Investigating the effectiveness of perceptual enrichment on executive functions of students with specific learning disability in mathematics

Zaresharif, Nasrin; Faramarzi, Salar; Sharifi, Ali

doi:10.22098/jld.2025.16771.2236

Investigating the effectiveness of perceptual enrichment on executive functions of students with specific learning disability in mathematics

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

¹ faculty of education and psychology, university of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

² Department of Psychology and Education of Children with Special Needs, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Isfahan

³ Assistant professor faculty of education and psychology, department of psychology and education of children with special needs, university of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

10.22098/jld.2025.16771.2236

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of perceptual enrichment on executive functions of students with special learning disabilities in mathematics.

Methods: The method of this study was a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test with control and experimental groups. The statistical population was all students with special learning disabilities in mathematics from the fourth to sixth grades in Esfahan, among whom 28 students were selected through available sampling and randomly divided into the experimental group (14 participants) and the control group (14 participants). The students were assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV), the Keymath Test, the Executive Functions Questionnaire (BRIEF). The experimental group participanted in 10 sessions of 45-60 minutes (twice a week) duration in perceptual enrichment intervention.

Results: Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analysis of covariance tests. The results indicated the effectiveness of perceptual enrichment on the improvement of subscales of executive functions (inhibition, attention transfer, emotional control, initiation, working memory, planning, organization, control and supervision) (p<0.05) of experimental group students.

Conclusion: The results of this study showed that this intervention can have a positive effect on improvement and promotion of the executive functions of students with special learning disabilities in mathematics; Therefore, we can conclude that perceptual enrichment, which is based on strengthening visual perception skills, can be an effective approach in improving specific learning disabilities in mathematics.

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