The effectiveness and efficiency of concrete and virtual manipulatives in teaching addition to students with autism spectrum disorder

This study aims to compare the effectiveness and efficiency of using virtual and concrete manipulatives in teaching single-digit addition to students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Among the sub-objectives of the research is to examine the maintenance and generalizability of the skills acquired through instruction. Considering the difficulties experienced by individuals with ASD in acquiring academic skills and the importance of addition as a fundamental mathematical skill, evaluating the effectiveness of these interventions holds significance in the literature. The research was conducted using an alternating treatments design, one of the single-subject research methods. The study group consisted of three students aged 11-14 with an ASD diagnosis. The experimental process included baseline sessions, instructional sessions presented in random order with two different types of manipulatives, daily probe sessions, maintenance sessions conducted 7 and 14 days after instruction ended, and generalization sessions. Data were collected through data collection forms, and the social validity of the interventions was assessed through semi-structured interviews with participants, parents, and teachers. Findings regarding effectiveness revealed that both virtual and concrete manipulatives were effective in teaching single-digit addition skills to all participants. Following instruction with virtual manipulatives, all participants met the 100% accuracy criterion, while in instruction with concrete manipulatives, two participants achieved 100% accuracy and one participant reached 90%. Maintenance and generalization findings indicated that the skills acquired through both methods were retained and successfully generalized across different conditions. Social validity data showed that stakeholders evaluated both methods positively; however, virtual manipulatives were found to be more functional due to their ease of implementation, lack of preparation requirements, and motivating effect on students.