A popular technology-based intervention is video-based instruction (VBI). VBI is known to be effective in teaching various skills to individuals with intellectual disability. Although many researchers have taught this population various skills using video modeling and/or prompting, none have conducted a literature review for this population. The purpose of this review was to analyze different types of VBI (i.e., video modeling, video prompting) used in intervention research, the skills taught using these methods, and their effectiveness. The findings demonstrate both video modeling and video prompting were used to similar extents, daily/living skills were taught more often, and many studies combined video modeling or video prompting interventions with additional strategies (e.g., error correction, constant time delay).

Preschool aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have marked deficits in pretend play that impede interactions with typically developing peers in inclusive early childhood settings. This study aimed to teach three young children with ASD to engage in pretend play behaviors with their peers. A multiple probe across participants experimental design was used to evaluate the effects of joint video modeling on scripted and unscripted verbalizations and scripted and unscripted play actions of children with ASD. The participants showed improvement on unscripted verbalizations during pretend play with typically developing peers in an inclusive early childhood setting.

Video modeling is an effective teaching method for supporting individuals with disabilities to learn various skills. Yet, limited research explores the use of video modeling to teach social skills for employment. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of video modeling, alone and in conjunction with the system of least prompts, to teach three young adults with intellectual disability to perform three social skills: offering assistance, responding appropriately to feedback, and asking clarification for unclear instruction. A multiple probe design across behaviors was used to evaluate participants’ accuracy in verbally responding to the scenario. All participants demonstrated an improvement in acquisition of targeted skills from baseline to intervention, yet all struggled with the response generalization.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are often delayed in acquiring social initiation skills utilized during common early childhood activities. A multiple probe design was utilized to assess the efficacy of a shared book reading intervention to increase the independent commenting of three young children with ASD. The intervention resulted in participant’s acquisition of social commenting in the form of independent pointing and verbal commenting to gain social attention from an adult. The results suggest that young children with ASD can independently initiate social interactions during shared book reading when these behaviors are systematically taught and reinforced. Implications for practice and directions for future research aimed toward generalization and improving the implementation of shared book reading interventions are discussed.

Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) have a strong and growing evidence base. Yet, NDBIs are not implemented on a wide scale within early intervention programs for children on the autism spectrum. Potential reasons for the slow adoption of NDBIs likely stem from the differing theoretical orientations of behavioral and developmental sciences from which NDBI are derived, and a lack of training, knowledge, and support for implementing NDBIs within the behavior analytic community. In support of efforts to promote wide-scale implementation of NDBIs, we clarify their common features, discuss possible misconceptions, offer reasons why NDBIs should be widely implemented, and provide recommendations to the autism service community, intervention developers, and researchers to improve their dissemination and implementation. Lay Abstract Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) are a group of early interventions that use a variety of strategies from applied behavioral and developmental sciences. Although Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions have been demonstrated effective, Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions are not implemented on a wide scale within early intervention programs for children on the autism spectrum. Potential reasons likely stem from differing theoretical orientations of developmental and behavioral sciences and practitioners’ lack training, knowledge, and support for implementing Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions. In support of efforts to promote wide-scale implementation of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions, we (1) clarify their common features, (2) discuss possible misconceptions, and (3) offer reasons why Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions should be widely implemented. We also provide recommendations to the autism service community, intervention developers, and researchers.