Movie Time!
Video Modeling is a low-cost, easy, and effective tool to teach children new play, language, self-help, and social skills. The possibilities are endless: tying shoes, telling jokes, building trains, pretend dollhouse, greeting others, using gestures, cleaning up toys, inviting friends to play, saying "thank you," ordering at restaurants, and anything else you can capture on a video!
All children can benefit from Video Modeling, and it has been shown to be especially effective in helping children with Autism.
What is Video Modeling? It is showing a child a short demonstration video of a target/goal behavior. Videos are often more helpful than live-modeling for students with ASD, because watching a video is motivating, offers focused attention and repetition, and helps children remember processes.
There are different types of Video Modeling:
1. Classic (filmed from a 3rd-person perspective)
This is helpful as a teaching video for a new skill.
2. Point-of-View (filmed with an over-the-shoulder view)
This is helpful to get a closer 1st-person look at tasks, such as tying shoe-laces, writing letters, playing with play-doh, etc.
3. Video self-modeling (shows the child completing the task herself)
This is the most effective teaching tool, since it shows the child doing the task herself without any help from anyone.
Video Modeling is so easy, and children often learn very quickly from these videos. Parents, teachers, and clinicians can easily use phones or iPads to capture short moments and then edit to show the target behavior.
For some examples of Video Modeling, see the link below. However, it's best to capture the individual child completing the goal and having her watch herself to get the best results. If you're a parent, ask your child's teacher or SLP to create a video model for what you want your child to learn. Happy watching!