Video Modelling and Autism Ranking:

Key Features

Description

Video modelling is a method of teaching in which an individual learns a behaviour or a skill by watching a video recording of someone (the model) demonstrating that behaviour or skill.

The model can be someone else (such as a parent or teacher, a peer or sibling) or it can be the individual himself when the process is called video self-modelling (VSM).

The video may show the whole of the model’s body, it may show part of the body (such as the hands) or it may show the scene as viewed from the perspective of the person watching the video (point-of-view modelling).

The video may be presented by itself or as one element of a multi-media presentation that includes text, music, pictures and video.

The video is edited to show the model demonstrating the correct way to behave in specific situations, such as how to engage in conversation with other people.

The participant may be asked to watch the whole of the video or they may be asked to watch the specific segments of the video that show them how to do a specific task or activity.

The participant is asked to watch the video shortly before they are asked to undertake the activity being modelled. An instructor may encourage the participant to pay attention to particular parts of the video while it is playing, either in person or via a recorded narration or voice over.

Video modelling is different to live (in vivo) modelling because the person modelling the behaviour is not present (except in the case of video self-modelling).

Video modelling is sometimes used alongside other behavioural techniques or as part of other interventions, such as social stories or visual schedules

Guidelines

Nikopoulos suggests the following guidelines for video modelling.

1. Make sure that the child can watch video/TV for at least two consecutive minutes.

2. Prepare a short videotape (initially 30 to 40 seconds) showing a model whilst he/she engages in some simple behaviours.

3. The number of different behaviours to be shown in the video needs to be gauged for a particular child experimentally.

4. At the initial stages of the intervention, the setting viewed in the videotape should be the same as the setting in which the child will subsequently demonstrate the imitative behaviour.

5. The child should be allowed to watch each video clip at least once before he/she tries to demonstrate the modelled behaviour. If he/she fails, then the same video clip is presented again; this should be done at least three times.

6. Depending on the target behaviour, the child must be allowed to have between 1 and 3 minutes to demonstrate the modelled behaviour.

7. Finally, the imitative behaviour should be performed in the absence of any previous video-watching in other settings or in front of other people.

Source: personal correspondence with Research Autism, 2009.

Updated

17 Jun 2022

Last Review

01 Sep 2017

Next Review

01 Dec 2023