BIO

As a freshman at Florida State University, Collin is pursuing majors in both Management Information Systems and Finance. His passion for aiding those with intellectual disabilities drives his research endeavors. With an eye on a future in business management, he aims to leverage his degrees to enact positive change. At FSU, he is currently involved with Presidential Scholars, the Honors Program, the Financial Management Association, the Best Buddies Club, and the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. Committed to personal growth and societal impact, he embraces each opportunity to learn and lead, shaping a future marked by innovation and compassion.

Equipping Students for Success: Teaching Algebra Skills to Transition-aged Students with ASD and ID

Abstract

Those with Intellectual Disorders (ID) have consistently struggled to develop sufficient math skills from standard curriculums. This has shown that without changes to their learning environments or methods, those with ID see significantly less growth in their math skillset than the non-disabled. Previous research has focused on finding ways to improve math understanding and retention for those with ID through a variety of methods. Whether it was changing the environment, testing processes, or something else, most research has yielded positive results. However, there hasn’t been enough success in implementing the results to make a genuine impact. This study attempted to address this with three main purposes: (a) to evaluate the effectiveness of the algebra curriculum, Access Algebra, for students with ID; (b) to explore how the instructor perceived the content to teach the students; and (c) to assess the applicability of the curriculum for the ID community as a whole. This study used a quantitative quasi-experimental pre and post-test design to determine the success of the Access Algebra curriculum. It also used a qualitative case study to explore the instructor's perception of the curriculum and the students’ abilities to understand it. Results have shown that the curriculum is more effective in teaching algebra to students with ID than the control group. The results also show that the instructor believes in the applicability of the curriculum. Our findings support wider implementation of this curriculum or other similar programs to progress the growth of math skills within the ID community.

Keywords: Algebra, Disabilities, Instruction, Autism