Multiplicative problem-solving strategies used by students with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are found to use less efficient problem-solving strategies than their typically developing peers. This work examines the strategies used by 17 first-to-fourth graders with ASD without intellectual disability when solving multiplicative equal-groups problems. The participants mainly resorted to incorrect or low-level strategies, such as modelling. Within the first-to-third graders, all the strategies observed were low-level ones. Within the fourth graders, four of the eight students used operation strategies to solve the multiplication problem and only three to solve the partitive division one. The measurement-division problem was the most difficult for them to solve. These results highlight the difficulties faced by students with ASD when solving multiplicative problems and could guide future design of specific instruction.