This dissertation presents three studies exploring mathematics interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) including a review of literature and two intervention studies using manipulative based interventions. Specifically, the researcher conducted a systematic review of literature exploring the current state of the literature on mathematics interventions for students with ASD. The results of the systematic review indicated a need for more research in realistic classroom settings (i.e., teacher implemented, small group instruction), and confirmed virtual manipulative-based interventions as an evidence-based practice (EBP). The first singlecase experimental design (i.e., multiple probe across participants) study, which examined the effectiveness of the virtual representational abstract (VRA) instructional sequence when implemented by the classroom teacher to teach three elementary students with ASD to solve addition with regrouping problems. The researcher found a functional relation between the teacher implemented VRA instructional sequence and student accuracy in solving single- or double-digit addition with regrouping problems. The teacher was able to implement the intervention with over 90% treatment fidelity across phases and students. Finally, in the second study the researcher conducted a single case adapted alternating treatments experimental design study comparing the efficacy of a virtual manipulative and a finger counting strategy to teach single digit addition and subtraction without regrouping via small group instruction. The researcher found a functional relation between the virtual manipulative and accuracy however, the finger counting strategy also resulted in increased accuracy compared to baseline. Overall, the dissertation shows that virtual manipulative based interventions are an evidence-based practice and can be successfully implemented by the teacher and in a small group setting for students with ASD.
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