Building the Early Numeracy Skills of Students with Moderate Intellectual Disability

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of an early numeracy intervention package on early numeracy skill attainment for participants with moderate intellectual disabilities, including autism. The intervention taught students to use nonstandard and standard measurement, counting skills, calendar skills, how to create sets, and how to identify and work with patterns. A single-subject design across three classrooms was employed to evaluate the intervention package. Specifically, three special education teachers used engaging story-based math lessons with embedded systematic instruction to promote the early math concept acquisition of five students with intellectual disability. Results found that all students showed a significant increase in early numeracy skill acquisition after receiving the intervention package. The study's contributions to research, limitations, need for future research, and implications for practice are discussed.