THE EFFECTS OF VIDEO MODELING ON STAFF IMPLEMENTATION OF A PROBLEM‐SOLVING INTERVENTION WITH ADULTS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

We investigated the effects of video modeling on the percentage of correctly implemented problem‐solving steps by staff in a group home for adults with developmental disabilities, using a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across participants. The treatment consisted of staff watching a video model demonstrating the correct implementation of a problem‐solving intervention (i.e., teaching clients to identify problems, possible solutions, and consequences to each solution, and to choose the best solution). The percentage of correctly implemented problem‐solving steps increased for all participants, and the effect was maintained over time, generalized to novel problems, and generalized from role play with a researcher to actual clients.     

The effects of video modeling with voiceover instruction on accurate implementation of discrete-trial instruction

The present study replicates and extends previous research on the use of video modeling (VM) with voiceover instruction to train staff to implement discrete-trial instruction (DTI). After staff trainees reached the mastery criterion when teaching an adult confederate with VM, they taught a child with a developmental disability using DTI. The results showed that the staff trainees' accurate implementation of DTI remained high, and both child participants acquired new skills. These findings provide additional support that VM may be an effective method to train staff members to conduct DTI.     

Interactive computer training to teach discrete‐trial instruction to undergraduates and special educators in Brazil: A replication and extension

Discrete‐trial instruction (DTI) is a behavioral method of teaching young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) that has received a significant amount of research support. Because of a lack of qualified trainers in many areas of the world, researchers have recently begun to investigate alternative methods of training professionals to implement behavioral teaching procedures. One promising training method is interactive computer training, in which slides with recorded narration, video modeling, and embedded evaluation of content knowledge are used to teach a skill. In the present study, the effectiveness of interactive computer training developed by Pollard, Higbee, Akers, and Brodhead (2014), translated into Brazilian Portuguese, was evaluated with 4 university students (Study 1) and 4 special education teachers (Study 2). We evaluated the effectiveness of training on DTI skills during role‐plays with research assistants (Study 1) and during DTI sessions with young children with ASD (Studies 1 and 2) using a multiple baseline design. All participants acquired DTI skills after interactive computer training, although 5 of 8 participants required some form of feedback to reach proficiency. Responding generalized to untaught teaching programs for all participants. We evaluated maintenance with the teachers in Study 2, and DTI skills were maintained with 3 of 4 participants.     

VIDEO MODELING BY EXPERTS WITH VIDEO FEEDBACK TO ENHANCE GYMNASTICS SKILLS

The effects of combining video modeling by experts with video feedback were analyzed with 4 female competitive gymnasts (7 to 10 years old) in a multiple baseline design across behaviors. During the intervention, after the gymnast performed a specific gymnastics skill, she viewed a video segment showing an expert gymnast performing the same skill and then viewed a video replay of her own performance of the skill. The results showed that all gymnasts demonstrated improved performance across three gymnastics skills following exposure to the intervention.     

OBSERVER TRAINING REVISITED: A COMPARISON OF IN VIVO AND VIDEO INSTRUCTION

We compared the effects of 2 observer‐training procedures. In vivo training involved practice during actual treatment sessions. Video training involved practice while watching progressively more complex simulations. Fifty‐nine undergraduate students entered 1 of the 2 training conditions sequentially according to an ABABAB design. Results showed that the 2 training methods produced almost identical scores on a posttraining observational test; however, the video method required fewer training sessions to complete.     

ADHERENCE TO DISCRETE‐TRIAL INSTRUCTION PROCEDURES BY RURAL PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders may not attempt treatment, even when effective treatment options are available. Little is known about how to improve frequency of attempts to implement treatment (‘treatment adherence’). We provided 32 rural parents of young children with autism spectrum disorders with either written or video training materials about how to implement discrete‐trial instruction and compared parental adherence between the written (control) and video (experimental) groups. Parents who received video instructions adhered to the training procedures to a significantly greater extent than did parents who received written instructions, suggesting that instruction format is a predictor of training success. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A COMPARISON OF PEER VIDEO MODELING AND SELF VIDEO MODELING TO TEACH TEXTUAL RESPONSES IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

Peer video modeling was compared to self video modeling to teach 3 children with autism to respond appropriately to (i.e., identify or label) novel letters. A combination multiple baseline and multielement design was used to compare the two procedures. Results showed that all 3 participants met the mastery criterion in the self‐modeling condition, whereas only 1 of the participants met the mastery criterion in the peer‐modeling condition. In addition, the participant who met the mastery criterion in both conditions reached the criterion more quickly in the self‐modeling condition. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for teaching new skills to children with autism.     

Comparing self‐directed methods for training staff to create graphs using Graphpad Prism

An important skill for behavior analysts is creating graphs that clearly convey outcomes and conform to publication conventions. GraphPad Prism is software designed for creating scientific graphs, but no prior research has empirically evaluated training graphing skills using Prism. Two effective training methods are enhanced written instructions (EWI) and video modeling with voiceover instructions (VMVO), but no single‐subject studies have compared the effects of these methods. In this study, we compared the efficacy and social validity of EWI and VMVO for training staff to create graphs using Prism. A single‐subject design was employed to compare the effects of the methods on the individual performance of 11 graduate students. EWI and VMVO were both found to be effective, and more participants chose to use EWI.     

Reducing student stereotypy by improving teachers' implementation of discrete-trial teaching

Discrete-trial teaching is an instructional method commonly used to teach social and academic skills to children with an autism spectrum disorder. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the indirect effects of discrete-trial teaching on 3 students' stereotypy. Instructions, feedback, modeling, and rehearsal were used to improve 3 teaching aides' implementation of discrete-trial teaching in a private school for children with autism. Improvements in accurate teaching were accompanied by systematic decreases in students' levels of stereotypy.     

Live training versus e‐learning to teach implementation of listener response programs

Discrete‐trial teaching is an effective teaching procedure that must be implemented with high integrity to produce optimal learning. Behavioral Skills Training (BST) has proven effective for staff training; however, BST is time and labor intensive. Computer‐based instruction (CBI) programs may provide a more efficient and cost‐effective alternative to live training if the CBI program is as effective as BST in producing accurate implementation. The current study compared CBI to BST to train novice undergraduate students to conduct discrete‐trial teaching. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions and assessed prior to and after the completion of training. Results indicated that although both BST and CBI were effective at training participants to implement discrete‐trial teaching, BST was slightly but significantly more effective whereas CBI quickly created a return on the investment of product development.     

Effects of modeling rote versus varied responses on response variability and skill acquisition during discrete‐trial instruction

Despite its advantages, discrete‐trial instruction (DTI) has been criticized for producing rote responding. Although there is little research supporting this claim, if true, this may be problematic given the propensity of children with autism to engage in restricted and repetitive behavior. One feature that is common in DTI that may contribute to rote responding is the prompting and reinforcement of one correct response per discriminative stimulus. To evaluate the potential negative effects of rote prompts on varied responding, we compared the effects of modeling rote versus varied target responses during the teaching of intraverbal categorization. We also evaluated the effects of these procedures on the efficiency of acquisition of any one correct response. For all four children, any increase in varied responding was fleeting, and for two participants, acquisition was slower in the variable‐modeling condition.     

Preference assessment training via self‐instruction: A replication and extension

We examined the effects of a self‐instructional and feedback package on participants’ implementation of a paired‐stimulus preference assessment. Specifically, in Experiment 1, we used a multiple baseline design across participants to replicate and extend the results of Graff and Karsten (2012) by evaluating the effectiveness of their self‐instructional manual. A majority of the participants (i.e., 5 of 7 undergraduate students and 4 of 5 in‐home behavior technicians) achieved mastery with the self‐instructional package. The remaining participants met the mastery criterion after brief modeling and feedback sessions. In Experiment 2, we identified the most effective component of the feedback condition from Experiment 1 when a self‐instructional package was not sufficient. Brief feedback sessions in which participants received a list of the targeted responses plus information regarding accuracy of emitted responses was sufficient for 5 of 6 participants to achieve mastery.     

The effects of behavioral skills training on staff implementation of discrete-trial teaching

A behavioral skills training package was used to train 3 teachers to correctly implement discrete-trial teaching. The mean baseline proportion of possible correct teaching responses for Teachers 1, 2, and 3 increased from 43%, 49%, and 43%, respectively, during baseline to 97%, 98%, and 99%, respectively, following training. These data indicate that the training package consisting of instructions, feedback, rehearsal, and modeling produced rapid and large improvements in the teachers' implementation of discrete-trial teaching.