TY - JOUR

T1 - The intersection of learning difficulties and behavior problems – a scoping review of intervention research

AU - Gabriel, Taina

AU - Börnert-Ringleb, Moritz

N1 - Funding information: The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The publication of this article was funded by the Open Access Fund of Leibniz Universität Hannover.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Learning difficulties (LDif) and behavioral problems (BP) frequently co-occur. Affected students typically require interventions targeting learning-, social-, as well as emotional and behavioral-domains. The goal of this scoping review is therefore to provide an overview of the research on interventions that target these critical areas for students with or at-risk of disabilities. In total, 48 relevant studies were identified and analyzed regarding addressed competencies, target groups, the setting of the interventions as well as underlying causal assumptions. The review identified a variety of interventions and approaches designed to address LDif and BP, which makes it impossible to draw conclusions on a single best approach. Co-occurring LDif and BP reflect a plurality of difficulties that are incompatible with a ‘one size fits all’ approach. The vast majority of studies assumed that the relationship between LDif and BP are reciprocal/unidirectional. Few studies focused common variables that potentially affect both LDif and BP. In addition, the majority of studies addressed child-level variables. Future research should be conducted to focus on variables at the environmental or institutional level that might impact both LDif and BP.

AB - Learning difficulties (LDif) and behavioral problems (BP) frequently co-occur. Affected students typically require interventions targeting learning-, social-, as well as emotional and behavioral-domains. The goal of this scoping review is therefore to provide an overview of the research on interventions that target these critical areas for students with or at-risk of disabilities. In total, 48 relevant studies were identified and analyzed regarding addressed competencies, target groups, the setting of the interventions as well as underlying causal assumptions. The review identified a variety of interventions and approaches designed to address LDif and BP, which makes it impossible to draw conclusions on a single best approach. Co-occurring LDif and BP reflect a plurality of difficulties that are incompatible with a ‘one size fits all’ approach. The vast majority of studies assumed that the relationship between LDif and BP are reciprocal/unidirectional. Few studies focused common variables that potentially affect both LDif and BP. In addition, the majority of studies addressed child-level variables. Future research should be conducted to focus on variables at the environmental or institutional level that might impact both LDif and BP.

KW - behavioral problems

KW - intervention

KW - learning difficulties

KW - literature review

KW - school – aged children

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85176447787&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3389/feduc.2023.1268904

DO - 10.3389/feduc.2023.1268904

M3 - Review article

AN - SCOPUS:85176447787

VL - 8

JO - Frontiers in Education

JF - Frontiers in Education

SN - 2504-284X

M1 - 1268904

ER -