Video Modeling and Visual Learners
In the YouTube era, “video modeling” has become the easiest and most direct way to learn new skills. From training a puppy, learning to dance, pulling a transmission, or even performing surgery, just about every skill can be mastered through short, targeted videos.
Visual learners – Video modeling is particularly effective for visual learners. For this person, learning to dance the cha-cha through written instructions would be impossible. Can you follow this:
- For each bar of music, there are 2 slow and 3 quick steps, which may be counted as – one, two, cha, cha, cha.
But when you watch an instructional video, the cha-cha becomes simple.
Video modeling offers a highly effective teaching method for all children, and especially those with ASD.
One of the advantages of video modeling is that videos are simple to implement and repeat. Tablets and phones turn every setting into an impromptu classroom – in the car, or a waiting room, after dinner, or before bed. A teacher, parent, or therapist can use video modeling to teach academic, social, functional, and vocational skills.
Video modeling is effective for Autism spectrum disorder
- Individuals with ASD often enjoy videos and screen time, giving video modeling a built-in advantage over other forms of instruction.
- Video productions can edit out the distractions of real-life environments. For an individual with ASD, sensory problems may make the real-world environment overstimulating compared to watching a video.
- Individuals with ASD also often struggle with stimulus over-selectivity. This is a kind of tunnel vision where the student focuses on the irrelevant cues and misses the relevant ones. When a teacher gives instructions, students commonly concentrate on the teacher’s voice. For students on the spectrum, instead of focusing on the teacher’s voice, they may hear someone walking in the hall, the airplane overhead, or fidgeting sounds from an adjacent student. Videos can be designed to isolate the relevant information.
- Videos are easily repeated, which allows an ASD individual to watch them multiple times.
In the study, Video Modeling: Why Does It Work for Children with Autism? researchers concluded:
Some key characteristics of ASD make video modeling a natural choice as an intervention tool: Selective attention, restrictive field of focus, preference for visual stimuli, visually cued instruction, avoidance of face-to-face interaction, and ability to process visual information more readily than verbal communication.” [i]
Gemiini offers plug-and-play simplicity to determine the correct curriculum, implement a program, track progress, and receive consultation and support. To learn more, visit our Solutions pages.