Using computers to teach students is not a new idea. Computers have been utilized for
educational purposes for over 80 years. However, the effectiveness of these programs for
teaching mathematics to students with specific learning disability is unclear. This study
was undertaken to determine if computer-assisted instruction was as effective as other
methods of instruction that do not use computers for teaching mathematics to these
students. An experimental research study was conducted to determine if a difference
existed in the learning of students with specific learning disability who were taught using
either computer-assisted instruction or instruction using teacher-directed activities. The
results of the study, which are presented and discussed here, indicated that a statistically
significant difference between the two methods of instruction did not exist. However, the
data also indicated that individual student characteristics or other factors may interact
with the method of instruction utilized when teaching students with specific learning
disability. Since there is sparse educational research regarding the effectiveness of using
computer-assisted instruction for teaching mathematics to students with specific learning
disability, the results of this study provide a starting point rather than a destination for
future research on this subject.