Effects of the TOUCHMATH Program Compared to a Number Line Strategy to Teach Addition Facts to Middle School Students with Moderate Intellectual Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to systematically replicate and extend previous studies of the TOUCHMATH program, a multi-sensory mathematics program (Bullock, Pierce, & McClellan, 1989). Three middle school students with moderate and multiple disabilities (e.g., autism and moderate intellectual disabilities) participated. Students were taught how to solve single-digit mathematics problems using TOUCHMATH and a number line. An alternating-treatments design across participants (Barlow & Hersen, 1984) was utilized to evaluate and compare the effects of both strategies. Results indicated that the TOUCHMATH strategy was more effective and efficient in teaching students’ single-digit addition problems compared to the use of the number line. Limitations of the study, implications for practice for classroom teachers, and suggestions for future research are discussed. Many students with disabilities at the middle school level, particularly those with moderate intellectual disabilities have difficulty meeting the curriculum demands in content-area classrooms such as mathematics instruction (see Browder & Grasso, 1999; Browder, Spooner, Ahlgrim-Delzell, Harris, & Wakeman, 2008; Butler, Miller, Kit-hung, & Pierce, 2001; Jitendra & Xin, 1997; Kroesbergen & Van Luit, 2003; Mastropieri, Bakken, & Scruggs, 1991; Miller, Butler, & Lee, 1998; Swanson & Jerman, 2006, Xin & Jitendra, 1999; for reviews). Specifically, students with moderate intellectual disabilities frequently have difficulties with mathematics, including basic skills (Nesbitt-Vacc & Cannon, 1991; Podell, TournakiRein, & Lin, 1992; Luit & Naglieri, 1999; Young, Baker, & Martin, 1990), money applications (Test, Howell, Burkhart, & Beroth, 1993; Fredrick-Dugan, Test, & Varn, 1991; Sandknop, Schuster, Wolery, & Cross, 1992), and problem-solving activities (Mastropieri, Scruggs, & Shiah, 1997; Morin & Miller, 1998). For example, students with moderate intellectual disabilities are less proficient and use less effective strategy instruction in completing and solving mathematics problems than their “typically” functioning peers (Goldman, Pellegrino, & Mertz, 1988). However, performing basic computational mathematics is essential for student success and to foster independent living skills. Acquiring these computational skills for many students with moderate intellectual disabilities may require the use of ma-