Supporting Autistic Adults’ Social Skill Development Using Video Modeling in a Community-Based Program

Abstract

Autistic individuals have significant social-communication challenges that commonly persist into adulthood and impact academic, social, and vocational pursuits. More than two decades of research have established video behavior modeling as a successful, cost-effective, and time-efficient intervention tool for autistic children; however, less research has investigated the use of video modeling with autistic adults, and only a handful of studies have assessed its effects in non-vocational community-based settings. This study examines the effects of video modeling on social-communication skills of autistic adults in a U.S. community-based fitness group using a multiple-baseline single-case design with replication across participants. Additional data on visual attention, generalization, and social validity were captured. Results show variable effects across participants and provide valuable information to guide individuals in choosing effective and practical evidence-based practices to support the social-communication success of autistic adults.