Teaching students with ASD to solve fraction computations using a video modeling instructional package

• Published in: Research in developmental disabilities 2020-06, Vol.101, p.103637-103637, Article 103637
• Main Authors: Yakubova, Gulnoza, Hughes, Elizabeth M., Chen, Briella Baer
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Audiovisual Aids; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Checklist; Child; Concrete manipulatives; Education, Special - methods; Female; Humans; Male; Mathematics; Mathematics - education; Problem Solving; Self-monitoring strategy; Video modeling
• ISSN: 0891-4222; 1873-3379
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103637

•Video modeling is an effective method of teaching mathematics topics to students with ASD.•All students improved the accuracy of fraction problem solving reaching 100 % accuracy by the end of the intervention.•Using concrete manipulatives and self-monitoring checklist helped students grasp the concept of fraction problem solving.•The video modeling instructional package offers an option for teachers to accommodate students’ diverse learning needs. With the surge of intervention research examining ways of supporting students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in inclusive settings, there remains a need to examine how technology supports could enhance students’ learning by offering one size fits one instruction. Furthermore, intervention studies focused on teaching students with ASD how to solve fractions are scarce. The purpose of this research study was to examine the effects of providing instruction via video modeling (VM), concrete manipulatives, a self-monitoring checklist, and practice for comprehension check on the accuracy of fraction problem solving of three middle school students with ASD. Through the use of single-case multiple probe across students experimental design, we examined whether a functional relation existed between the intervention and students’ improved accuracy of solving simple proper fraction problems. All three students improved the accuracy of solving simple proper fraction problems from baseline to intervention sessions and two students generalized the skill to solving whole proper fraction problems. The intervention consisting of VM and concrete manipulatives along with additional behavioral strategies offers an option for teachers to accommodate diverse learning needs of students with ASD in a variety of settings.