The Effect of Video Modeling and in Vivo Modeling on Acquisition, Retention and Transmission of a Throwing Skill in Children with Autism

The objective of this research was to examine the effectiveness of video and live modelling in developing motor skills in children with autism spectrum disorder. To do so, twenty-two autistic children (7-13 years of age) participated in this study. The task applied required the participants to throw a bean bag (100g) by their non-superior hand toward a target placed on the floor. The participants were divided randomly into video modelling, live modelling and control groups and practiced the target task for 3 consecutive sessions. Individuals was performed immediate retention test 10 minutes after the last block of acquisition. Also, 24 hours after they participated in delayed retention and transfer test. Accuracy scores of participants were analysed as dependent measure in ANOVA test. The results of this study showed that both modelling methods (live and video) are effective in motor skill learning and there is no difference between these two methods. The probable reason for these results could be the task goal constraints.