Video Modelling and Autism Ranking:

Current Research

We have identified more than 70* studies of video modelling as an intervention for autistic people which were published in English-language, peer-reviewed journals and which included three or more participants. 

These studies included more than 350 individuals aged from pre-school children through to adults, although the majority of studies looked at younger children.

Some of the studies used an adult model (teacher or parent), some used a peer of the same age (sibling or classmate), while some of the studies used the participants as their own models.

Some of the studies looked at video modelling as a standalone intervention. Some of the studies looked at video modelling combined with other interventions (such as social stories or a combination of other behavioural techniques).

Some of the studies compared different forms of video modelling (such as video self-modelling) with each other. Some of the studies compared video modelling with other forms of modelling (such as live modelling) or with other types of intervention (such as pivotal response training or reciprocal imitation training).

The studies were conducted in a variety of locations including schools, clinics and family homes.

The vast majority of these studies (more than 70) reported positive benefits from video modelling while a minority of studies (more than 10) reported no benefits or very limited benefits. For example

• Some of the studies (such as Charlop-Christy and Milstein, 1989; Sherer et al, 2001; Tetreault et al, 2010) reported increased conversational skills in some autistic children.
• Some of the studies (such as Nikopoulos and Keenan, 2004; Nikopoulos and Keenan, 2007; Plavnick et al, 2015) reported improved social interaction in some autistic children.
• Some of the studies (such as Akmanoglu, 2015; Axe and Evans, 2012; Judah and Evans, 2012) reported improved facial recognition in some autistic children.
• Some of the studies (such as Kim, 2016; Nikopoulos, 2007; and Ozen et al, 2012) reported increased play skills in some autistic children.
• Some of the studies (such as Ayres et al, 2009; Meister et al, 2015; Shipley-Benamou et al, 2002) reported improvements in daily living skills in some autistic children.
• Some of the studies (such as Cihak et al, 2008; Kellems and Morningstar, Epub; Van Laarhoven et al, 2012) reported improved vocational skills in some autistic adults.

* Please note: Because there are so many studies on this topic we have not included those studies with fewer than three participants in this section. However, you can find details of some of those studies, and other publications on video modelling, in our publications database.

Updated

17 Jun 2022

Last Review

01 Sep 2017

Next Review

01 Dec 2023