Comparing the effectiveness of virtual reality and video modelling as an intervention strategy for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Brief report.

The increasing numbers of individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has foreshadowed a greater need for effective intervention procedures to aid learning. PURPOSE: This study compared the effectiveness of video modelling (VM) and virtual reality (VR) for teaching adults with ASD. METHODS: Using an alternating treatments design without baseline two participants completed paper folding projects of varying difficulty following exposure to either VM or VR task modelling. The rate of learning (ROL) determined treatment effectiveness. RESULTS: One participant reached mastery criterion for the intermediate project on the 5th trial with both VR and VM (i.e. equal ROL). The other achieved mastery by the 6th trial of VM, but did not attain mastery in VR. Both participants reported enjoying both procedures. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that VM was more effective than VR in facilitating learning. Implications for future research are discussed.

Teaching Reading Comprehension Skills to a Child with Autism Using Behaviour Skills Training.

A multiple probe design across skills was used to examine the effects of behaviour skills training (BST) on teaching four reading comprehension skills (predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing) to a 7th grade student with autism. Following baseline, the student received 12 sessions of BST during which each skill was taught to criterion. At each session, data was also collected on the accuracy of oral responses to 10 comprehension questions. BST was associated with clear gains in the participant's performance on each comprehension skill, along with concomitant gains in reading comprehension both on the daily probes and a standardized measure. Skills maintained at follow-up support the conclusion that BST was effective in improving the comprehension skills of a child with autism.

Effects of video modeling with video feedback on vocational skills of adults with autism spectrum disorder.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effectiveness of a video modeling (VM) with video feedback (VFB) intervention to teach vocational gardening skills to three adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHOD: A multiple probe design across skills was used to assess the effects of the intervention on the three participants' ability to perform skills accurately. RESULTS: The use of VM with VFB led to improvements across skills for two of the participants. The third participant required video prompting (VP) for successful skill acquisition. Skill performance generalized across personnel and settings for two of the participants, but it was not assessed for the third. Skill performance maintained at follow-up for all three participants. Social validity data gathered from participants, parents, and co-workers were positive. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that VM with VFB and VP with VFB were effective and socially acceptable interventions for teaching vocational gardening skills to young adults with ASD.