Reimagining teaching: Early number sense differentiation for learners with autism spectrum disorder

Differentiation in early number sense (ENS) instruction is often framed as the technical use of strategies. For learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), effective differentiation depends on teachers’ relational knowledge, ethical responsiveness and professional judgement. The study aimed to understand how Foundation Phase teachers enact responsive ENS differentiation for learners with ASD. A qualitative, bounded, embedded single-case study was conducted with six Foundation Phase teachers from three schools for learners with special educational needs in the province of Gauteng, South Africa. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis with deductive and inductive coding. The findings showed differentiation was relationship-driven rather than strategy-driven: the teachers used ongoing learner profiling and moment-to-moment judgements to adapt tools such as sensory support, manipulatives and technology. The study reconceptualises ENS differentiation as professional judgement-in-action, foregrounding teacher agency and learner knowledge as foundations for equitable access and participation.