Using video modeling to improve the social communication of an adolescent with autism spectrum disorder

Difficulty with many aspects of social interactions is a defining characteristic of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Video modeling (VM) has successfully improved a range of social skills for individuals with ASD in previous studies, but most often with simple social skills with young children. The current study used VMs scripted and recorded by peers to improve complex conversation and social gestures by a young adult with ASD. A multiple-probe, across-behaviors design found mixed evidence of experimental control of VM on the social behaviors of the individual with ASD, although all behaviors increased from baseline and generalized to other settings and conversants. Peer comparison data from the conversation partner suggest that the VM may have served to prompt the peer to guide and extend conversation as modeled in the VMs and that the conversation skills of the peer also improved throughout the study. Implications of the important role peers may play to enhance VM and improve social skills are explored.