Enhancing oral comprehension and emotional recognition skills in children with autism: A comparison of video self modelling with video peer modelling

Abstract

Video modelling has been shown to be an effective intervention with autistic individuals as it takes into account autistic characteristics of those individuals. Research on video self modelling and video peer modelling with this population has shown both are effective. The purpose of this study was to replicate past findings that video modelling is an effective strategy for autistic individuals, and to compare video self modelling with video peer modelling, to determine which is more effective. The studies here used multiple baselines with alternating treatments designs with 6 participants across two target behaviours; emotional recognition and oral comprehension. The first compared the video modelling methods and found neither method increased the target behaviours to criterion, for 5 out of the 6 participants. For 1 participant the criterion was only reached for the video self modelling condition for the target behaviour 'oral comprehension'. The second study first examined the effectiveness of video self modelling and video peer modelling with supplementary assistance for 4 participants. Second, it examined a new peer video for a 5th participant, and third, it compared the two video modelling methods (with supplementary assistance). Results indicated 1 participant reached the criterion in both video modelling conditions, 1 participant showed improvements and 2 participants never increased responding. This study indicated that clarity of speech produced by the peer participant in the peer video, may have contributed to a participant's level of correct responding. This is because a new peer video used during the second study dramatically increased this participants responding. Intervention fidelity, generalisation and follow-up data were examined. Measures of intervention fidelity indicated procedural reliability. Generalisation was unsuccessful across three measures and follow-up data indicated similar trends to intervention. Only video self modelling effects remained at criterion during follow-up. Results are discussed with reference to limitations, future research and implications for practice.