Comparison of two video prompting interventions to teach daily living skills to adolescents with autism

Wertalik and team compared two video-based ways to teach daily living skills to autistic teens. One group watched short clips that showed each step. The other group watched the same clips, then practiced the steps fast until they hit a speed goal.

The teens were in high school. The study used an alternating-treatments design. Each teen tried both video styles on different days.

Both video styles beat doing nothing. Teens learned the skills faster with either video than with no help.

Adding speed practice helped two of three teens keep the skill longer. The third teen did fine with clips alone. Results were mixed across kids.

Aljehany et al. (2020) ran a similar test. They also saw mixed results when they compared video prompting to hand-over-hand help. Both studies show the same lesson: check each teen, not just the group average.

McLucas et al. (2024) added feedback to video modeling for workplace social skills. Like Wertalik, they found big first gains but spotty carry-over. The pattern hints that an extra part (speed or feedback) boosts early learning, yet you still need plans for real-world use.

Bradford et al. (2018) moved video prompting into inclusive grade-school classes. Their academic task results were all positive, while Wertalik’s daily-living results were mixed. The gap is likely age and task, not the video itself.

If you teach life skills to autistic adolescents, start with simple video prompts. Then add timed practice if the teen enjoys speed goals. Watch retention probes each week. Drop the speed part for kids who stall or shut down. Track individual graphs, not just the class mean.