Abstrakt
The study aims to describe how students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) approach mathematical problems, how they process them cognitively, and what the specifics of the way they solve them are. We primarily focus on whether it is possible to find differences in the way these students approach the problems as compared to students with no known disabilities and whether we can find ASD-related differences in their problem-solving procedures.
We draw on the qualitative empirical investigation that formed the basis of the author’s dissertation. We worked with six upper-elementary school students (sixth- and ninth-graders) diagnosed with ASD and 12 neurotypical classmates.
The results of the study show that the processing of mathematical problems in the students with ASD is influenced by the severity of the disorder as well as by the level of language and social skills. However, on the basis of the fi ndings, we have to conclude that although we can find specific features in the behaviour of students with ASD referring to the core problems of the disorder, their cognitive processing of mathematical problems is very individual.