Using Technology to Enhance

Treatment and Increase

Independence

Kaneen Geiger, Ph.D., BCBA-D

• Technology is advancing quickly and

becoming more easily accessible and more

affordable

• Technology can enhance treatment

• Not a good substitute for a live expert

• Many variables to consider before choosing

the right type of technology

• This presentation will focus on:

• Video modeling

• Smart phone/tablet apps

Technology

What is Video Modeling?

What is Video Modeling? Communication Skills

• Initiations

• Conservational interactions

Social Skills

• Giving & receiving compliments

• Taking perspectives of others

Play Skills

• Imaginative play

• Play-related statements

Daily Living Skills

• Purchasing items

• Self-care skills

Vocational Skills

• Advertising as a retail mascot

• Requesting help to complete vocational tasks

• Sit quietly and pay attention to an instructor

• Imitation skills

• Match 2D pictures to 3D objects

• Delayed imitation & delayed matching

Who will Benefit from Video Modeling?

Who will NOT Benefit from Video

Modeling?

• Multiple presentations of the same skill

• Consistent, accurate demonstration of the skill

• Minimize practical limitations

Why Use Video Modeling?

• You have multiple children who may benefit

• You need to enhance certain features of a model

• You need to increase learning opportunities

• You have access to technology

When is it Best to Use Video Modeling?

» Clearly demonstrate the target behavior

» Clearly show the steps without skipping or speeding

through

» Eliminate distracting stimuli

» Show the behavior occurring in the right context

» Only show the target behavior or non-examples of the

target behavior

» Show multiple examples of the behavior

Features of a Good Video Model

• Free Video Models

• Purchase Video Models

• Create Video Models

Options for Finding Good Video

Models

• Pros:

No cost

Don’t have to film the videos

• Cons:

May find videos that are not appropriate

May take a long time to find the right videos

The right model for the child may not exist

May need access to the Internet

Free Video Models

• Pros:

Saves time

Created for people with developmental disabilities

Includes a large library

• Cons:

Expensive

Compatibility problems with the video player

The right model for the child may not exist

Purchasing Video Models

• Pros:

The video can be customized for a specific target behavior

The child or a familiar person can act as the model

The target behavior can be filmed in the exact context or environment

• Cons:

Money to purchase equipment and software

Time to video tape and edit the videos

Technical experience to edit the videos

May require more than one person to film

Creating Your Own Video Models

• Smart phones

• iPad/tablet

• Computers

• Portable DVD

players

• TVs

What Will You Use to Show the Video?

• Display size

• Audio volume

• Sturdiness & durability of the video player

• Protection from task materials

• Distraction by other purposes of the device

• Video file format compatibility

• Person controlling the video player

• Video presentation during the behavior

Planning to Show the Video

Things to Consider

• Portable devices

Plenty of battery life or a power source

• Internet access

• Minimize environmental distractions

Things to Consider

• Multiple times per day or week

• Multiple times before asking the person to imitate

• Immediately before the behavior

• During the behavior

When and How Many Times Will

the Video be Shown?

• Less wait time is better

• Watch the video while doing the skill

How much time will pass between

watching and doing?

• Provide error-correction prompts

• Re-present the video and provide prompts

• Pause the video and back-up one step

What will you do if your child makes an

error?

• Choose the reward/reinforcers

• Determine how you will deliver the reinforcer

• Determine how often the reinforcer will be

delivered

How will you reward correct

performance?

• Useful tool for teaching new skills for kids

who have prerequisite skills

• Multiple options for accessing or creating

video models

Video Modeling - summary

21

Smart Phones & Tablets

22

• Many children enjoy it

• Portability

• Hundreds of apps

• Easy to access

• Free or low cost options

• Autism Speaks – list of autism friendly apps

• http://www.autismspeaks.org/autism-apps

Why use smart phones & tablets?

• Cost

• Battery life or access to power source

• Durability

• Most models are not shock proof or water

proof

Things to Consider

What skills can be taught with apps

Communication Skills

• Receptive language

• AAC applications

Social Skills

• Social rules and situations

Self-management

• Schedules, reminders, routines

• Functional skills

Academic Skills

• Math

• Reading

• Do you need to teach your child how to use

or navigate the device?

• Are there distracting features to the device?

• Do you want your child to only use the skill

with the app?

Things to consider

Slide 2 Unlock by RJ Cooper & Associates, Inc.

Dexteria – Fine Motor Skill Development by Binary Labs Inc.

Color Dots & Dot Collector by Ellie’s Games LLC

Fruit Ninja HD by Halfbrick Studios

Information from Gloria Rodriguez-Gil and Cristi Mercedes Saylor of Curlew Apps.

http://curlewapps.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/teaching-children-to-use-an-ipad-part-one-

gestures/ July, 2013

Teaching iPad use

• Application Restrictions

• Limits access to specific applications or

functions

• Guided Access

• Temporarily restricts to one app and disables

some buttons (e.g., “home” button)

• Search online for instructions specific to your operating device

Application Restrictions

• Not all apps are made for kids with autism

• Apps are designed to be colorful & engaging

• Songs & Sound effects

• Animations

• Make sure your child can do the skill without

the smart phone or tablet

• Test the skill using traditional in-person

methods

Making sure your child can do the

skill outside of the app

Troubleshooting

• Does your child:

• Seem unmotivated to do the skill live? • May need additional reinforcers/rewards

• Seem confused when you provide the instructions for the live task? • May need to provide additional live training

• Make consistent errors on skills he mastered in the app? • May need to provide additional training live or in other apps

• Make sure your child is taught using multiple examples of a skill

Uh Oh! He can’t do it without the app!

• Many apps for communication devices

• Alternative to Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

• Benefits

• Easy to add or remove icons

• More compact & socially acceptable than other AAC devices

• Considerations

• Need to have unrestricted access to device at all times

• If the device is the only favorite item, it can be hard to teach initial communication

• Consult experts! Behavior Analysts or Speech Pathologists

Using Apps for AAC devices

• Easily accessible but costly

• Need to protect device

• May need to teach prerequisites

• May need to continue to work on skill

outside of the app

Smart Phone/Tablet Apps - summary

• Technology can enhance treatment or

provide the sole source of treatment

• Not a substitute for a live expert

• Many variables to consider when thinking

about using technology with your child

• Most important thing to consider: Does this

provide a significant improvement over low

tech equivalent?

Technology

Thank you!

If you have questions, please contact Dr. Kaneen Geiger at

kgeiger@tbh.com or (720) 470-0578