Assessing Video Enhanced Activity Schedules to Teach Social Skills to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Social communication deficits are one of the two core characteristics demonstrated by individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and require explicit instruction as soon as the deficit is discovered. The present investigation examined the use of video-enhanced activity schedules using tablet technology for teaching social interaction to children with ASD. A multiple probe across participants design was used to teach four preschool aged participants with ASD to show something they had accomplished to peers, and to demonstrate specific social conventions when doing so. An adapted alternating treatment design was also used to compare the differential effects of video enhanced activity schedules to electronic schedules without video. Two participants acquired social skills faster in the video enhanced activity schedule condition, and the other two participants learned at a comparable rate across interventions.