Students can suffer negative consequences as a result of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). These children often find themselves removed from class due to disruptive behavior, which leads to fewer opportunities for learning. Additionally, many of these children have difficulty making friends because of the labels put on them by other students and staff. Teachers find themselves frustrated and resentful that the student is taking time away from the other children. “Consequently, teachers, as well as students with and without disabilities, would benefit from effective and feasible classroom-based interventions for students engaging in high rates of off-task and disruptive behaviors,” said Erika Blood, Ph.D. and Assistant Professor of Special Education at the Department of Teaching & Learning at Northern Illinois University.

With advances in technology, these students may be able to benefit from a method of teaching known as video modeling. Blood, lead author of a recent study examining the effectiveness of this technique, believes the simplicity of this type of strategy could help the student and the staff. “Typically, these videos are viewed either on a television or computer prior to task engagement and the learner is expected to perform the skill shortly after viewing the video,” said Blood. “One advantage of video-based instruction is that strategies like video modeling rely on having the student watch a video. Once the video is created, only a minimal amount of time and effort is required to implement the strategy.”

In a pilot study on a 10-year-old subject named Andy, Blood and her colleagues found that using an IPod Touch for the delivery of video training rapidly improved his behavior. “After implementation of video modeling plus self-monitoring, Andy consistently displayed very high rates of on-task behavior and low rates of disruptive behavior.” Blood added, “Overall, findings of this study suggest that video modeling used as a single intervention could be an effective classroom intervention for some students; however, additional components might be necessary in order to obtain optimum results.”

Reference:
Blood, Erika, Jesse W. Johnson, Lindsey Ridenour, Karen Simmons, and Starline Crouch. “Using an IPod Touch to Teach Social and Self-Management Skills to an Elementary Student with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders.” Education & Treatment of Children34.3 (2011): 299-321. Print.

© Copyright 2011 by By Noah Rubinstein, LMFT, LMHC, therapist in Olympia, Washington. All Rights Reserved. Permission to publish granted to GoodTherapy.org.

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