Video modeling for social and life skills
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
Video modeling teaches a skill by showing the student a short video of someone doing it correctly, then giving the student a chance to try right away. Break the skill into steps, pick a type (peer model, self-model, point-of-view or step-by-step prompting), film a 30-second to 2-minute clip, show it before practice and score each step on a task analysis.
Many autistic students learn well from watching, especially when the model is calm, the steps are clear and the video can be replayed. Video modeling uses that strength. A short clip shows exactly what to do, without the extra talk and social pressure of a live demonstration, and the same clip can be watched at school and home.
This guide covers both social skills, such as joining a conversation, and life skills, such as making a snack. The student in the worked example is fictional. For the full range of autism goals, start with IEP goals for autism.
Types of video modeling
| Type | What the video shows | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Basic video modeling | A peer or adult doing the whole skill | Social skills, play, routines |
| Video self-modeling | The student doing the skill well, edited to remove errors and prompts | Students who attend to themselves; confidence |
| Point-of-view modeling | The scene from the student's eyes, as if they were doing it | Life skills with hands, such as cooking or packing |
| Video prompting | One step at a time; student does each step after seeing it | Long routines, multi-step life skills |
Video prompting works well for long chains, because the student sees one step and does it before watching the next. Whole-skill modeling works well for short social exchanges.
What you need before you start
- A skill tied to a goal, small enough to film in under 2 minutes, or broken into steps for video prompting.
- A task analysis listing each step. The task analysis measurement page explains how to write one.
- A device (phone or tablet) and a quiet place to film.
- Written parent permission to film, and a plan for storing video under district rules. Videos that are directly related to a student and kept by the school can be education records under FERPA.[4]
Step-by-step: using video modeling
Step 1: Pick the skill and break it into steps
Choose a skill the student needs and cannot yet do, but has the basic abilities for. Write the steps in order, as actions you can see.
Example: "Making microwave popcorn" becomes 10 steps: get the bag, remove the plastic, place it flat in the microwave, close the door, press "popcorn," wait, open the door when it beeps, use a hot pad to remove the bag, open it away from the face, pour it into a bowl.
Step 2: Choose the type and the model
For a 10-step life skill, point-of-view video prompting is usually the best fit. For a social exchange, a peer model the student likes often works better than an adult. For video self-modeling, you will film the student with support and edit the support out.
Example: for greeting peers at lunch, film two classmates the student knows doing the greeting and sitting down together.
Step 3: Write a short script
Write what the model does and says, step by step. Keep spoken words short. Add a simple narration if the student benefits ("Now press popcorn"), or leave it silent with on-screen text for readers.
Example: "Step 4: Close the door." The model closes the microwave door. On-screen text: "Close the door."
Step 4: Film short, clear clips
Film in the real setting with the real materials. Keep the background calm and the camera steady. Each video prompting clip should be 5 to 20 seconds; a whole-skill model should be under 2 minutes. Edit out mistakes.
Example: 10 clips of 8 to 15 seconds each, filmed at the classroom microwave from just behind the model's shoulder.
Step 5: Show the video, then practice right away
Show the clip immediately before the student tries the skill, ideally in the same place. For video prompting, show one step, let the student do it, then show the next. If the student makes an error, replay the clip for that step before giving any other prompt.
Example: the student watches clip 1, gets the bag, then taps to play clip 2.
Step 6: Fade the video
As the student masters steps, combine clips into larger chunks, then show the video only before the activity rather than during it, then stop showing it. Keep the video available on a device as a back-up, the way adults use how-to videos.
Worked example: Jordan learns to make a snack
Jordan is a fictional 15-year-old autistic student working on independent living goals. His goal: "Using video prompting on a tablet, Jordan will complete all 10 steps of making microwave popcorn independently in 4 of 5 opportunities, then complete the task with the video shown only beforehand."
Baseline across 3 opportunities: Jordan completed 3 of 10 steps independently (getting the bag, pouring and getting a bowl). He needed physical help to open the plastic and to use the hot pad.
| Week | Sessions | Steps independent (of 10), median | Video use | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline | 3 | 3 | None | Adult prompts throughout |
| 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 clips, one per step | Errors on steps 2 and 8 |
| 2 | 3 | 8 | 10 clips | Replayed clip 8 twice |
| 3 | 3 | 10 | Combined into 3 clips | First fully independent session |
| 4 | 3 | 10 | Whole video before task only | Met criterion |
| 6 (probe) | 1 | 10 | No video | Maintained |
His teacher then filmed a second set for making a sandwich, and Jordan learned it in 2 weeks. These numbers are illustrations, not benchmarks.
Common mistakes
- Weak: A 6-minute video covering a whole morning routine. Better: Short clips, one skill or one step at a time.
- Weak: Filming in a different kitchen with different materials. Better: The real setting and the real materials.
- Weak: Showing the video, then practicing an hour later. Better: Practice right after the video.
- Weak: An adult model reading lines stiffly. Better: A calm peer or a point-of-view shot.
- Weak: Adding spoken prompts on top of the video from the start. Better: Replay the clip first; add other prompts only if needed.
- Weak: Filming without permission or keeping clips on a personal phone. Better: Written consent and district-approved storage.
How to measure video modeling
Score each step of the task analysis as independent, prompted or not done, every session. The task analysis data sheet has a row per step. Graph the number of steps completed independently. For social skills taught with video, count the target behavior in the real setting, such as greetings at lunch, using frequency recording. The AFIRM module on task analysis walks through building and scoring step lists.[2]
If progress stalls on the same step, refilm that clip more clearly or split it into two steps. AFIRM's prompting module describes how to add and fade other prompts if the video alone is not enough.[3]
Tools and related guides
- How to write a social story pairs well with video for social situations.
- Social skills IEP goals for autism give goal wording for peer skills.
- The daily living goals, independent living goals and peer interaction goals have templates. Check new goals in the goal checker.
Video modeling is among the evidence-based practices identified for autistic children and youth in a large review of intervention research.[1] AFIRM's video modeling module walks through planning, using and monitoring it.[5]
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between video modeling and video prompting?
Video modeling shows the whole skill in one clip before the student tries it. Video prompting shows one step at a time, and the student does each step after watching it. Video prompting usually works better for long routines with many steps.
Who should be the model in the video?
It depends on the student. Peers the student likes often work well for social skills. Point-of-view shots work well for hands-on life skills. Video self-modeling uses the student, with errors and prompts edited out, and can build confidence.
Do I need parent permission to film for video modeling?
Get written permission before filming any student, including peers who appear in the video. Store videos according to district rules. Videos directly related to a student and kept by the school can be education records under FERPA.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Peer interaction goals (social emotional)
- Social skills goal hub
- Daily living goals (functional skills)
- Independent living goals (transition)
- Task analysis data sheet
- IEP goal checker
Related guides
- IEP goals for autism: examples by area and age
- Social skills IEP goals for autistic students
- Social stories: how to write one that supports a goal
- IEP goals for autistic preschoolers
- Task analysis examples for life skills goals
Sources
- Evidence-Based Practices for Children, Youth, and Young Adults with Autism (2020), National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice, UNC Chapel Hill
- Task Analysis (AFIRM Module), AFIRM, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, UNC Chapel Hill
- Prompting (AFIRM Module), AFIRM, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, UNC Chapel Hill
- FERPA, Protecting Student Privacy, U.S. Department of Education
- Video Modeling (AFIRM Module), AFIRM, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, UNC Chapel Hill
Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.