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MacDonald Et Al 2013 Video Modeling Playing

The study examined using video modeling with substitutable loops to teach varied pretend play to children with autism. Three children were shown videos modeling scripted play with three characters and substitutable loops allowing different characters to perform the same actions. Following video modeling, the children incorporated untrained characters into their play to varying degrees, demonstrating this technique can promote generalization of pretend play skills.
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
145 views7 pages

MacDonald Et Al 2013 Video Modeling Playing

The study examined using video modeling with substitutable loops to teach varied pretend play to children with autism. Three children were shown videos modeling scripted play with three characters and substitutable loops allowing different characters to perform the same actions. Following video modeling, the children incorporated untrained characters into their play to varying degrees, demonstrating this technique can promote generalization of pretend play skills.
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JOURNAL OF APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS 2013, 46, 662–668 NUMBER 3 (FALL 2013)

USING VIDEO MODELING WITH SUBSTITUTABLE LOOPS TO


TEACH VARIED PLAY TO CHILDREN WITH AUTISM
SALLY DUPERE, REBECCA P. F. MACDONALD, AND WILLIAM H. AHEARN
THE NEW ENGLAND CENTER FOR CHILDREN

Children with autism often engage in repetitive play with little variation in the actions performed
or items used. This study examined the use of video modeling with scripted substitutable loops on
children’s pretend play with trained and untrained characters. Three young children with autism
were shown a video model of scripted toy play that included a substitutable loop that allowed
various characters to perform the same actions and vocalizations. Three characters were modeled
with the substitutable loop during training sessions, and 3 additional characters were present in the
video but never modeled. Following video modeling, all the participants incorporated untrained
characters into their play, but the extent to which they did so varied.
Key words: autism, play, video modeling, generalization

Play is a pivotal part of a child’s social and playing with a train set, the conductor character
language development. However, children with might say, “Hi boy! Want a ride?” The boy
autism frequently demonstrate deficits in symbol- character might respond “Sure!,” buy a ticket,
ic and pretend play (Lifter, 2000). For these board and ride the train, and then arrive at his
children, teaching appropriate play skills is an house. This loop could then be substituted with
important part of behavioral intervention. One characters other than the boy (e.g., dad,
strategy that has been used to teach play skills is grandpa). Substitutable loops are consistent
video modeling, which provides children with with the approach known as multiple-exemplar
exemplars of specific play skills and provides a training (Stokes & Baer, 1977), whereby a
script for appropriate play. This strategy has number of play exemplars are trained to promote
proven to be effective in teaching children with generalization to different play stimuli. The
autism complex thematic play sequences (D’A- purpose of this investigation was to assess the
teno, Mangiapanello, & Taylor, 2003; MacDon- effects of video models with substitutable loops
ald, Clark, Garrigan, & Vangala, 2005) and on scripted pretend play with trained and
pretend play skills (MacDonald, Sacramone, untrained characters.
Mansfield, Wiltz, & Ahearn, 2009). However,
one limitation of video modeling is that play may METHOD
be limited to the actions and items displayed in the
Participants and Setting
videos.
One potential strategy for promoting varia- Three children with autism participated in the
tions in play is to embed a substitutable loop study. Marcy and Jack were 6 years old, and
within the modeled script (Roberts, MacDonald, Brian was 5 years old. At the start of the study,
& Ahearn, 2007). A substitutable loop is an the children had received 6 to 36 months of early
element in the play script that can be used with intensive behavior intervention that included the
different characters. For example, in a script for use of video modeling to teach social skills.
However, none of the children had seen the
videos used in the current investigation. A
Address correspondence to Rebecca MacDonald at
[email protected]. teacher conducted video modeling training
doi: 10.1002/jaba.68 sessions in a small testing room. A different

662
TEACHING VARIED PLAY USING VIDEO MODELING 663

teacher conducted generalization probes in the Response Measurement and Interobserver


participants’ classroom. Agreement
All sessions were videotaped and scored for the
Materials occurrence of scripted vocalizations and actions,
Play sets. Three play sets were used to teach as well as the use of the substitutable loop with
the play scripts, including a Fisher-Price Little trained and untrained characters. A scripted
People Noah’s Ark, Lionel train set, and Fisher- vocalization was scored when the child’s vocal
Price Little People Animal Sounds Zoo. Each statement matched a statement modeled in the
play set had a base structure (boat, train station, video. Statements that were similar (but not
or zoo) and seven characters: one that was central identical) to the modeled response also were
to all of the play scripts, plus three that were scored (e.g., saying “Here I am” when the script
trained and three that were untrained. Some sets said, “I’m here”). Repetitions of the same
had additional pieces (e.g., a flag and food on the statement with the same character were not
boat), but these were not part of the script for the scored. A scripted action was scored if the
substitutable loop. participant’s motor responses matched the ac-
Videos. For each play set, an adult was video- tions of the video model. Partial actions (i.e., the
taped acting out the sequence of pretend play from child completed only part of the action sequence)
the child’s point of view (Hine & Wolery, 2006), and repetitions of the same action with the same
with close-ups of key play skills. The adult character were not scored. We counted the
modeled various play actions and vocalizations, frequency of scripted actions and vocalizations
but only some of these were included in the for each session.
substitutable loop. The length of the substitutable We measured use of the substitutable loops by
loop varied across play sets due to the nature of the counting the number of times an action or
toys. The boat script consisted of a total of 15 vocalization from the loop was used (as above,
actions and 16 vocalizations, including one action repetitions with the same character were not
and three vocalizations from the substitutable scored). We then calculated the percentage of the
loop, with three trained and three untrained substitutable loop used with three trained and
animal characters. The train script consisted of 15 three untrained characters for all modeled actions
actions and 14 vocalizations, including nine and vocalizations within the loop. The percen-
scripted actions and eight scripted vocalizations tages for trained and untrained characters were
from the substitutable loop, with three trained and calculated by summing the number of actions
three untrained family characters. The zoo script and vocalizations used by the child and dividing
consisted of 15 actions and 16 vocalizations, it by the total number of actions and vocal-
including nine scripted actions and seven scripted izations possible. For example, there were one
vocalizations from the substitutable loop, with action and three vocalizations in the boat loop,
three trained and three untrained animal resulting in a total of 12 possible behaviors for
characters. trained characters and 12 for untrained charac-
The videos were edited to show the scripted ters (i.e., 1 action for 3 characters ¼ 3; 3
play two consecutive times. Each play set had vocalizations for 3 characters ¼ 9; 3 þ 9 ¼ 12).
three videos, each showing a different character Therefore, if the child engaged in the action and
engaging in the vocalizations and actions for the two of the vocalizations with two of the
substitutable loop (i.e., three characters were untrained characters (1  2 ¼ 2 for the action;
modeled for each play set). All characters 2  2 ¼ 4 for the vocalizations), the percentage
associated with the play set were visible in each of the loop for untrained characters would be 6
video. of 12 or 50%.
664 SALLY DUPERE et al.

A second observer scored 33% of all sessions sessions and required up to 10 sessions to acquire
for each play set. Interobserver agreement was the train script. Brian acquired the boat script in
calculated by dividing the total number of 10 sessions and required fewer sessions to master
agreements by the total number of behaviors the train and zoo scripts.
scored for both actions and vocalizations. Mean Figures 1, 2, and 3 display the use of the
interobserver agreement for actions and vocal- substitutable loop with trained and untrained
izations was 97% (range, 81% to 100%) and characters for Marcy, Jack, and Brian, respective-
98% (range, 85% to 100%) for Marcy, 94% ly. During baseline, the children performed very
(range, 75% to 100%) and 94% (range, 82% to few (or none) of the possible behaviors from the
100%) for Jack, and 97% (range, 90% to 100%) loops with trained or untrained characters.
and 96% (range, 78% to 100%) for Brian. Marcy began using untrained characters after
training for the boat and train, but rarely used
Design and Procedure them for the zoo. Continued use of untrained
A multiple-probe design across play sets was characters during follow-up occurred only with
used to assess the effects of the video modeling the boat. Jack showed a pattern similar to Marcy
intervention. The play sets were taught in the across phases and play sets, although he used
same order for each child (boat, train, zoo). fewer untrained characters during training for
Baseline. The materials for each play set, the train. Marcy and Jack showed the greatest
including all characters, were placed on the floor overall increase in use of untrained characters.
before the session. The session began when the Brian rarely incorporated untrained characters
teacher said, “It’s time to play.” No other prompts for any of the sets during training or follow-up.
or reinforcement were provided. After 3 min had For all participants, more characters were used
elapsed, the child was told, “Play is all done.” for the boat and train than for the zoo.
Video modeling. Video modeling sessions This study provides further evidence that video
were identical to baseline, except that the modeling is an effective strategy for teaching
participant watched the video two consecutive children scripted actions and vocalizations appro-
times on a portable DVD player before being priate to pretend play settings. In addition to
told that it was time to play. The order of videos evaluating the effects of video modeling, we also
with different trained characters was randomly sought to determine whether the use of substi-
varied across sessions. Training sessions contin- tutable loops increased the number of untrained
ued until the child performed at least 80% of the characters the children incorporated into their
scripted vocalizations and at least 80% of the pretend play. Although all the children incorpo-
scripted actions for the set. rated more characters during training than in
Posttraining. Posttraining sessions were iden- baseline, the number of untrained characters used
tical to baseline. varied depending on the participant, the play set,
or both. Jack and Marcy used more untrained
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
characters than Brian, but Brian’s variations in
During baseline sessions for all play sets, the characters tended to occur across sessions rather
participants exhibited low levels of both scripted than within them. Therefore, our measurement
actions and scripted vocalizations. After training system likely underestimated the effects of the
was introduced, all of the children mastered the intervention on his character variations.
scripts and maintained scripted actions and It is possible that features of the script might
vocalizations during posttraining sessions, both have accounted for differences in variations
in the training and generalization settings. Marcy across play sets. The substitutable loop for the
and Jack mastered the boat and zoo scripts in five train was longer and more complicated than for
TEACHING VARIED PLAY USING VIDEO MODELING 665

Baseline Training Post- Training


100
90
80 Generalizaon
Trained
70 Characters seng
60
Untrained
50
Characters
40
30
20
10 Boat
0
1
100
Percentage of Substutable Loops Performed

90
80
70
60
Train
50
40
30
20
10
0
1

100
Marcy
90
80
70
60
Zoo

50
40
30
20
10
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37
Session

Figure 1. Percentage of substitutable loops performed for trained and untrained characters across all three play sets for
Marcy.

the boat, which might explain why Marcy and with the zoo script, possibly because the end of
Jack tended to use more characters when playing the zoo script did not necessarily occasion
with the boat. All the children engaged in fewer starting the script again, whereas the boat and
scripted behaviors and character substitutions train scripts did. The train script, for example,
666 SALLY DUPERE et al.

100 Baseline Training Post- training


90
80
70 Trained
60 Untrained Characters Generalizaon
Characters seng
50
40
30
20
10 Boat
0
1
Percentage of Substutable Loops Performed

100
90
80
70
60
50 Train
40
30
20
10
0
1
100
Jack
90
80
70
60 Zoo
50
40
30
20
10
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37
Session

Figure 2. Percentage of substitutable loops performed with trained and untrained characters across all three play sets for
Jack.

ended with one passenger arriving at his house with more characters. It also is possible that the
and began with the train driving back to the order of training affected performance on the zoo
station. The cyclical flow of the train and boat script. We trained all sets in the same order for
scripts might have made it easier for the children each child, which could have resulted in the
to remember the scripts and incorporate them loops becoming less salient over time. Future
TEACHING VARIED PLAY USING VIDEO MODELING 667

100 Baseline Training Post- Training

90
80
70 Trained
Characters Generalizaon
60 Boat
Seng
50
40
30
20
Untrained
10 Characters
0
1
100
Percentage of Substutable Loops Performed

90
80 Train
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1
100
Brian
90
80
70
60
50
Zoo
40
30
20
10
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41
Session

Figure 3. Percentage of substitutable loops performed with trained and untrained characters across all three play sets for
Brian.

researchers should vary the order of play items We also noted that the children differed in the
across participants, as well as attempt to keep the way they used the scripts and the characters.
length and difficulty of the scripts as consistent as Marcy used all characters during most sessions;
possible. however, she simply repeated the script verbatim
668 SALLY DUPERE et al.

until she had used each character at least once. Behavior Interventions, 5, 1–11. doi: 10.1177/
Brian, on the other hand, used fewer untrained 1098300703005 0010801
Hine, J. F., & Wolery, M. (2006). Using point-of-view
characters, but he did not repeat the script video modeling to teach play to preschoolers with
verbatim as he cycled through each character. autism. Topics in Early Childhood Special Educa-
These results were not captured by the current tion, 26(2), 83–93. doi: 10.1177/0271121406026
0020301
measurement system and suggest that measuring Lifter, K. (2000). Linking assessment to intervention for
both qualitative and quantitative features of play children with developmental disabilities or at-risk for
may be beneficial. Our investigation also would developmental delay: The Developmental Play Assess-
have benefitted from measurement of unscripted ment (DPA) Instrument. In K. Gitling-Weiner,
A. Sandgrund, & C. E. Schaefer (Eds.), Play diagnosis
(but toy-relevant) behavior. Although outcomes and assessment (2nd ed., pp. 228–261). New York, NY:
were not consistent across participants or play sets, Wiley.
the results of this preliminary study suggest that MacDonald, R., Clark, M., Garrigan, E., & Vangala, M.
(2005). Increasing play using video modeling. Behavior
the use of video modeling with substitutable Interventions, 20, 225–238.
loops could potentially increase children’s incor- MacDonald, R., Sacramone, S., Mansfield, R., Wiltz, K., &
poration of untrained characters into play. Ahearn, W. H. (2009). Using video modeling to teach
reciprocal pretend play to children with autism. Journal
However, it is difficult to isolate the effects of the of Applied Behavior Analysis, 42, 43–55. doi: 10.1901/
loop, which provided a natural context for extend- jaba.2009.42-43
ing play, from simply modeling multiple exem- Roberts, S., MacDonald, R. P. F., & Ahearn, W. H. (2007).
plars. Follow-up research should compare video A method to teach varied play to children with ASD
using video modeling. Autism and Related Developmen-
models that present multiple exemplars with and tal Disabilities: Special Interest Group Newsletter, 23(2),
without substitutable loops to determine whether 1–2.
the loop is a critical factor in producing generalized Stokes, T. F., & Baer, D. M. (1977). An implicit
technology of generalization. Journal of Applied
pretend play skills across novel characters. Behavior Analysis, 10, 349–367. doi: 10.1901/
jaba.1977.10-349
REFERENCES
D’Ateno, P., Mangiapanello, P., & Taylor, B. A. (2003). Received January 17, 2012
Using video modeling to teach complex play sequences Final acceptance March 29, 2013
to a preschooler with autism. Journal of Positive Action Editor, Jennifer Austin

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