guidelines.
• An initial pool of 4405 records was screened, leading to the inclusion of 13 studies after full-text review.
• Meta-analysis techniques were employed to aggregate data from the selected studies.

Key Points:

• Individuals with ASD (n=533) demonstrated significantly lower math performance than TD individuals (n=525), with a small-to-medium effect size (g=0.49).
• Task characteristics did not moderate the observed differences in math abilities.
• Sample characteristics, including age, verbal intellectual functioning, and working memory, were identified as significant moderators.

Conclusions:

• Individuals with ASD generally exhibit poorer mathematical skills compared to their TD counterparts.
• The findings underscore the necessity of considering moderating variables when examining math abilities in autism.
• Further research should explore the interplay of cognitive and developmental factors influencing mathematical outcomes in ASD.