Generalization of Social Skills Learned via Video-Modeling in Children with ASD

Impairments in reciprocal pretend play are well documented in children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The effectiveness of many different behavioral teaching techniques has been examined in order to teach play skills to children with autism. Central to our purpose is the application of video-modeling to the training of new skills in children with ASD. Research has provided ample support for the notion that new skills may be acquired by observation of video-modeled behavior. Our study will examine the cooperative social behavior of children with ASD and the probability of generalization of social skills learned from video modeling. Further, we hope to discern whether video-modeling alone is sufficient or whether video-modeling must be paired with other techniques, such as prompting, to be effective in training social response in children. This project aims to reveal the level of effectiveness of video-modeling in training new social interaction skills to children with ASD. This information will be of significant benefit to therapists, parents, and caregivers as they strive to identify the most effective treatments for their children