Empowering Young Adults With Significant Disabilities to Learn New Employment Skills Through Self-Directed Video-Based Instruction

Abstract

Video-based instruction (VBI) is an effective means to teach employment skills to young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Within the category of VBI, video prompting (VP) is well-suited to teach multistep routines, and video modeling (VM) is better suited for social interactions. In this multiple probe design, three young adults with IDD in the U.S. Midwest were taught to make badges with self-directed VP with error correction, and to request help for missing materials with VM. Functional relations were demonstrated between VP and progress on the badge-making skill, and VM and progress on requesting help. These findings demonstrate the utility of combining VP and VM to address both multistep routines and social skills in the workplace. We offer practical implications for how teachers and job coaches can leverage VBI to teach different kinds of employment skills to people with IDD.