07-03-00
Using Videotapes To Help Children With Autism
Nancy Kashman, Janet Mora, and Tammy Glaser
When addressing the multifaceted difficulties of autism, an intensive therapeutic team approach has shown to be most effective.1,2 Parents are integral members of this treatment team--their daily experiences result in some of the most innovative and beneficial strategies to facilitate their child's learning. Professionals benefit from this collaboration because we are able to apply the strategies to other situations and with a variety of children. One of the most powerful techniques, initially obtained from a parent's experience, is the use of videotapes.
VIDEOTAPES FOR TEACHING
Tammy Glaser used a videotape for teaching purposes when her daughter Pamela was 4 years old. Pamela, who was diagnosed with autism, did not appear curious or interested in her newborn brother, David. In fact, she purposefully avoided contact with him. However, she was very interested in videotapes, especially those that included cartoon characters and music. For this reason, Tammy decided to "introduce" David to Pamela through video. The videotape was a brief segment showing David lying in his crib with Tammy narrating what David was doing. Pamela's favorite toy was attached to David's crib during the taping to further encourage her interest. Because Pamela enjoyed bath time, David was also videotaped in the tub. Shortly thereafter, Pamela developed an interest in her brother, which allowed their relationship to develop (see Figure 1 under Related Content in right column).
Videotapes can allow children with autism to learn about themselves and the world in a medium that enhances their learning style. A large number of these children are visual learners.3 Persons with autism require increased time with spatial orienting of attention,4 making eye tracking difficult. In videotapes, the camera does the tracking, reducing one more distraction for the child. Additionally, videotapes are predictable, can be tailored to specific interests, and allow for multiple viewings.
Parents of children with autism have used videotapes for a variety of specific situations. Glaser filmed a visit to Pamela's summer preschool to ease her transition to a different classroom, new teachers, and an altered schedule. Timmy the Tooth has been used to prepare children for the loss of their first tooth. Distant relatives have been introduced before their visits through videotapes. Filming a sick relative in the hospital has explained the absence of a loved one. Videotaping a religious service has prepared children for an upcoming event. Outbursts and aggressive behavior have been documented to allow for behavior shaping at a calmer time. A videotape of a sibling stacking blocks was the motivating factor for a child learning this manipulative skill (a shoebox containing the blocks and other manipulatives presented in the video were readily available for immediate imitation and practice). Siblings singing and gesturing to "Itsy, Bitsy Spider" taught a 2-year-old this familiar nursery rhyme.
Videotapes can also enhance participation in social settings. Charlop and Milstein5 found that using videotapes not only increased social communication skills in children with autism, but the skills learned were maintained and generalized. A study of persons without disabilities suggests that those with poor eye tracking skills have social impairments.6 Videotapes provide relevant social cues that these viewers would otherwise miss by panning to important details of social situations. Videotapes can also enable children with autism to work through some of their difficulties, phobias, or both. Luscre and Center7 used video training to reduce "dental phobia" through three basic techniques. They provided calming toys and activities throughout the exam, showed a videotape followed by practice of the procedure in a simulated setting, and provided the child's favorite reinforcers. Results were reported to be favorable.
Social behaviors such as waiting, initiating, and turn taking can be modeled and practiced in a nonthreatening atmosphere through videotapes. Appropriately designed videos can also enhance vocabulary development, language comprehension, expression, and most importantly, how to use them functionally in everyday life. Fine and gross motor activities such as writing at a desk, using scissors, and playing on a playground demonstrated on a videotape may provide the motivation and techniques needed to perform the task.
Videotapes may be commercial or child-specific. Homemade child-specific intervention videotapes may be used to facilitate the development of a variety of skills, provide drills during extended school breaks to avoid regression of achieved skills, and prepare for transitions. Older children may benefit from videotapes on acquiring prevocational or vocational training and social skills. Refer to Figure 2 (under Related Content in right column)for suggestions on producing child-specific intervention videotapes.
VIDEOTAPES FOR EVALUATING
Videotapes are an effective way to document progress over time and facilitate the development of goals and objectives. In our practice over the past seven years, we have used videotapes in a variety of ways, from assessment to intervention. Videotapes offer the opportunity to accurately evaluate a child's skill level. By using a camera mounted on a tripod, or having a familiar person film, videotaping allows a child to be observed within his or her natural environment without the effect of the examiner on behavior. Viewing a videotaped assessment may illuminate a variety of behaviors not initially observed. A multitude of skills may be evaluated, including social, communication, motor, cognitive and academic, and self-help.
By definition, children with autism exhibit sensory processing challenges, which are frequently difficult to evaluate in a clinical setting. Videotaping during the natural course of a day provides insight into a child's ability to process sensory information. Overall reactions to the environment, the child's level of arousal, and any avoiding or seeking behaviors may be observed. The child's attention span and stamina may be determined by observing the length of time he or she remains on a task and the ability to transition and shift attention. Play skills; a need for personal space; sociability; and response to tactile, auditory, and visual stimuli can be evaluated. Gross and fine motor skills such as general posture, balance, movement fluidity, object manipulation, spatial perception, and motor planning skills may be noted as a child navigates the surroundings. Videotapes can provide a view of antecedents when self-injurious, stereotypic, or aggressive behaviors are an issue. Observing others interacting with the child, and the child's response to them, can provide information to caregivers regarding future intervention.
CONCLUSION
The accessibility of videotaping, coupled with the benefits that are reported by parents and professionals, strongly support its continued use for evaluation, intervention, and research. The mainstreaming of current technology, the use of videotapes, and virtual reality computers only enhance the possibilities for children to participate in experiences and to rehearse in settings that closely approximate the real world, which for many of them has proven to be so challenging.
References
1. Mora, J., & Kashman, M. (1997, December 15). Strategies for sensory integration. Advance for SpeechÂLanguage Pathologists & Audiologists, 20Â22.
2. Tanta, K., Heistand, C., Adams, L., & Sparks, S. (2000). Transitioning young children to school-based services: Perspective from an early intervention program. School System Special Interest Section Quarterly, 7(1), 1.
3. Grandin, T. (1995). Thinking in pictures. New York: Doubleday.
4. Townsend, J., Harris, N. S., & Courchesne, E. 1996. Visual attention abnormalities in autism: Delayed orienting to location. Journal of International Neuropsychological Society, 2, 541Â550.
5. Charlop, M. H., & Milstein, J. P. (1989). Teaching autistic children conversational speech using video modeling. Journal of Applied Behavioral Analysis, 22, 275Â285.
6. Siever, L. (1997). The new view of self: How genes and neurotransmitters shape your mind, your personality, and your mental health. New York: MacMillan.
7. Luscre, D. M., & Center, D. B. (1996). Procedures for reducing dental fear in children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 26(5).
8. Gray, C. (1993). The original story book. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons.
9. Gray, C. (1994). The new social story book. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Autism--An Inside/Outside Approach, By D. Williams, 1996. Bristol, PA: Jessica Kingsley.
Comic Strip Conversations, By C. Gray, 1994. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons.
The Effects of Fluorescent and Incandescent Illumination Upon Repetitive Behaviors in Autistic Children
By R. S. Coleman et al., 1976. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 6, 157Â162.
Emergence, Labeled Autistic, By T. Grandin, 1986. Novato, CA: Arena.
Making Sense of Sensory Integration (90-minute audio cassette and companion booklet), By the American Occupational Therapy Association. Bethesda, MD: Author. ($24 for members; $28 for nonmembers. To order, call toll free 877-404-AOTA.)
Play and Preschool Children With Autism, By G. Restall & J. Magill-Evans, 1994. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 48, 113Â119.
Sensory Integration: A Foundation for Development (10-page handbook), By C. B. Royeen, I. Garreton, & B. Slavik, 1990. Bethesda, MD: American Occupational Therapy Association. ($4 for members; $5 for nonmembers. Discounts for units of 10. To order, call toll free 877-404-AOTA.)
Sensory Processing for Parents: From Roots to Wings (28-minute video), By J. Reisman, 1997. Bethesda, MD: American Occupational Therapy Association. ($30 for members; $35 for nonmembers. To order, call toll free 877-404-AOTA.)
Sensory Reinforcement With Autistic Children, By B. A. Bauer, 1997. Behavioral Psychotherapy, 13.
Teach Me Language, Freeman, Sabrina, Dake, & Lorelei, S., 1996. Langley, Canada: SKF.
Teaching Children With Autism: Strategies to Enhance Communication and Socialization By K. A. Quill, 1995. New York: Delmar.
Teaming and The Use of Sensory Integration Strategies in Early InterventionJ. Mora & N. Kashman, 1997. The Morning News.
Visual Strategies for Improving Communication, By L. A. Hodgdon, 1994. Troy, MI: Quirk Roberts.
Nancy Kashman, LOTR, is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. She has been a pediatric occupational therapist for 17 years, working in a variety of home and school settings. She has conducted seminars and presentations both in El Salvador and nationally on early intervention, autism, and related sensory processing disorders in children and adults, teaming, and the use of sensory integration techniques in the home and classroom to facilitate skill development. She can be contacted at Sensory Motor Communication, Inc., PO Box 640893, Kenner, LA 70064; 480-575-6693; janetnancy@aol.com
Janet Mora, MA, CCC-SLP, is a graduate of Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. In addition to her private practice, she is the director of The Chartwell Center, a school for children with sensory integration difficulties. She has conducted seminars and presentations both in El Salvador and nationally on early intervention, autism, and related sensory processing disorders in children and adults, teaming, and using sensory integration techniques to facilitate the development of communication. She can be contacted at Sensory Motor Communication, Inc., PO Box 640893, Kenner, LA 70064; 504-466-3133; janetnancy@aol.com
Tammy Glaser, MS, OR, left a career in the Navy in 1995 to homeschool her two children, Pamela and David. She lives with her husband and children in Colorado, spending her leisure time writing and networking with other families homeschooling children with autism. She can be reached at aut-2b-home-request@maelstrom.stjohns.edu.
