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Abstract: Virtual manipulatives are an emerging intervention to support students with disabilities in mathematics. Through a multiple probe across participants design, researchers examined use of an intervention package consisting of a virtual manipulative (i.e, the Two-Color Counter app-based manipulative) and the system of least prompts (SLP) to support students' acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of solving addition of integers problems. Researchers found a functional relation between the intervention package and middle school students' accuracy. All three students acquired the skill, with two able to consistently generalize as well as maintain adding integers. The three students were also generally independent when solving the problems with the app.
For students with disabilities, learning occurs across four stages: acquisition, fluency, maintenance, and generalization (Alberto & Troutman, 2009; Collins, 2012; Shurr et al., 2019). Students start the acquisition stage when they begin learning a new skill or concept (Collins, 2012; Snell & Brown, 2011). When students demonstrate the skill with 60% accuracy independently or 100% with support, they move into the fluency stage (Shurr et al., 2019). With fluency, students can be both accurate and efficient (Collins, 2012; Snell & Brown, 2011). During the fluency stage, the skill is not new and students become more independent. Once a student demonstrates a skill with sufficient accuracy (e.g., 60%) and realistic speed for the real world, the student moves into the maintenance stage (Shurr et al., 2019). Maintenance involves the performance of a skill when it is not proceeded by instruction (Alberto & Troutman, 2009). When students consistently demonstrate the skill without reteaching across time, they have achieved maintenance (Shurr et al., 2019). Generalization involves performing a skill consistently across different settings, people, or materials (Collins, 2012).
Research-supported instructional strategies that support acquisition include modeling; prompting systems, such as least-to-most prompting; task analysis; and visual supports (Snell & Brown, 2011; Shurr et al., 2019). Fading support and overlearning are two examples of instructional strategies that support maintenance of skills or concepts (Collins, 2012; Snell & Brown, 2011). Generalization is supported through distributed trials, natural reinforcement, and providing examples and non-examples (Collins, 2012; Snell & Brown, 2011; Shurr et al., 2019).
Mathematics Education for Students with Disabilities
As with other areas, mathematics learning for students with disabilities follows the stages of acquisition,...