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ASD child with maths difficulties

20 replies

Cailinrua · 27/10/2014 20:49

Can anyone recommend or share your experiences of online Maths programmes. My almost 8 year old DS has ASD and MLD and is struggling with even very basic Maths and I feel so sad for him. It is a real struggle to get him to work with me at all as he just panics with any maths tasks at all now, e.g if I say "2 + 2", he blurts out 10 even though he knows the answer. He is falling further and further behind and I have to find a way to build up some confidence with numbers.

I've tried loads of practical activities, games and Numicon on good advice from here. It was posters here who advised Headsprout for reading and it worked so well as he got into the habit of doing it (after weeks of battles!). It was definitely Headsprout that got him reading eventually! Maths Whizz and Conquer Maths look good but he will definitely need me to sit with him which he won't like. Which is best? Are there any other programmes which teach maths as well as provide games/ practice. He is not at all motivated by winning certificates, moving up levels etc. he just needs something he can follow, understand and get familiar with. I thought I would ask here before I sign up to a particular website as interested with others' experience with their children.

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zzzzz · 27/10/2014 21:08

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StarlightMcKenzie · 27/10/2014 21:24

yes. Primary maths app. We started at reception. You only get 10 questions at a time and you can select the topic or chose random.

If ds has had a tricky topic, I select an easy one next time. I do the whole level/year by chosing the topcis and then working on any ones that he finds difficult, outside of the app. When he has reached nearly 100% completion, he does the whole thing again, faster, with the setting on random.

It is only 10 questions and usually takes him 2-3 minutes to complete the set of 10 unless there are some tricky ones in which case it will take 5-6 minutes. When he struggles there is a lovely reward for him having done them, and he knows that it is a short session (I never sit him on it for long, but just regularly).

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RunAwayHome · 28/10/2014 08:23

When I looked up Primary Maths app, one called Doodle Maths (Primary Maths) came up, so I assumed it had changed its name - but it says for Years 3-6. Is this the one you mean, or is there an earlier level one that goes down to Reception level work? I have a friend whose child has similar difficulties, and wanted to recommend an App for her.

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zzzzz · 28/10/2014 08:33

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zzzzz · 28/10/2014 08:35

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RunAwayHome · 28/10/2014 08:40

OK, I think I've got it now; googling still didn't produce it, but searching within iTunes did - "Maths Skill Builders - Primary", by Hyperion, sounds like the right one.
thanks.

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Cailinruawww · 28/10/2014 12:14

Thanks everyone for the replies. I have the Primary Maths app and I agree that it is brilliant. However, I was hoping for something that would actually teach and demonstrate basic maths skills, then provide a short bit of practice. I suppose something like Headsprout for maths.

My DS is so aversive to being taught especially by me at the moment and when I try to use the primary maths app with him he just quickly chooses any answer without even thinking to get the 10 questions done. He also chooses the wrong answer on purpose to get the 'oops' response etc. The reception level was especially good as it read the questions out but if he moved to any of the higher levels where he has to read anything himself, he just freezes and picks any answer. As I said he is very hard to motivate and very uncooperative at the moment with anything even vaguely educational. I know he would do better with a programme if it didn't require my input but appreciate this is a big ask of any programme! Just so tired of battling constantly with him very day.

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zzzzz · 28/10/2014 12:17

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KOKOagainandagain · 28/10/2014 13:35

I have to use a token reward system for DS2 with a poker chip representing differing values which is exchanged for minecraft. If he is familiar with something and thinks it easy he gets a white chip (worth 1 minute), then a yellow (2 mins) then green (5 mins) etc. He loves the complexity and even becoming distracted is just working out how many whites he needs for a green, or two yellows and a white equals a green - more maths. Smile

He also deliberately gets the answer wrong but I still reward him - you need to know the right answer to deliberately get it wrong Wink

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StarlightMcKenzie · 28/10/2014 18:14

We have a different system now but for a while we had 5 iPad minutes for a gold star (10 right), 3 for silver, 2 for bronze and 1 for just doing it.

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Cailinrua · 29/10/2014 20:34

Thank you all, I'm going to try again with the primary maths app. A big problem with my DS is motivating him. He is so disinterested in the usual things like computer, iPad etc. and star charts, small rewards etc. don't work at all. He would not work for tokens, tv time, iPad time etc. as he just doesn't care. The only thing that works for motivation is sweets and chocolate and I can't give him these constantly as he gets more and more obsessed with them when he knows they are in the cupboard. Today we battled for half hour before he finally did a set of 10 simple questions, which he did as quick as he possibly could while watching and asking about the buttons constantly. Hard work!

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zzzzz · 29/10/2014 21:00

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zzzzz · 29/10/2014 21:02

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StarlightMcKenzie · 29/10/2014 21:45

Routine helps with compliance.

I.e morning, have breakfast, do 10 questions, take bowl to kitchen etc.

Every day.

If we miss a day or a couple of days it is a battle to get him to do it, and it can be unpleasant whilst he works out that I mean it. However, once we've had the battle on one day, it doesn't happen the next, provided it happens in the same sequence of events iyswim.

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Cailinrua · 29/10/2014 23:03

That's why I like posting here! I can see that you all understand exactly what I'm trying to explain. You've made me think that I need to actually work on compliance first before I tackle the maths work. Or at least work on it alongside the maths. His lack of compliance has got worse the past year and we really need to sort it as it impacts on everything else.

And you have both reminded me of things I should have thought of; establishing a routine for the work and trying a change of venue. Sometimes it's good to be reminded of ways I should be working with him. Thanks.

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zzzzz · 29/10/2014 23:08

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StarlightMcKenzie · 30/10/2014 09:22

I keep thinking I should 'give up' MN and put more energy into 'real life', but the truth is the two are intrinsically linked now.

For sure I could manage without it, but some of the challenge, information, and reminders as well as experience exchange has helped my family during tough times more than anything else, and improved the good times.

I'm far far far from perfect, but I think I'm a better, not worse parent for the time I spend on the internet - lol!

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MeirAiaNeoAlibi · 30/10/2014 22:20

If he's reliably and purposefully selecting the wrong answer to get the oops, then don't worry.

Doing that implies he
understands the question,
knows the right answer,
can locate it,
and then deliberately avoids it-

an even more advanced set of skills Grin

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zzzzz · 30/10/2014 22:49

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MeirAiaNeoAlibi · 30/10/2014 23:03

This board is real life.

My virtual world is the NT families we meet in the flesh- nod, smile, brief small talk, move on- nice people, but in a world apart, and so our relationship has very little 'real' about it (There are some notable exceptions)

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