Video Self Modeling

To a non-teacher, the term "Video Self Modeling" might conjure up images of very vain people recording themselves and then watching the video again....and again. 

This is not what I'm writing about today.




Here is Wikipedia's definition:
  In video self-modeling (VSM), individuals observe themselves performing a behavior successfully on video, and then imitate the targeted behavior. Video modeling has been used to teach many skills, including social skills, communication, and athletic performance; it has shown promise as an intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

A couple of years ago, a teacher and I worked with a group of children with autism on specific social skills needed to function in a classroom.  These included sitting in a chair correctly, raising a hand to get called on, and saying "Thank You" when given something.  We actually worked on many other skills, but these were a few that we could teach through video self-modeling.  We had them practice the skill in controlled settings, we recorded them with a digital videocamera, and then I took the raw footage home and edited it painstakingly though Pinnacle Studio. Here's a screenshot of how many cuts and edits needed to be done.  We added captions and music, burned DVDs as each chapter was added, and the kids loved it.  We had requests from the kids to watch it weekly!

Pinnacle Studio screenshot

This past year, several of the children have gone on to be successfully mainstreamed in the regular education classroom.  I've seen them apply these same skills independently.  I'd like to say the teacher and I helped to develop these skills. (By the way, the teacher, Lindsay Bedford, was wonderful!) 

Screenshot from video---kids practicing raising hands to be called on.

The reason I'm bringing this up now, two years later, is that I have a couple of these same children along with others in a new social skills group with a different teacher.  I dug up this old video, showed it in class, and all of the children loved it--they were reading the captions aloud and wanted to make a new video.   So it looks like I'll have to dust off the digital videocamera!  I can think of many places to record them practicing their skills all over the school.


Here is a YouTube video explaining more in depth as to what Video Self-Modeling is all about.

Look for more updates as the year progresses!