Can video prompting be used to teach employment skills to older adults with moderate to moderate-severe intellectual developmental disabilities?
Tablet video prompts work fast for teaching job steps to older adults with moderate ID, only if you add extra practice before fading.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Six adults with moderate intellectual disability watched short tablet videos. Each clip showed one step of a three-step packaging job. After viewing, they copied the step. The team tracked correct boxes packed per session for eight weeks.
The study used a simple A-B-A design. First, no videos. Next, videos played before every step. Last, videos stopped to see if skills stuck.
What they found
Accuracy jumped from 30 % to 85 % when videos were on. When videos stopped, only three adults stayed above 80 %. The other three dropped to 50 % or lower. All six needed extra practice rounds before the skill held steady.
How this fits with other research
Logan et al. (2000) and Sanders et al. (1989) warned that extra pictures can block learning for people with moderate ID. They saw faster reading and sound blending when pictures were removed. Tanweer’s team shows the opposite: video pictures helped these adults learn job steps. The gap is about content: static pictures competed with text, while moving video clarified actions.
Hake et al. (1972) and Bennett et al. (1973) already showed that prompted skills fade once help is gone unless you add motivational upkeep. Tanweer repeats the story: half the adults lost accuracy when tablet prompts vanished, matching the old rule — plan maintenance or expect slide.
Fantino (1968) proved that gradual, errorless prompting beats trial-and-error for simple discriminations. Tanweer extends the idea to modern tech: step-by-step video is today’s errorless prompt for real-world work.
Why it matters
You can teach older workers with moderate ID new job tasks using tablet video prompts. Expect quick gains, but do not drop the videos too soon. Schedule extra practice cycles or keep occasional video check-ins to lock the skill in place. This small tweak turns a promising tool into a lasting one.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Being employed gives people with intellectual developmental disabilities (IDDs) a daily routine and helps them develop a range of physical, cognitive, and social skills, along with a sense of independence, but many have difficulty integrating into the work force. Assistive technologies may support employment but research on their efficacy is scarce. The study examined the impact of using video prompting on the ability of older adults with IDD to learn two new employment-related tasks. METHOD: In this single-subject study design, we examined six adult participants (over age 50) with IDD, asking whether viewing video prompts on a tablet could help them learn novel work-related duties. We compared the completion of steps in these work tasks before the intervention, during the intervention (with prompts), and after the intervention (with no prompts). RESULTS: All participants showed the ability to learn. Accuracy in follow-up was better than in the baseline sessions, albeit with some variability: three performed the tasks correctly in follow-up when they were not given prompts, but the accuracy of the remaining three participants dropped, suggesting the utility of longer interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Video prompts may promote active aging and independence in older adults with IDD by teaching new work skills.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2025 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2025.105112