Why Video Modeling and OT?
There are a number of advantages to using video modeling as a tool for skill acquisition.
Why is video modeling a good fit for occupational therapists?
Resources
Bidwell, M. A., & Rehfeldt, R. A. (2004). Using video modeling to teach a domestic skill with an embedded social skill to adults with severe mental retardation. Behavioral Intervention, 19, 263-274.
Corbett, B.A. & Abdullah, M. (2005) Video Modeling: Why Does It Work for Children with Autism? Journal of Early and Intensive Behavior Intervention, 2, 2-8.
Shipley-Benamou, R., Lutzker, J. R., & Taubman, M. (2002). Teaching daily living skills to children with autism through instructional video modeling. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 4, 166-177.
- Video modeling has been shown in research studies to help individuals with autism and developmental disabilities to acquire new skills and learn new activities, as well as to maintain these skills and generalize them.
- Our online videos are a convenient tool to use in many settings and can be accessed through different devices, including computers, smart phones, and tablets.
- When individuals view videos repeatedly, they are viewing the activity performed in the same exact way every time (Bidwell & Rehfeldt, 2004).
- Multiple people can utilize the videos with minimal training (Bidwell & Rehfeldt, 2004).
- Videos can be used in multiple settings, including the settings in which the activities take place, aiding in the generalization of skills.
- The technology component to videos may be motivating to individuals (Shipley-Benamou, Lutzker, & Taubman, 2002).
- Videos appeal to visual and auditory learning styles.
- Video modeling may be a particularly effective method of instruction for individuals on the autism spectrum because it minimizes attentional demands, limits the amount of language presented, and allows individuals to focus on the stimuli presented (Shipley-Benamou, Lutzker, & Taubman, 2002). The screen on which the video is shown provides a limited target on which children can focus (Corbett & Abdullah, 2005). Videos are also conducive to a visual learning style and eliminate the need to face another person while working on a skill (Corbett & Abdullah, 2005).
Why is video modeling a good fit for occupational therapists?
- Occupational therapists are trained in task analysis or the breaking down of activities. This is a skill necessary for teaching new activities and is essential for creating video models and collecting data.
- Occupational therapists are trained to deliver different levels and types of assistance and to adjust these levels/types over time in order to help an individual to progress toward meeting a goal.
- While video modeling has been mainly utilized as a method to teach social skills to children on the autism spectrum, videos can also be used to teach motor skills, such as those involved in activities of daily living. OTs' knowledge in anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, neuroanatomy, and child development is especially important in teaching motor tasks to children with sensory and motor disabilities.
- Occupational therapists' training prepares them to adapt activities to meet both the physical and cognitive needs of the individual. Therefore, OTs are a good match for customizing videos to demonstrate the activity in such a way that makes it a just-right challenge for the student.
Resources
Bidwell, M. A., & Rehfeldt, R. A. (2004). Using video modeling to teach a domestic skill with an embedded social skill to adults with severe mental retardation. Behavioral Intervention, 19, 263-274.
Corbett, B.A. & Abdullah, M. (2005) Video Modeling: Why Does It Work for Children with Autism? Journal of Early and Intensive Behavior Intervention, 2, 2-8.
Shipley-Benamou, R., Lutzker, J. R., & Taubman, M. (2002). Teaching daily living skills to children with autism through instructional video modeling. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 4, 166-177.