Action Research Plan
Name: Janet Courson
1. Define the purpose of your study
The purpose of my study will be to investigate the effect that the evidence based
intervention of video modeling has on the focus and independence of students with autism
spectrum disorder. Video modeling has been used to teach new behaviors, social skills,
academic and adaptive skills. The literature of current research shows that video modeling is
especially effective for students with autism Bandura’s Social Learning Theory emphasizes that
human behavior is primarily learned by observing and modeling others (Bandura, 1986).
Individuals with autism show strengths in processing visually as opposed to verbally. Temple
Grandin, a well know individual with autism wrote the book, Thinking in Pictures, which
describes the visual strength of those with autism.
2. Describe your participants
In this single subject research design, the participant is a seven year old male diagnosed with
autism spectrum disorder. The American Psychiatric Associate defines autism as a severe
neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by qualitative impairment before the age of three
in verbal and nonverbal communication, reciprocal social interaction and a markedly restricted
repertoire of activities and interests (1994). The participant is a second grade member of my
exceptional children’s classroom He receives sustained and intensive 1:1 and small group
instruction with specially designed lessons in the exceptional children’s classroom for most of
the day. He participates in a regular education second grade classroom for one and a half
hours.
3. Define the variables.
The independent variable is video modeling which is an evidence based intervention used to
increase the learning of students with autism. The dependent variable is increased focus. Focus
is define as the ability to concentrate one’s attention or interest on a task. The amount of
reinforcement is an important consideration. Repetition will positively affect the results of the
impact of learning a targeted skill
4. Develop your research questions.
Will video modeling increase the level of focus for a student with autism? With increased
focus, the student may have increased learning of academic and functional skills. Will the
student’s skill acquisition be increase when video modeling is used prior to the student’s
practicing of an academic or functional task? Will the student need less outside prompts from
teachers and therapists in order to complete a task?
5. Describe the Innovation or change you will implement. The innovation I plan to use is video
modeling, an evidence based intervention to increase learning for students with autism. I plan
to video a typically developing peer performing an academic math task using concrete and visual
materials. A parent permission form from the model has been obtained. The typically
developing peer model, an eight year old male, has agreed to be videoed and shows enthusiasm
for helping his friend with autism learn from his example. The student with autism will be
taught to view the video from his IPad. He will receive a verbal reinforcement which is his
preferred reinforcement. The participant does not favor food or tangible reinforcements. Part
of his autism includes a limited choice of food preferences. He has an aversion to all but three
foods. He responds most favorably to verbal praise. Reinforcement is a component of video
modeling. Whether or not a modeled behavior is learned depends upon the presence of
reinforcement (Corbett & Abdullah, 2005)
6. Define your data collection and analysis plan
The single subject research design includes establishing a baseline of measurement of focus,
independence, and skill acquisition. The student will practice a math skill of using manipulatives
to demonstrate the decimal system. The student will use the Montessori materials, the teen and
tens board, which are visual and concrete materials in the prescribed way. A time chart of thirty
seconds will be used to note engagement or focus. The student is described as focused when he
is gazing at the task and using his hands to manipulate the tens and ones correctly to form the
quantity to symbol. A check will be given every thirty seconds when the student is showing
focus. Baseline will be established using the Comprehensive Autism Planning System data
collection sheet. Quantitative data, using a 30 second time span data collection sheet, will
measure the level of engagement using the independent variable of video modeling.
Data collected with the independent variable in place will be compared with the baseline data.
The data collected should answer the question, Will video modeling increase the level of focus
for a student with autism? Formative assessment and teacher observation of the student’s
understanding of quantities and symbols of tens and ones will also be examined. Formative
assessments will measure the skill acquisition component of the question regarding the effect of
video modeling on a single subject with autism. I have asked our guidance counsellor to help
me collect and analyze the data so that the bias that I may have will be reduced.
7. Develop a timeline
August 20, 2014 – Met with Beaufort County Schools leaders: Don Phipps (BCS superintendent), Greg
Singleton (Head of Federal Programs), Pam Hodges, (Bath Elementary School Principal), Kim Reel (school
psychologist), Maria Gironda, (Behavior Intervention Specialist), and Renee Boyd (Exceptional Children’s
Director). I presented my Action Research Plan. I received excellent feedback. (45 minute meeting)
August 29, 2014 – Conferred with Rhys Potts, consultant with Behavior Consultants Psychological
Services, and Maria Gironde, BCS Behavior Intervention Specialist to discuss details of video modeling. I
received good information about data collection and choosing the target skill.
September 2, 2014 – Obtain written permission from parent of typically developing model for video
modeling.
September 3, 2014 – Meet Face to Face with PD Lead, Beth Edwards. Bring data collection forms and
ask for feedback.
September 15 - 19 – (approximate date) Video tape typically developing peer performing a math task
with concrete and visual materials.
October 2014 – (Date not yet established) Present overview of action plan to Exceptional Children’s
Teachers in Beaufort County Schools.
October 6 – 17 – Obtain baseline data for single subject. Use data collection sheets (attached) that are
both quantitative and qualitative)
October 20 – 31 Begin intervention (Independent variable) of video modeling with single subject.
Collect data with same measurement as baseline data collection.
November 3 – 5 Attend North Carolina Exceptional Children’s Conference in Greensboro NC to network
with teachers of students with autism who are using video modeling.
November 10 -14 – Generalization data collection.
January 5 – 9 – Complete online module
February 9 – 15 Analyze Data
March 16 – April 15 Write summary with data information and recommendations.
May - (date not determined) present 90 minute professional development to BCS Exceptional
Children Teachers. Plan and design Wiki.
References
American Pychiatric Association, Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorder 4th edn.
Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association, 1994
Bandura, A. (1986) Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Corbett, B.A., & Abdullah, M. (2005). Video modeling: Why does it work for children with
autism?. Journal of Early and Intensive
Behavior Intervention, 2(1), 2-8.