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Purpose This paper aims to study the strategies used by ten students diagnosed with autism when solving multiplication and division problems because these operations are rarely studied in students with this condition. Design/methodology/approach This study conducted an exploratory study with ten students diagnosed with autism to explore and describe the strategies used in solving equal group problems. The authors also describe in detail the case of a student whom the authors deem to be representative because of the reasoning the student employed. Findings The informal strategies that they used are described, as well as the difficulties observed in the various problems, depending on the operation required to solve them. The strategies used include direct modeling with counting and others that relied on incorrect additive relationships, with strategies based on multiplication and division operations being scarce. Difficulties were observed in several problems, with measurement division being particularly challenging for the study participants. Practical implications The detailed description of the strategies used by the students revealed the meanings that they associate with the operations they are executing and brought to light potential difficulties, which can help teachers plan their instruction. Originality/value This research supplements other studies focusing on mathematical problem-solving with autistic students.

This study examines relationships between mathematical problem-solving performance (in terms of strategies used and accuracy) and the main cognitive domains associated with mathematical learning (i.e. executive functions, verbal comprehension and social perception) of children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD and non-ASD resp.). The study involved 26 ASD and 26 non-ASD children without intellectual disabilities, between 6 and 12 years old, matched by sex, age and school (grade and classroom). The results show a higher percentage of ASD children with problem solving difficulties than non-ASD (57% vs. 23% resp.). Poor performing ASD children showed comparatively lower scores in inhibition, theory of mind and verbal comprehension. Implications for the design of mathematical interventions for ASD students are discussed.

Students with autism spectrum disorder frequently face challenges when learning mathematical concepts. For example, they may have difficulties solving mathematical word problems, in particular Cartesian product problems. This research is a case study with a multiple probe design in which the participants were three students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. A conceptual model-based problem-solving approach adapted to the characteristics of the participants was used to teach them how to solve Cartesian product word problems introduced sequentially in the instruction (first multiplication, then division, and finally both operations). The results show a functional relationship between the intervention and the students’ performance. The three participants generalized their learning to two-operation Cartesian product problems (an addition and a multiplication). Moreover, two of them retained what they learned 6 weeks after completing the instruction. The implications for teaching this and other mathematical content to students with autism are discussed.