Teaching times tables to a child with autism

[birdlover1977]

Hello everyone. I have posted in her before but I have changed my name because I didn't realize I wasn't supposed to use my real name. Silly I know. Anyway my 7 year old son (year 3) has autism and his class teacher is trying to teach the children times tables. We are starting on the 2's. I have tried chanting in 2s and he has memorized 2,4,6,8,10. He gets confused after that but he isn't able to use that information to answer what is 2 times 2, or what is 2 twos, etc. I was wondering if anyone on here had any ideas of what I could do to help him. Maybe he just isn't ready yet. Thanks for any advice.

Have you tried a visual method like putting out counters. 1x2 2x2 etc so he can visualise it.

yes I've tried visual methods and songs. He just doesn't seem to be able to learn them. I will continue to practise and play games with him but with no pressure. I honest am not sure he is ready to learn them. He isn't even ready fluently yet. He is still decoding words very slowly. Thanks for the advice x

Thanks Polter. I agree and will only encourage learning them in playful, tactile ways. I certainly will not be forcing him to complete the pages of times tables drills he has been sent home from school. I will have a word with his Teacher and TA. Don't get me wrong, I am glad that his teacher has high expectations for him, but they also need to be realistic otherwise he will feel like he is failing.

My DS rote learns easily so a different situation - he learnt them off youtube times tables songs and videos - sometimes doing it on computer is more motivating

Apps can be useful too - I would think would be free times tables ones

I agree though teaching the concept of multiplication is crucial - my DS can recite times tables no problem but can't identify when to use them in practice!

Teaching three lots of 2 etc with counters or straws is actually more functional in getting the concept across

We used some montessori apps for maths which were visual

food. lots of it.

practise. practise practise.

here is one lot of two. (1x2) how many raisins/cocoa pops (small food of his choice) are there altogether? count and eat. (have pictures of two cocoa pops on bits of card brown blobs on scrap paper ) he can match cocoa pops/raisins to the pictures

here is one lot of two and here is another lot of two. two lots of two. (2x2) how many altogether.... count and eat. two lots of two is four altogether.

concentrate on may be one and two lot s of two , possibly up to three lots of two. no more until he is confident with that.

no bloody good doing the rote learning until he understands that times tables means groups of things. all groups with the same number of things. you may need to point out the obvious but when teaching something to those struggling you have to break it down into very small bits to find where the blockage is.

also do not stress. they will get it when they get it. if they do not get it after a few repeats look for different ways to teach it. or give it time. things come with time too.