Teaching conversation skills to adults with developmental disabilities using a video-based intervention package

Video Modeling to Support Social Communication Goals of Autistic Adults: A Tutorial

PURPOSE

Decades of research have shown video modeling to be an effective tool for teaching and supporting a variety of skills in autistic children. More recently, video modeling has emerged as an effective support for autistic adults, with much of the literature focused on vocational success through support of language skills. The purpose of this tutorial is to provide speech-language pathologists, autistic adults, and other team members with evidence-based guidelines for use of video modeling to support success with social communication across settings.

METHOD

This evidence-based tutorial draws from the literature on video modeling for autistic adults in the area of social communication, presenting empirically supported guidelines for speech-language pathologists considering video modeling as a tool to support social communication within this population and their interaction partners. This tutorial presents an evidence-based, step-by-step guide to the planning, creation, and use of video models with and by autistic adults, along with important additional considerations based on relevant literature.

CONCLUSIONS

Video modeling is a social communication support that is backed by the scientific literature as an efficacious tool for use by autistic adults. This tutorial will guide speech-language pathologists' use of this evidence-based tool as they work alongside autistic adults and others to help meet social communication goals across settings.

Use of video self-modelling to teach combined vocational and social skills to an adult with autism spectrum disorder

BACKGROUND: Autistic adults have difficulty in learning vocational and social skills, which often translates into low employment rates. Video self-modelling (VSM) is an effective educational technique for high-support-needs autistic adults, with the ability to teach challenging vocational skills as well as basic social skills. OBJECTIVE: The present study examined the use of video self-modelling to teach vocational and social skills to a 22-year-old autistic adult. Target behaviours categories included (1) reading order forms, (2) transporting goods, and (3) engaging with customers. METHODS: A multiple baseline design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the videos in teaching these target behaviours. The dependent variables were the percentage of tasks completed correctly, and quantitative prompt dependency, using a least-to-most prompting strategy. RESULTS: Results showed that VSM modestly improved reading order forms and transporting goods, and moderately improved engagement with customers. CONCLUSION: This intervention resulted in the successful employment of an autistic adult in a job that he desired, whilst teaching him skills he specifically struggled with. As such, VSM should be considered for others wanting to learn combined social and vocational skills.