Self-Management Strategies and Academic Engagement for Autistic Students: A Multilevel Meta-Analysis of Single-Case Experimental Designs

This single-case design meta-analysis examined the effects of self-management (SM) strategies on academic engagement in autistic students. Prior meta-analyses reported positive outcomes but did not account for the nested structure of single-case designs. Using multilevel modeling, we addressed this limitation and examined moderators of implementation practices. Eligible studies were peer-reviewed, published in English, school-based, included at least one autistic participant, used a single-case design with a baseline and intervention phase, employed time intervals for SM, and targeted positive outcomes. We searched ProQuest, EBSCO, and Web of Science through March 10, 2024. Risk of bias was assessed using the SCD RoB tool. 14 studies (29 participants) met inclusion criteria; SM increased academic engagement by 49.87% ( SE = 4.33, 95% CI = [39.76, 59.59], p < .001). Variability existed across participants and studies, with 9 studies (17 participants) contributing to moderator analyses. Classroom subject, classroom type, technology-based prompting, and the time interval of SM did not significantly explain variability. Limitations include small sample sizes, exclusion of three studies due to missing information, and high risk of bias in assessors’ knowledge of study phase. Overall, SM has the potential of being a flexible strategy supporting autistic students’ academic engagement.