Video Self-Modeling to Facilitate Visual Symbol Learning in Preschoolers with Developmental Delays

There is a growing trend toward the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in addressing the communicative deficits of preschool children. Of particular interest is the use of pictures to teach children to request desired items. However, discrimination among pictures can be a challenge for children with developmental disabilities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of video self-modeling to teach young children with developmental delays to request by choosing a picture related to a desired item or activity specific to different play contexts. Four children participated in a multiple baseline design across participants to evaluate an intervention that taught picture discrimination through video self-modeling. Child measures focused on the frequency of accurate requests using pictures, gestures, and/or spoken words. Three of the four children learned to give following the initiation of video self-modeling. One of the four children learned to make accurate requests using video self-modeling. The other three children required a branch step, direct teaching, to learn to discriminate among the pictures. The videos appeared to provide adequate contextual cues for learning to request but not necessarily for discrimination.