March 2012 Newsletter: Video Modeling

I'm excited to be exploring video modeling in this issue and next month's issue. I've personally used this intervention, and have found it to be easy to use, enjoyable to my students, and helpful in increasing positive behavior and skills. Here are the articles and resources for this month's issue:

March/April Topic: Video Modeling - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2012/03/marchapril-topic-video-modeling.html

Book Review: "Jay and Ben" - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2012/03/book-review-jay-and-ben.html

Intro to Video Modeling - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2012/03/intro-to-video-modeling.html

Types of Video Modeling - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2012/03/types-of-video-modeling.html

New Free Download: Eye Contact Song - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2012/03/new-free-download-eye-contact-song.html

Research Support for Video Modeling - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2012/03/research-support-for-video-modeling.html

Digital Camera Fundraiser! - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2012/03/digital-camera-fundraiser.html

March 2012 Positive Autism News - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2012/03/march-2012-positive-autism-news.html

March 2012 Positive Autism News

Sensitive Easter Bunny gently visits children with autism
March 25, 2012
PennLive.com
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/03/sensitive_easter_bunny_gently.html

Invite to prom for sophomore with autism leads to Prince coronation
March 25, 2012
Missoulian
http://missoulian.com/news/local/invite-to-prom-for-frenchtown-sophomore-with-autism-leads-to/article_8e0a025a-7634-11e1-9805-0019bb2963f4.html

Autism Linked to Superior Information Processing Skills
March 23, 2012
PsychCentral
http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/03/23/autism-linked-to-superior-information-processing-skills/36425.html

Asperger's boy hailed a 'wee star' after bravely telling of bullying on TV
March 14, 2012
Daily Record
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2012/03/14/asperger-s-boy-hailed-a-wee-star-after-bravely-telling-of-bullying-hell-on-tv-86908-23787547/

Autism can't stop this Eagle Scout
March 11, 2012
KSDK
http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/309563/3/Autism-cant-stop-this-Eagle-Scout
(Video and article - video plays automatically)

Autistic man stuns experts with his amazing singing voice
March 8, 2011
Daily Mail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2112030/Kyle-Coleman-Mute-autistic-man-stuns-experts-amazing-singing-voice.html



Therefore I Am by Kyle Coleman

Digital Camera Fundraiser!

This month, we are continuing our Digital Camera Fundraiser!
We have raised about $100 toward our goal of $500. Please make any donation (no matter how small). Thanks!

Help us purchase a new digital camera to make new teaching materials and videos.

If each reader donated just $1, we would have more than enough to purchase the new camera!

More info:

Positively Autism currently offers a variety of free teaching materials including Social Skill Stories, flashcards, and games. I used a digital camera to create many of these materials, but our digital camera broke several months ago, and we need a new one! I would also like to expand our services to include educational videos for parents, teachers, and kids, so we need a new camera for this too. Please help us continue to offer free materials by supporing this fundraiser! Thanks for your support.

Research Support for Video Modeling

Modeling, including video modeling, is considerd to be an establishned intervention for teaching communication, higher, cognitive functions, personal responsibility, and play to children with autism spectrum disorders (including Asperger's Syndrome) from ages 3 to 18 years.
Source: National Standards Report - http://www.nationalautismcenter.org/nsp/

According to the National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders, video modeling can be considered an evidence-based practice (EBP). This organization indicates that research supports the use of video modeling for young children through middle-school ages for teaching communication, social skills, academic/cognition skills, and play.
Source: http://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu/content/video-modeling

The Association for Science in Autism Treatment considers video modeling to be "a well-established teaching method" for students with autism spectrum disorders.
Source: http://www.asatonline.org/intervention/treatments/video.htm

Amazon.com recommends...

Video Modelling and Behaviour Analysis: A Guide for Teaching Social Skills to Children with Autism

New Free Download: Eye Contact Song

I typically don't like to push teaching eye contact, as I've ready many books and articles written by people with autism that they are able to focus better and feel more comfortable when they are not looking at a person's eyes. However, there are certain times where I feel it is appropriate for students to make eye contact (at least briefly), perhaps becoming more comfortable with it in the process. One of these time is when greeting others. I have found that using a song to teach this skill has been very helpful and enjoyable for my students. I typically sing the sing, while they look at the pictures, immediately before we practice the skill.

Here are the songs:
Version 1 (Less Visual Prompts): http://www.positivelyautism.com/downloads/Song_EyeContact1.pdf

Version 2 (More Visual Prompts): http://www.positivelyautism.com/downloads/Song_EyeContact2.pdf


Want more free teaching materials? Check out all of our resources at http://www.positivelyautism.com/free/

Types of Video Modeling

Video Modeling (VM)

A student watches a video of a peer or adult completing a specific behavior or skill (such as greeting a friend or walking down the hallway in line). The video is watched by the student prior to the opportunity to complete the behavior him- or herself (such as before it is time for the class to walk down the hall to lunch). A goal is for the student to imitate the behavior in the video at the appropriate time.


Video Self-Modeling (VSM)

VSM is similar to video modeling, with the exception that the appropriate behavior in the video is modeled by the student him- or herself. In other words, a video is made of the student completing the behavior.

Example: Joseph refuses to walk back to the classroom after speech therapy, but generally has no problems when walking down the hall to recess. A video is made of Joseph walking nicely down the hall to recess (with the teacher praising his “nice walking” in the video). The video is watched after speech therapy, when it is time to walk back to the classroom, with the goal of Joseph imitating his own “nice walking” in the video.


Point-of-View Modeling (PVM)

A video is made of a task or steps of a behavior or event, with the video showing what the student will see when completing the task. The video is of the recorded steps in the process from the vantage point of the person completing the task. This allows a student to see a “picture” of how to complete a task.


Reference:
Shukla-Mehta, S., Miller, T., & Callahan, K. J. (2010). Evaluating the effectiveness of video instruction on social and communication skills training for children with autism spectrum disorders: A review of the literature. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 25(1), 23-36.

Amazon.com recommends...

Seeing Is Believing: Video Self-Modeling for People with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities

Intro to Video Modeling

Video modeling refers to the use of a video to teach specific skills, including communication, academics, social skills, and self-help skills. In video modeling, a chosen behavior or skill is video recorded. The student watches the video in order to imitate the behavior or skill in the appropriate situation.

Video modeling is supported by the theories of observational learning and Bandura’s social learning theory. Its use with students with autism is also supported by the ideas that students with autism learn well through visual supports and positive examples/demonstrations of behaviors and skills.

With the increasing availability of video recording technology on devices such as iPads, web cams, and cellular phones, video modeling is becoming easier for parents and educators to use.

Keep checking our blog for more info, tips, and resources for using video modeling. If you've used video modeling, please take our brief survey. Results will be published in a future blog post to share video modeling tips and strategies. http://www.positivelyautism.com/survey_vm2012.html

Thanks!

References:

Association for Science in Autism Treatment Video Modeling Research Summary: http://www.asatonline.org/intervention/treatments/video.htm

Cihak, D. F., Smith, C. C., Cornett, A. & Coleman, M. B. (2012). The use of video modeling with the picture exchange communication system to increase independent communicative initiations in preschoolers with autism and developmental delays. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 27(1). 3-11.

Book Review: "Jay and Ben"

Publisher's Description:
“Jay and Ben is an interactive book developed for use with children with developmental and learning differences and disabilities, including—but not limited to—autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, and language delays. The book is designed to help educators, parents, and caregivers teach children about language, reading, story comprehension, functional skills, and basic concepts.

Jay can make his own breakfast, dress himself, and play by himself, but sometimes he feels sad and wishes for a friend. When a magical horse appears and befriends Jay, his wish comes true.”

Positively Autism's Review:

Pros:

• Lovely illustrations.
• Simple, yet interesting text.
• Large, sturdy pages.
• Picture sequences can be useful for teaching skill routines, such as getting dressed.
• Free materials are available at the publisher’s website.
• Students can match pictures to the words of the story to aid in literacy and vocabulary development.
• My four-year-old son enjoys the book.

Cons:

• Some of the picture symbols used were a little unclear to me, and I think they might be confusing for some of my students.

The book is available for purchase from Amazon.com. You can access the free printables and resources from the publisher’s website here: http://www.leeandlow.com/p/jayandbenbooks.mhtml

 

Purchase the book from Amazon.com, and Amazon will donate a percentage of the purchase to support Positively Autism and Daily Autsm Freebie. Thanks!

March/April Topic: Video Modeling

Video modeling is a form of video-based intervention in which a person observes an appropriate or positive behavior on a video, with the intent that the behvarior will by imitated by the person watching the video. Video modeling is also considered to be a form of observational learning. Video modeling has shown promise in teaching a vareity of skills to students with autism, and we will explore this teaching strategy in March and April.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_modeling