Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice

ISSN: 2630-5984

Effectiveness of the Touch Math Technique in Teaching Basic Addition to Children with Autism

Ahmet Yıkmış
College of Education, Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University, Gölköy, Bolu 14000 Turkey

Abstract

This study aims to reveal whether the touch math technique is effective in teaching basic addition to children with autism. The dependent variable of this study is the children’s skills to solve addition problems correctly, whereas teaching with the touch math technique is the independent variable. Among the singlesubject research models, A multiple probe design with probe conditions across subjects was used in the study. Three male students aged 8 to 10 years, diagnosed with autism, and exhibiting the prerequisite skills participated in the study. The findings revealed that the touch math technique was effective in teaching basic addition to each participant. All three participants were found to be successful at the end of the teaching session, compared to the baseline. In other words, there is a positive difference between the data obtained in the first and last teaching sessions for each child. Moreover, the generalization and maintenance findings also support the effectiveness of this technique.

Keywords
Touch math technique, Math skills, Children with Autism.