Video modeling is a powerful evidence-based tool that can help children learn to talk.
I had a client who I'm going to show you this week.
His name is Kurt and he went from having 10 words in two hours to having a hundred words
in two hours using this powerful video modeling tool.
Hi, I'm Dr. Mary Barbera, autism mom, Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and bestselling
author.
Each week I provide you with some of my ideas about turning the signs of autism or autism
diagnosis around, so if you haven't subscribed to my YouTube channel you can do that now.
Today I'm going to show you some actual videos of a little client that I had years ago named
Kurt, who was not making much progress in terms of talking and using video modeling
really was the key to his success.
I'd like to tell you about another former client named Kurt who I started working with
when he was a little over two.
Kurt was having self injurious behavior and aggression many times a day.
While Kurt didn't talk regularly, he would have a few words pop out here and there.
After I worked with him for about four months, pairing up the table and working on activities
like potato head, Kurt would say about 10 words during my two hour consultation.
We graphed these words and we literally had a graph with a flat line of 10 words per session
week after week.
Some of Kurt's words, actually most of Kurt's words I heard were body parts, eyes, ears,
nose and mouth.
Probably because of all the work we did with potato head and other activities like that.
To try to increase Kurt's use of words, I had an idea to use video modeling, which is
a proven ABA strategy.
Since it was holiday time and I wouldn't be back for two or three weeks, I made two short
videos for Kurt.
One video was me singing head, shoulders, knees and toes and the other video was this
one.
Eyes, nose, mouth, ear, hat, glasses, hi!
And I asked Kurt's mom to put the videos on Kurt's iPad if she had time.
I forgot about the videos and when I made them I wasn't even sure if Kurt's mom was
going to put them on the iPad or not.
She was busy with two children who were both on the spectrum at the time.
Making these goofy videos though actually worked out really well because when I went
back after two or three weeks away and I walked into the house, I said hi to Kurt just as
I normally would do, but this time Kurt responded by saying, hi, eyes, nose, mouth, teeth, glasses.
Hi.
I looked at mom and I couldn't believe it and it was, I was just shaking my head and
said, Oh my goodness, I forgot about those videos.
Obviously he had watched the videos because he recited it in the exact same order that
I made it.
She said, yes.
He watched the videos and that day instead of getting 10 words in two hours, I heard
100 words in that two hour consultation.
Kurt went on to make loads of progress and we use video modeling for some of his other
programs after that and he just took off.
Kurt is now in early elementary school without support.
He's fully conversational and doing really well.
Here's Kurt singing, head, shoulders, knees and toes a few weeks after the language breakthrough.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes, two eyes, two ears, a mouth and nose.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.
Yaay!
Kurt was proud of himself.
I find that the use of video modeling is so helpful for kids like Kurt, especially if
you can make a video models with songs, which is great.
So you may want to take out your camera today and make it your own video model and show
it to your child or client with autism.
I hope you enjoyed that video modeling lesson and those video examples.
If you loved what you saw, leave me a comment, give me a thumbs up and share this video with
someone who might benefit.
And if you would like more information about how you can start turning the signs of autism
around or autism around, please feel free to attend a free online workshop at marybarbera.com/workshop
and I'll see you right here next week.