TouchMath&

The Special Needs Student

The History of TouchMath:• Created by Janet Bullock more than 50 years ago• Placed counting points on numbers to aid in the understanding of how a symbol represented a quantity •Multisensory math taught children critical transition from concrete to symbolic learning.  

What is TouchMath•Strategies align with child development philosophies of Jean Piaget and Jerome Bruner

•Teaches utilizing same philosophies beginning with math concepts at concrete level and advancing to pictorial level

Use TouchMath to Teach Special Education Students in

• Preschool• Elementary School•Middle School•High School

Math Content Areas Such as: • Addition• Subtraction• Skip Counting•Multiplication•Division• Pre-Algebra

TouchMath Has Been Proven Effective With Students Who Have the Following Disabilities:

• Autism• Intellectual Disabilities (mild & moderate retardation)•Orthopedic Impairments

• Other Health Impairments• Specific Learning

Disabilities• Traumatic Brain Injuries

TouchPoint Benefits:• Multisensory technique engages the auditory, visual and tactile

kinesthetic levels• Has instructional scaffolds driven by student need, allows them to

work at their pace.• Results in deeper and richer understanding of mathematical concepts

going from concrete to representative, then to abstract.• Students exhibit positive behavior frequently; pay attention more

often; stay on task during instruction; and behave appropriately.• Specific programs in time and money provide real-world math

applications while working on individual IEP goals and objectives.

TouchMath Testimonial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrvpdFa85-g&list=PL98755CEE396B4229

My TouchMath Experience:• Taught to my daughter during preschool and first grade

•Used while tutoring a student with traumatic brain injury

•Use in our life skills class at my high school

TouchMath Resources:

TouchMath information, resources, curriculum, training and computer

software

TouchMath Adventures

App compatible with Apple’s

iPad

Use TouchMath Connect Interactive Software with

your Smart Board

Check out brighthubeducation.com for

great TouchMath tips & resources

Find many additional creative ways educators are utilizing TouchMath with

special needs students in the classroom

Watch TouchMath training videos and testimonials

How TouchMath Works:The foundation to TouchMath is the use of TouchPoints.

Each numeral, 1 through 9, has a TouchPoint that corresponds to the digit’s value.

• Numerals 1 through 5 have a single TouchPoint

• Numerals 6 through 9 have double TouchPoints

As a student counts the TouchPoints on a numeral, they associate the numeral with real values.

TouchMath TouchPoints:

Bibliography• Boon, R., Fletcher, D., & Cihak, D. (2010). Effects of the TOUCHMATH Program Compared to a Number Line

Strategy to Teach Addition Facts to Middle School Students with Moderate Intellectual Disabilities. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 45(3), 449 – 458.

• Calik, N.C., & Kargin, T. (2010). Effectiveness of the touch math technique in teaching addition skills to students with intellectual disabilities. International Journal of Special Education, 25(1), 195 – 204.

• Green, N. (2009). The Effectiveness of the TouchMath Program with Fourth and Fifth Grade Special Education Students. Retrieved from https://www.touchmath.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=about.research

• Scott, K. (1993). Multisensory Mathematics for Children With Mild Disabilities. Exceptionality, 4(2), 97– 111. • Simon, R., & Hanrahan, J. (2004). An evaluation of the Touch Math method for teaching addition of students

with learning disabilities in mathematics. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 19(2), 191 – 209. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08856250410001678487

• Thompson Avant, M., & Wolff Heller, K. (2011). Examining the Effectiveness of TouchMath With Students With Physical Disabilities. Remedial and Special Education, 32(4), 309 – 321. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0741932510362198

• TouchMath information retrieved from https://www.touchmath.com/• Wisniewski, Z. & Smith, D. (2002). How effective is Touch Math for improving students with special needs

academic achievement on math addition Mad Minute tests? Indiana University South Bend. (ERIC document reproduction service no. ED 469 445)