Factors associated with classroom participation in preschool through third grade learners on the autism spectrum

Abstract

BackgroundAccess to mathematics instruction that involves opportunities for critical thinking and procedural fluency promotes mathematics learning. Studies have outlined effective strategies for teaching mathematics to children on the autism spectrum, however, the focus of these interventions often represent a narrow set of mathematical skills and concepts centered on procedural learning without linking ideas to underlying concepts. MethodsThis study utilized classroom video observations to evaluate the variability in and nature of mathematical learning opportunities presented to 76 autistic students within 49 preschool–3rd grade general and special education learning contexts. We examined teacher instructional practices and student participation across 109 mathematical tasks within larger mathematics lessons. ResultsStudents were most often presented with mathematical tasks that required low-level cognitive demand, such as tasks focusing on rote memorization and practicing predetermined steps to solve basic algorithms. Furthermore, the nature of the mathematical task was linked with the language that teachers used, and this in turn, was associated with students’ participation within the learning opportunity. ConclusionsOur findings indicate that features of talk within specific types of mathematical tasks, including math-related talk and responsive language, were associated with increased student active engagement and spontaneous communication. The knowledge gained from this study contributes to the development of optimized instructional practices for school-aged children on the autism spectrum—information that could be used to prepare both preservice and in-service teachers.