Comparison of Concrete and App-Based Manipulatives to Teach Subtraction Skills to Elementary Students with Autism

Elementary students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who struggle with mathematics may be limited in opportunities to pursue advanced mathematics potentially impacting post-school outcomes, including postsecondary education and employment opportunities. Interventions that provide visual instruction, such as manipulatives, along with systematic instruction may be beneficial in teaching students computational skills. The purpose of this study was to expand upon previous research comparing the use of concrete and app-based manipulatives to teach elementary students with ASD to solve subtraction problems. The results from this single case alternating treatment design study indicate students completed more steps independently per minute during the app-based manipulative condition. Accuracy improved during both intervention conditions, however, only two participants demonstrated improved maintenance scores. The implications of using manipulatives with students with ASD and areas of future research are discussed.