Video modeling has been used in a variety of academic and behavioral settings to affect behavior and has shown immense success. Video modeling is a visual learning technique that educators apply by making students watch a video of a person modeling a targeted behavior and then imitating it. It is a simple and appropriate teaching strategy that helps to motivate and inspire students to learn through enticing and fun mediums ( Cardon, 2016) . In video modeling, students watch the model target behavior then begin to imitate the behavior from the video viewed. The behaviors or skills included in the video may either be new or existing. The student then starts to utilize the talent in their generalized environment.
History of Video Modeling
In 1965, Albert Bandura developed the Social Learning Theory in which he hypothesized that individuals could absorb and learn new behaviors and information by watching and observing other people. He used his famous Bobo Doll experiment to demonstrate that children can learn and imitate actions and behaviors that they observe in others ( Cardon, 2016) . He recognized that some forms of observational learning included symbolic modeling, which involved fictional or real characters displayed in films, books, television programs, or online platforms. In 1982, Knapp and Steinborn used the first video modeling technique to treat a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Using Bandura’s theory, the researchers used the classroom-based model and behavioral training program of a traffic environment to teach an ASD child pedestrian skills ( Cardon, 2016) . They specifically used videos to make the child familiar with the local traffic intersections and discovered that the child modeled the behavior of the skills he watched on the video. Since this experiment, a variety of practitioners and educators have continued to use video modeling to teach a wide range of children with ASD various behaviors and skills.
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Using Video Modeling to teach ASD Students
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition indicated by qualitative impairment in both verbal and non-verbal communication, social interaction, and restricted repertoire of interests and activities. ASD children often show selective attention or limited focus, thus impeding their ability to sustain attention for extended periods ( Ashori & Jalil-Abkenar, 2019) . Individuals with this disorder typically benefit from visually directed instructions and exhibit strength in processing visual information as opposed to verbal cues. According to Ashori and Jalil-Abkenar (2019), A SD individuals may also exhibit atypical responsiveness to social environments and may, therefore, avoid interacting with socially relevant triggers. In such cases, video modeling has been found to effectively produce visual learning that restricts the person’s field of focus while avoiding imposing extreme demands on attention and social interaction.
According to the Social Learning Theory by Bandura (1977), human behavior is majorly learned through observation and imitation of others. Therefore, observational learning can be achieved through live, recorded, or imagined action ( Kellems & Edwards, 2016) . Video modeling is a behavioral intervention that is well-documented in the field of behavioral sciences. The technique has successfully been used to train diverse skills such as parent training for children with severe conduct disorders, speech therapy, and children with deficits in social interactions ( Kellems & Edwards, 2016) . Video modeling is especially beneficial for teaching various skills to individuals with ASD, including increasing communication and vocalization, play and social skills, emotional processing, adaptive behavior, and academics.
Video modeling has been found to benefit individuals with ASD in many ways. Individuals with ASD may capitalize on video modeling techniques to manage or control autistic features such as selective attention, restricted focus field, preference to visual stimuli, and avoidance of facial interaction ( Olcay et al., 2019) . Video modeling helps individuals to better focus on the visual images without necessarily having to interact with the teacher on a face-to-face basis.
Bandura initially stated that retention, attention, motivation, and production are essential for observational learning to take place. As such, studies have revealed that video modeling supports these learning processes in the following ways ( Kouo, 2019) . The video or television monitor provides a restricted focus field, thus improving attention by selectively attention to relevant stimuli. During this process, extraneous auditory and visual stimuli are eliminated, and the ASD individual can focus on the vital information broadcasted on the screen ( Kouo, 2019) .
Secondly, retention is enhanced in the video modeling technique through the repetition of a specific target behavior. All video modeling activities include presenting the student with repeated exposure to events that help to develop and maintain the behavior in active memory ( Kourassanis, Jones, & Fienup, 2015) . In some cases, the student is given the same situation or stimulus, as presented in the video. This technique helps to facilitate the association between the event and the response and the imitation of the behavior from video to real life. Therefore, video modeling allows for the repetition of the same procedures and models, thus resulting in the production of the target behavior.
Lastly, when it comes to motivation, individuals with ASD display a high affinity for excessive watching of TV or videos, which in many cases results in significant stress on parents in their attempts to manage this habit ( Kourassanis et al., 2015) . Video modeling acts both as a form of recreation and a source of education, and students will receive it with much enthusiasm and receptivity ( Kourassanis et al., 2015) . Research shows that video modeling acts as an intrinsic and natural motivator of observational learning.
Evidence-Based Practice for using Video Modeling
Recent research asserts that video modeling aligns with evidence-based practices (EBP), which have implications for use with ASD students in school settings. Video modeling employs several models such as peers, adults, video-self modeling (VSM), mixed models, and point-of-view models. Odluyurt (2013) explored the efficacy of the different types of video modeling and reported that all of them are effective in teaching students with ASD. However, some may be more effective than others ( Odluyurt, 2013) . The study also found that video modeling is more effective for children with ASD than in vivo modeling. The researchers set up both the Vivo and video modeling techniques in five children aged between 7 and 11 years with varying degrees of ASD. Eight of the eleven children acquired different skills faster when using video modeling than when they used vivo modeling. All the children who participated in the study effectively generalized the skills taught using video modeling, while none of them could generalize the skills taught using vivo modeling. In another study, researchers Plavnick et al. (2015) used a time-delay technique to teach five children with ASD to make various affectionate statements to people they were familiar with. Following the use of model videos, all the children were able to spontaneously verbalize the affection statements such as “I love you” to a familiar person ( Plavnick et al., 2015) . These Evidence-based examples show that video modeling is a useful technique for teaching students with ASD target behaviors. The method can be utilized by experts and educators to help facilitate different types of behaviors in addition to treating ASD.
Conclusion
From the discussion above, it is evident that video modeling is an effective way to teach children with ASD target behaviors. The technique has been used practically to prove that video modeling works better than vivo modeling to evoke learning behaviors in children with autism. The model also helps to reduce most of the symptoms exhibited by ASD individuals such as avoidance of social interactions, selective attention, restricted focus field, and preference to visual stimuli. Video modeling is, therefore, a proven technique to effectively treat adverse symptoms of ASD.
References
Ashori, M., & Jalil-Abkenar, S. S. (2019). The Effectiveness of Video Modeling on Social Skills of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Practice in Clinical Psychology , 7 (3), 159-166.
Cardon, T. A. (2016). Do as I’m doing: Video modeling and autism. In Technology and the Treatment of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (pp. 87-96). Springer, Cham.
Kellems, R. O., & Edwards, S. (2016). Using video modeling and video prompting to teach core academic content to students with learning disabilities. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth , 60 (3), 207-214.
Kouo, J. L. (2019). The Effectiveness of a Packaged Intervention Including Point-of-View Video Modeling in Teaching Social Initiation Skills to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities , 34 (3), 141-152.
Kourassanis, J., Jones, E. A., & Fienup, D. M. (2015). Peer-video modeling: Teaching chained social game behaviors to children with ASD. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities , 27 (1), 25-36.
Odluyurt, S. (2013). A Comparison of the Effects of Direct Modeling and Video Modeling Provided by Peers to Students with Autism Who Are Attending in Rural Play Teaching in an Inclusive Setting. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice , 13 (1), 536-540.
Olcay G. S., Vuran, S., Gönen, A., Uslucan, G., & Kayhan, H. C. (2019). Effectiveness of Video Modeling in Teaching Following Public Direction Signs for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. H. U. Journal of Education, 34(2), 487-504. DOI: 10.16986/HUJE.2018040666
Plavnick, J. B., MacFarland, M. C., & Ferreri, S. J. (2015). Variability in the effectiveness of a video modeling intervention package for children with autism. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions , 17 (2), 105-115.
