The Effects of Virtual-abstract Integrated Instructional Sequence on Arithmetic in Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study aimed to examine the effects of Virtual-Abstract Integrated (VA-I) instructional sequence on arithmetic performance of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The study’s participants were three elementary school students with ASD from grades 2-4. Using a multiple probe baseline design of single-case research, this study analyzed the functional relation between VA-I instructional sequence and arithmetic performance using virtual manipulatives through visual analysis of the single-subject research graph. Additionally, the study examined whether the intervention was effective without providing virtual manipulatives, whether the effects were maintained after the intervention ended, and whether the intervention effects were reflected in a standardized math fluency test. The results showed that after the VA-I instructional sequence intervention, all participants’ arithmetic performance using virtual manipulatives improved significantly compared to the baseline, and these effects were maintained after the intervention ended. However, limited effects were observed in arithmetic assessments without virtual manipulatives and the standardized math fluency assessment. Based on the results of this study, implications related to Artificial Intelligence Digital Textbooks (AIDT) and the need for follow-up research were suggested.