Video Modelling for ASD Intervention

Introduction

Over the years, video-modelling intervention has been the method used in developing academic, social outcomes, as well as behavioral skills among children. Video modelling is a technique that involves the production of a video, which displays a nominated task performance. In this regard, the participants view the film at the beginning of every training session, and as such, they are given significant opportunity to imitate the behavior, as presented in the video that they have watched (Franzone & Collet-Klingenberg, 2008). In other words, through this technique, children are able to observe, and also mimic significantly targeted behavior by watching the recordings of children who had filmed themselves engaging in the targeted behavior successfully. Significant to note, is the fact that over the recent years, there has been a rapid increase in the rate of interest in the use of video-modelling as a significant and effective intervention strategy, for children having autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as a way of assisting them to improve their social interaction skills (Hess et al., 2008). Evidently, the effectiveness acquired in delivering instrumental materials to these type of children, using the video-modelling intervention is well documented. Video modelling poses as the most effective educational tool, as compared to any other conventional approach, particularly for children suffering from ASD, and specially, those who have an impairment in their ability to learn in the natural environment, owing to poor social interaction skills (Thomas et al., 2007). Over the years, video modelling has been utilized successfully in teaching social interaction skills, and this includes play skills, communication, as well as daily living skills. However, it should be noted that despite the success that has been derived, based on video-modelling interventions on children with ASD, it is evident that there still some gaps in the knowledge base that relate to the effectiveness of using the technique, especially when there is need to enhance complex social interaction behavior (Bellini & Akullian, 2007). Whilst typically developing children requires them to understand the basic concepts of numbers, with regards to social interaction, it is significant to note that this is necessarily not the case, for children having ASD. This is owing to the fact that they lack such basic skills, thus, making them have an additional disadvantage, which is beyond their social interaction challenges. There are two relatively significant and recent innovative types of video modeling, and they include point of view video modelling, and video prompting (Cooper et al., 2007). It is evident that these two types of video modelling are different from the traditional video modelling, owing to the fact that the video is shop, based on the perspectives of the individual performing the task and typically, this only shows the hands of the model. Significant to note, these video modelling variants are therefore regarded to have the advantage of avoiding unnecessary imitation reversal errors that are at times seen in children that have ASD (Donno et al., 2010).

Overall, it should be noted that generally, learning through observation, as well as imitation of others accounts for acquisition of significant behaviors, which makes children with ASD to receive significant reinforcement(vicarious reinforcement), owing to the fact that a behavior purposes to increase the rates of that particular behavior (January et al., 2011). Moreover, is should as well be noted that video modelling is effective as it aids in teaching various social interaction skills, especially for children with ASD and this includes playing with their mates. However, for the video modelling strategies to be more effective, a child with ASD should be made to attend to another individual, and as such, this child must be made to attend to the actions of the other individuals and must as well be made to be imitative (Litra et al., 2010). It is evident that the social developmental course of imitation is unclear, especially in children with ASD. This is owing to the fact that imitation poses as a fundamental mechanism that aids in learning, and particularly, it is a precursor for learning detailed social skills. Children having ASD seem to imitate the actions they see on films more readily when their sensory feedback purposes to occur than as compared to when it is absent, thus suggesting a significant lack of motivation for their social interaction learning (Mechling & Collins, 2012).

Aim

The aforementioned detailed information on the background of the subject makes it clear and evident that video modeling is a valuable model that can be used in enhancing the social interaction skills of children with ASD who struggle with managing their behavior, as well as their sensory functions in a classroom setting. Learning in these type of children poses as a challenge, owing to the fact that the difficulties they face differ from one child to another. However generally, video modelling aids in facilitating their learning, by recording and also displaying their targeted skills, as well as behaviors, which are relevant to their individual learning plans (Moore et al., 2013). In this regard, this study poses the following primary research aim:

To measure the effectiveness of video modelling, with regards to teaching, as well as learning of social interaction skills on children suffering from ASD in KSA, and thus, understand the potential barriers that can hinder the implementation of video modelling designs in schools.

Objectives

In order to meet the aim of this study, it was broken down into important and achievable objectives. Notably, these objectives, if met, aid in meeting the aim of the aforementioned research study. They are as provided below:

To investigate the effectiveness of video modelling on the teaching and learning of social interaction skills, on children with ASD in KSA

To determine the teachers’ as well as parents’ perception on the use of video modelling on children suffering from ASD in KSA

To investigate the barrier that hinder full implementation of video modelling designs in schools

Research questions

Moreover, in order to meet the aforementioned objectives of the research, they were framed into answerable research questions as provided below:

1. Is video modelling effective in enhancing social interaction skills on children with ASD?

2. What are the perception of teachers and parents on the use of video modelling in enhancing social interaction skills?

3. What are the potential barriers that hinder full implementation of video modelling designs in schools?

Rationale and Justification

It is significant to note that there is rapid significant increase in the number of cases that deal with ASD in Saudi Arabia. An evidence in support of this is the fact that in KSA, in a population of approximately 28 million people, it is notable that the prevalence of ASD is 1 per 167, and these are cases that have not been identified officially. Moreover, there is significant increase in the number of cases, in which families face various challenges, in respect to accessing services, as well as research centered treatment for children suffering from ASD (Rayner et al., 2009). In this regard, it is of great importance that Saudi Arabians should be diverse, in coming up with significant approaches that can aid in implementing further research in such areas to the interest of the children with ASD and various institutions. This research, thus, purposes to influence positive changes, which would keep the momentum towards the development of special education systems in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, it is evident that there is need for the creation of awareness to be created in KSA, especially in the country’s education sector (Shukla-Mehta et al., 2010). Based on these reasons, it is evident that this study is justified.

Literature Review

The social interaction skills are important aspects to consider in the development of a child. There are children suffering from ASD who do not adhere to social interaction rules, and as such, they display inappropriate body language, interrupt their mates when communication, thus making it difficult for them to engage their peers successfully, and also find it difficult to develop a good relationship with them. It is significant to note that lack of social interaction skills has a great impact on the ability of a child to make and also maintain friendship with their friends, and this can consequently be detrimental to their academic performance, as well as achievement (Smith et al., 2013). Notably, various studies indicate that poor social interaction skills often results into behavioral, as well as self-regulatory problems, thus, consequently resulting into negative academic, social, as well as relationship outcomes. On the other hand, children that have well developed social interaction skills are typically happier; they have better adjustment and often perform greatly in their academics. Various Alsalamah (2017) notes that school based teaching, as well as learning of social interaction skills in KSA have proven to be very problematic, with various interventions varying in their success. As such, it is evident that there are only small positive effects that have been reported (Anderson et al., 2018). Early intervention that occurs in a regular classroom than in some kind of pullout facility, and thus, targeting at specific and not generic skills, have their results indicating which of the two has effective outcomes, although more research needs to be conducted in this field. Video modelling purposes to offer a powerful contribution on social interaction skills interventions. This has been trialed extensively, whilst giving consideration to intervention research with children suffering from ASD (Jowett et al., 2012). Evidently, video modelling is just a simple procedure, in which the child suffering from ASD is asked to watch a film, in order to target a given skill being performed in the film. Usually, the skilled in significantly modelled on screen by either an adult or a peer, in a very authentic context of a given activity, and the instructor provides significant prompts, as well as reinforced, to the child suffering from ASD, and thus, attending to the relevant stimulus. Thereafter, the child with the ASD is given the opportunity to perform the same skill that has been displayed in the film, and this is prompted if necessary, and also reinforced, in order for the child to imitate the behavior. Jowett et al. (2012) suggest that video modelling has faster results, leads to acquisition of skills, and have a better generalization, as compared to vivo modelling (Alsalamah, 2017). These scholars also posit that video modeling is much more effective, owing to the fact that it is a screen-based media, which plays devices, and thus engages children with sustained attention.

Video modeling also purposes to allow permit accentuation of some stimulus features, as well as minimization of unnecessary distraction r even irrelevant features. There are other significant strategies, which can be combines with video modelling, to aid in teaching various social interaction skills in children. Factually, the incorporation of various instrumental prompts, as well as positive reinforcements that are verbal and also tangible often appear to be more effective, as compared to the incorporation of video modelling alone for the enhancement of acquisition, generalization of targeted skills, as well as maintenance. Up to date, significant research demonstrates the usefulness of video modelling in various educational contexts (Jowett et al., 2012). However, it can pose as a useful instrumental technique for improving social, as well as communication interaction skills in all children that have been identified to be having significant deficits in areas that relate to their mates. In many instances, deficits in social interaction that is exhibited by typically developing children are noted to be similar to those in children that are suffering from ASD. A few studies have purposed to examine this empirically, thus comparing the impacts of video modelling with/ands without significant narration, and also the production of evident for the video plus the narration having to be superior to video modelling that is not coupled up with narration (Smith et al., 2013). Smith et al. (2013), working with their participants with relative intellectual disabilities made a report that vide modelling with narration was notably more effective for may participants. Notably, these participants were reported to enjoy new skills when their used the video modelling with narration. Similarly, their teachers also noted that although it was much easier developing video modelling as compared to video modelling with narrations, they would prefer using video modelling with narrations when there would be need to teach complex tasks. Smith et al. (2013) were working with children with ASD, in a school transition program. Overall, it is significant to take note of the fact that a further research exploration of the different impacts of narration combined with the aspect of video modelling is clearly warranted (Anderson et al., 2018). Consequently with the perception of examining the effectiveness of video modelling only, and video modelling combined with narration, it is often that many studies often examine the intervention of video modelling-based intervention. This is in a bid to improving the social interaction skills, of children with ASD, or others who have been identified to be having social interaction skill deficit and the manner in which they relate to their peers. Results always indicate that video modelling, embedded with narration bring forth faster outcomes, which are more efficient, and also produce great effect, as compared to video modelling without narration (Jowett et al., 2012).

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Methodology

Research design

In a bid to answering the research questions, this study will adopt the use of qualitative analysis. The primary aim of the research was to assess the effectiveness of video modelling. As such, this study will consist of three faces, which include the baseline, the intervention phase, in which video modelling intervention will be implemented and the last phase, in which follow up observations will be obtained within a period of three weeks.

Sampling

The sample for this study will consist of 6 children, 4 having ASD, together with their parents, and teachers. All the children participants will be of the age of between 5 to 7 years from Alrodaa School in Riyadh, which is based in KSA. The selection of the children with ASD will be done, with the assistance of their teachers, who will aid in identifying the children as having ASD (social interaction deficit) relative to their classroom peers. All of these children are those who are attending an open plan classroom. On the other hand, the other 2 children participants will not be having their parents and their teachers will aid in their selected, with the basis that they will be children that have appropriate social interaction skills, to act in comparison with the other four with ASD and poor social interaction skills.

Data collection tools

The tools to be used for this study will be the children’s profile form, parent interview forms; parent interview schedule, digital video recorder; a time signalling app, used for smart phones; intervention videos; coding sheets; interview schedule for the children and their teachers; and post-intervention questionnaire/interview.

Interview schedules

There will be interview schedules for the parents of the intervention participants and this will consist of four questions (open ended).

Videos

The videos to be used for interventions will be four (2-3 minutes films that feature their peers demonstrating the behaviours that are targeted). Notably, class laptops will be used in the presentation of the videos for the children participants with ASD.

Digital video camera

A digital video camera will be used with interval app. This will also have data recording (coding sheets) used at the baseline and at the intervention phase to record the behaviours of the study target, and the sample participants. Intervals will be designed to aid in interval recording, as well as to produce auditory signals at specific set intervals for a given pre-determined time period.

The post-intervention questionnaire/interview

The interview and the post-intervention questionnaires will be provided to the teachers, children participants and their parents. Of great importance will be the interview that will be provided to all the children participants. The interview will ask questions regarding how they feel before the video modelling intervention is conducted on them and the post-interview questionnaire will ask questions regarding how the children will feel after the intervention, and whether they find the incorporation of video modelling in their learning programme more enjoyable. Moreover, the interview/post interview questionnaire for the parents and teachers will be concerned with their perception of the entire process.

Treatment conditions

All the children participants (4 with ASD and two without ASD) will undergo the video modelling treatment. The video modelling will consist of a video that features a brief film that demonstrates a social interaction skill, with the performance of a desired behaviour. The allocation of significant target behaviours to the treatment conditions will counterbalance across all the children participants.

Social validity

This study will assess social validity in three different ways. The first will regard the perception of the teachers on viability of the video modelling intervention. The second will be the rating of enjoyment of the participants overall and the third will be the observed social competencies of the participants that is relative to their normative peers.

Observation method

Partial interval recording will be used in measuring the appropriate social interaction skill posture. In this regard, five recording will be taken, and each recording will be in one minute duration and it will begin once the students will successfully engage in social interaction skills. All the observation sessions will be vide recorded and also coding will be done subsequently.

Procedure

This study will following the necessary ethical guidelines and as such, before commencing the study, the Alrodaa School in Riyadh will be contacted through email and as such, the researcher will express his significant interest to participate in the study. Moreover, written consent will be obtained from the school, teachers, as well as the parents of the children and the children. Thereafter, baseline observational data will be collected for the six children in class whilst they engage in social interaction skills with their mates and teachers. During the baseline, as well as interventional phase, data will be obtained through observing the social interaction skills of the control children. Before the intervention phase, each of the children participants will be subjected to the video modelling intervention, in which case, they will be shown the video immediately before and then they will be given the opportunity to exhibit the significant skills that they will have learnt form the video. Reinforcement to attend to the said video will be given in the form of a 3 minute play before returning to their activity in the classroom. Thereafter, a session of observation will be conducted. The behavior of the children will also be recorded and after three weeks, there will be follow up observations. When the study will have been completed, the teachers and the children will be interviewed regarding the study

References

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Hess K, Morrier M, Heflin L, et al. (2008) Autism treatment survey: services received by children with autism spectrum disorders in public school classrooms. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 38(5): 961–971.

Thomas K, Ellis A, McLaurin C, et al. (2007) Access to care for autism-related services. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 37(10): 1902–1912.

Bellini, S., & Akullian, J. (2007). A meta-analysis of video modeling and video self-modeling interventions for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Exceptional Children, 73, 264–287.

Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2007). Applied behavior analysis. Essex, England: Pearson Education Limited.

Donno, R., Parker, G., Gilmour, J., & Skuse, D. H. (2010). Social communication deficits in disruptive primary-school children. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 196(4), 282–289.

January, A. M., Casey, R. J., & Paulson, D. (2011). A meta-analysis of classroom-wide interventions to build social skills: do they work? School Psychology Review 40, 242–256.

Litras, S., Dennis, W., Moore, D. W., & Anderson, A. (2010). Using video self-modelled social stories to teach social skills to a young child with autism. Autism Research and Treatment.

Mechling, L. C., & Collins, S. (2012). Comparison of the effects of video models with and without verbal cuing on task completion by young adults with moderate intellectual disabilities. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 47, 223–235.

Moore, D. W., Anderson, A., Treccase, F., Deppeler, J., Furlonger, B., & Didden, R. (2013). A video-based package to teach a child with autism spectrum disorder to write her name. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities., 25(5), 493–503.

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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, 23–36.

Smith, M., Ayres, K., Mechling, L., & Smith, K. (2013). Comparison of the effects of video modeling with narration vs. video modeling on the functional skill acquisition of adolescents with autism. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 48(2), 164–178.

Anderson, A., Furlonger, B., Moore, D. W., Sullivan, V. D., & White, M. P. (2018). A comparison of video modelling techniques to enhance social-communication skills of elementary school children. International Journal of Educational Research, 87, 100-109.

Jowett, E. L., Moore, D. W., & Anderson, A. (2012). Using an iPad-based video modelling package to teach numeracy skills to a child with an autism spectrum disorder. Developmental neurorehabilitation, 15(4), 304-312.

Jowett, E. L., Moore, D. W., & Anderson, A. (2012). Using an iPad-based video modelling package to teach numeracy skills to a child with an autism spectrum disorder. Developmental neurorehabilitation, 15(4), 304-312.