Effects of Schema-Based Instruction on the Mathematical Word Problem-solving Skills of a Student with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Written by Hong, Jeom-suk
Department of Special Education
Graduate School of Woosuk University
Directed by Prof. Bang, Myong-Ye, Ph. D.

<Abstract>
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of schema-based instruction on the mathematical word problem-solving skills of a student with autism spectrum disorder.
Multiple probe design across behaviors was used. The subject of this study was a female 6th grader with autism spectrum disorder. The intervention program was composed of a baseline phase, a intervention phase, a generalization phase, and a maintenance phase. The subject was taught to use schematic diagram of comparing, varying, and multiple comparing to solve the word problems of subtraction, multiplication, and division.
The results of the study were as follows.
First, schema-based instruction was effective in improving subtraction, multiplication, and division word problems-solving ability of a student with autism spectrum disorder. Second, the word problem solving skills of subtraction, multiplication, and division of a student with autism spectrum disorder were generalized to another word problems-solving tasks. Third, the word problems solving skills of subtraction, multiplication, and division of a student with autism spectrum disorder were maintained after the discontinuation of the intervention.
In conclusion, the results of this study shows that schema-based instruction has positive effects on the word problem-solving skills of subtraction, multiplication, and division of a student with autism spectrum disorder.
The limitations of this study and suggestions for future studies and implications for special education settings were discussed.