Video Modeling Interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorders
Summary
Video modelling interventions harness observational learning by presenting individuals with recorded examples of target behaviours, aiming to improve social communication, adaptive skills and safety awareness among people on the autism spectrum. Variants include video self-modelling, where the learner’s own successful performance is shown; peer video modelling, featuring a peer demonstrating the behaviour; video prompting, which breaks tasks into discrete segments; and video feedback, in which participants review their own performance to refine skills. Evidence spans single-subject designs, randomised trials and systematic mappings, demonstrating gains in social engagement, daily living skills, inclusion and vocational competencies. Interventions have been delivered via tabletop displays, tablets, robots and games, underscoring versatile delivery modes. Studies report successful generalisation of learned behaviours across settings and communication partners, and maintenance of gains over weeks to months. The global uptake of video modelling reflects affordability, adaptability and the capacity to individualise content, rendering it a pivotal tool for practitioners, educators and families seeking evidence-based supports for autism spectrum disorders.
Research from Nature Portfolio
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Video Modeling Interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorders publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in video modeling interventions for autism spectrum disorders across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Video modelling: A teaching method using recorded demonstrations of desired behaviours for observational learning.
Video self-modelling: A variant in which individuals view edited footage of their own successful performance to promote skill acquisition.
Video prompting: An approach that segments complex tasks into discrete video clips, each modelling a single step to guide learners through multi-step activities.
Generalisation: The transfer of learned skills to new settings, people or contexts beyond the original training environment.
Social validity: An assessment of the acceptability and perceived significance of an intervention by participants, caregivers and practitioners.
References
- Video‐based interventions promoting social behavioural skills for autistic children and young people: An evidence and gap map. Campbell Systematic Reviews (2024).
- Effectiveness of video modeling in teaching earthquake and postearthquake evacuation safety skills for children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (2024).
- Effectiveness of Video Self-Modeling in Teaching Unplugged Coding Skills to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Behavioral Sciences (2025).
- Exploring the Effect of Robot-Based Video Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder as an Alternative to Remote Education. Electronics (2021).
- Can Social Communication Skills for Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder Rehearsed Inside the Video Game Environment of Minecraft Generalize to the Real World?. JMIR Serious Games (2020).
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