Association for Behavior Analysis International

Individuals with disabilities frequently use visual supports as a method of improving skill acquisition. The types of visual supports may be simple, such as pictures or photographs, or high tech, such as the presentation of videos to learners on portable devices. The studies in this symposium expand the current research base on the application of visually based instruction on the improvement of recreation/leisure, fitness, and functional life skills of adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities. The first study examined the use of a picture schedule to teach three adults with intellectual disability to use iPads in the context of playing the game Angry Birds. The second study utilized a video modeling approach on iPod Touches to teach three high school students with autism and intellectual disability to independently complete a workout routine in a community setting. The third study compared the efficiency and effectiveness of video prompting with iPod Touches across three types of skills: multi-component skills (single-step behaviors that are repeated during a session), multi-step tasks (a behavior that consists of multiple steps), and sequential tasks (a series of multi-step tasks that make up a larger task). Data from all three studies indicate that visually based instruction led to improvement in target behaviors. Implications for practice and directions for future research will be discussed.

Individuals with developmental disabilities have limited opportunities to participate in leisure activities, frequently due to lack of skills. The purpose of the current study was to teach three adults diagnosed with intellectual disability to use an iPad in the context of playing the video game Angry Birds. The steps of the task included opening the cover of the iPad, unlocking the device, opening Angry Birds, playing the game, and putting the iPad away. Instruction took place during breaks in a private room at a sheltered workshop where the participants were employed. During intervention, participants had access to a picture-based activity schedule to aid in completion of the task. In some cases, extra prompts were provided to increase participants' attention to the activity schedule. All three participants showed improvement in the target skill with intervention and gains were maintained during post-intervention follow-up.

A multiple-baseline across subjects design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of a video-modeling intervention delivered on an iPod Touch to teach three high school students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability to compete a workout routine at the local community fitness center. The video modeling intervention resulted in an increase in the number of steps completed independently by each participant. In addition, each participant showed an increase in the correct use of form associated with specific exercises.

In this study, three students with intellectual and developmental disabilities were taught basic vocational and daily living skills using video prompting. Three different types of tasks were targeted. The multi-component task was defined as a single task completed repetitively. For example, folding a basket of towels or stacking up chairs from around a table would be multi-component tasks. The multi-component task selected for this study was folding long-sleeve t-shirts. A multi-step task was defined as completing a single task made up of many steps. For example, washing dishes, cleaning a table, or washing windows would all be multi-step tasks. The multi-step task selected for this study was making lemonade. Finally, a sequential task was defined as completing a group of tasks that make up a larger task. For example, putting away the groceries would be a sequential task. The sequential task selected for this study was loading dishes. Using a multiple probe across participants for each task, we examined the effectiveness and efficiency of video prompting in skill acquisition across these tasks. Implications for practice and directions for future research will be discussed.