Supporting the Conversational Behavior of Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders with Self-Monitoring and a Video-Based Supplement
Two-minute morning video plus self-clicking gives teens with autism an instant lift in turn-taking and on-topic talk.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Three high-schoolers with autism watched a short video each morning. The clip showed teens trading turns, staying on topic, and asking questions.
After the video the students used a clicker to count their own on-topic turns during 10-minute conversations. Staff gave praise if counts matched the observer’s tally.
The researchers flipped the intervention on and off in an ABAB design to be sure any change came from the package, not luck.
What they found
Every teen used more turn-taking, on-topic lines, and questions when the self-monitoring plus video was in place. Gains dropped each time the package was removed and returned when it was re-started.
How this fits with other research
Ezzeddine et al. (2020) also used short videos to spark spoken lines, but their kids gave scripted play comments. Ayvazo adds self-monitoring and moves the skill to free-flow teen chat.
Koegel et al. (2024) ran a bigger program: six weeks of manual lessons, parent coaching, and teacher check-ins. Their teens gained social skills too, but the work took far more time and staff. The new study shows one student-run tool can give a quick boost without extra meetings.
Landry et al. (1989) proved that video modeling alone teaches conversation to autistic children. Ayvazo keeps the video idea, trims it to a daily 2-minute clip, and lets teens track their own progress.
Why it matters
You can hand a teen an iPad clip and a golf counter today. In 10 minutes they watch, talk, and tally. No extra staff, no parent zoom calls. If the chat stalls, flip the package back on. It’s a cheap, student-led lever for smoother high-school conversation.
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Join Free →Pick one teen, load a peer chat video on the tablet, and teach them to click each on-topic turn; run a 10-minute baseline and start counting.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) might demonstrate impairments in initiating and sustaining a conversation and experience conversational challenges such as question-asking and turn-taking. Conversational skills are pivotal for the social functioning of adolescents with ASD. The current investigation aimed to extend the available information on interventions addressing the conversational needs of adolescents with ASD. The research questions were: (a) What is the effect of self-monitoring, supplemented by a video-based model on the conversational skills of adolescent students with ASD? and (b) What is the acceptability of the intervention among the participating adolescents with ASD?. Appropriate conversational behavior of three students with ASD (aged 16–18 years) was assessed using a withdrawal design, during 10-min conversation sessions. Appropriate conversational behavior was defined as a sequence of a turn-taking response (i.e., waiting quietly until the speaker finished talking), followed by a verbal utterance which included (a) making a statement or responding on topic, and/or (b) asking a contextually appropriate “wh”- question. The independent variable consisted of a primary self-monitoring procedure and a daily video-based supplement. Treatment fidelity and treatment acceptability were also assessed. The conversational behavior of all participants consistently improved under the self-monitoring intervention with the video-based supplement. Self-monitoring with a video-based supplement can effectively support the conversational behavior in adolescents with ASD. This information can guide the evaluation and planning of appropriate interventions designed to improve limited conversational behaviors of adolescents with ASD. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10803-024-06548-3.
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2024 · doi:10.1007/s10803-024-06548-3