·     More advanced skills may even determine the type and pay that a student will receive in their future employment. 

·     Mathematical skills are used in all types of different adult jobs such as building trades, estimating the amount needed in inventories, budgeting business expenses and reading stock charts and graphs for investing or insurance purchases. 

·     The National Center for Education Statistics in 2003 found that only 32% of fourth graders and 29% of eighth graders in the US scored at or above the proficient level in math. The percentages are even lower for students with special needs. 

·     Teaching mathematics can no longer focus on just teaching procedures, students need to know why they are doing what they are doing. Students need to understand the process of math. Assistive technology can then assist students in demonstrating their understanding. 

·     Coordinating these challenges with motor actions needed to draw or represent math notations may also be impacted. 

·     A student with difficulty in this area may have problems counting a group of items. 

o  They may lose their place as they count or have a hard time differentiating numbers like 6 and 9, 2 and 5, or 7 and 1 

·     The student may struggle with operational symbols or the placement of decimal points. 

·     The may have a hard time completing graphs or charts correctly. 

·     If a student struggles with his/her motor skills, they may have difficulty copying problems from the chalkboard or textbook, or drawing geometric designs. 

 

 

·     The child may have difficulty writing numbers or equations legibly on a worksheet

·     Students with visual impairments may struggle with the color coding of manipulatives putting them at a disadvantage when attempting to learn through visual representations. 

o  A graphic organizer can help them stay on track and solve the problem in the correct required sequence of steps. 

·     Sometimes attention issues lead a child to make mistakes, missing steps, or working too quickly. 

o  Supports such as calculators or smart charts may help the student keep up with their peers. 

o  Creating task lists for students who need it is another helpful accommodation 

o  Highlighting and circling important terms of a problem for the student

o  Act as physical representations of math concepts such as numbers, shapes or place holders 

§ Base ten blocks, coins, clock-faces with moveable hands, colored or textured shapes of varying sizes, pattern blocks, tangrams, spinners, rulers, fraction bars, ect. 

·     Selecting manipulatives with an easy grip is important for access

·     An abacus or Math Line products offers a physically contained counting system for calculating/counting early math problems. 

o  They come in different sizes with up to 100 rings for counting 

o  Each time you move a set of rings, the number they represent is exposed on the math line. 

o  They are color-coded to assist counting by fives and tens

o  There is even one in Braille and one with easy tabs for easy manipulating with a head pointer or a mouth stick 

·     Adapted math paper 

o  Math worksheets, graph paper, or assignments can be enlarged on a copier

·     Adapted calculator 

o  Calculators come in an abundance of forms; large displays, large keys, small keys, lighted or talking displays, graphing and audio graphing functions, scientific, speech output, and tactile input 

·     Adapted Measuring devices

o  Talking measuring tapes, thermometers, scales and other devices helps children who have trouble seeing or reading the numbers or amounts

·     Adapted Time Tools 

o  There are a number of watches that can provide verbal feedback to the students 

·     Math smart charts/ scripts 

o  These works as reference guides; they contain math facts, conversions or process steps for solving tasks that are challenging a student 

·     Select those that best match the student, the environment and the reading tasks that need to be accomplished 

·     Limit your selections to a reasonable number and prioritize them according to those that can be accomplished immediately 

 

o  Great digital math dictionaries that explain various math-related vocabulary items and include interactive models that explain various math concepts 

·     On-screen calculators 

·     Alternative keyboards/ portable math processors 

·     Virtual Manipulatives 

·     Math Software and Web simulations 

·     Voice recognition software