Effects of a School-Based Social Skills Training Program for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability.

Maddox et al. (2015) tested video-based group instruction (VGI) in a public high-school classroom. Four teens with autism and intellectual disability watched short clips of peers using target social skills, then practiced together.

The team used a multiple-baseline design across skills. They measured if the teens learned the skill, kept it after four weeks, and used it with new people and places.

Three of the four students mastered the new social behaviors. Two still had the skills a month later.

Generalization was shaky. Only one teen used the skills with unfamiliar teachers or in the cafeteria. The others stayed stuck to the training setting.

Stauch et al. (2018) ran almost the same VGI set-up and saw clearer success; four of five teens kept the skills and some even transferred them to new rooms. The difference: Stauch added peer partners during practice, which may have tightened the generalization loop.

Spriggs et al. (2016) mixed brief video clips with full behavioral skills training (role-play, feedback, praise). All four students in that study showed big, broad gains. The side-by-side hint: video alone teaches the form, but rehearsal plus coaching builds flexible use.

McLucas et al. (2024) moved the idea to the workplace. Young adults learned job-related social skills through video plus feedback, yet generalization again wobbled when the boss changed. Pattern: video modeling is a solid starter, but extra programming is still needed for transfer.

If you run social-skills groups for high-schoolers with ASD-ID, VGI is an easy, low-prep tool that usually builds the skill. Expect to add peer practice, in-vivo rehearsal, or self-monitoring sheets if you want the behavior to leave the classroom. Start with the clip, then quickly rotate partners and settings to lock the skill in place.