By Marcelle Richardson, MA, CCC-SLP
Lead Speech Language Pathologist, Cajon Valley School District

Last September, we received two FLIP cameras through an NFAR Autism Teachers Grant, which have not only expanded our district’s “video interest group” and helped create a momentum in our department, but have also supported our efforts to provide the “best practice” communication interventions for our autism students.

The cameras have been integral in our weekly theme-based interactive activities, a program called Functional Thematic Language Units or FTLU, designed to increase communication, literacy and social skills. Guided by teachers, our students engage in video-taped questions and answer sessions on various different topics (such as “going to the grocery store” or “getting a haircut”), which can then be replayed to draw attention to the small, positive aspects of fast-paced interactions.

A “real time” conversation flits by at lightening speed and it can be hard to help a child with autism identify the subtle aspects of such exchanges. With video, however, you can review it and analyze it again and again. Time almost stands still as you look at the video segment and talk about the positive things you see.

Positive is the key word, as we celebrate and encourage only the positive aspects of a video. Educators have long agreed that pointing out the positive is a powerful way to encourage more of the same and that becomes much easier with video cameras in our hands. A teacher can now easily use the video as a visual guide, noting, “Look at the way Mario is listening to his friend here. Look at his face. He looks so interested. He is really listening.”

Integrating video has added a real richness to our lessons and introduced another learning modality to our program. Video allows us to showcase our students interacting in a meaningful way and using language that may be new or complex for them. They watch themselves in the video, and appear to have forgotten that adults had anything to do with the production at all. It’s them. It’s their movie. And it all occurs in the rich context of educational play.

Earlier this year, NFAR awarded grant funding to Kids Included Together (KIT) for the production of a series of instructional videos that offer strategies for supporting children with autism in after-school programs and activities.

 

KIT, a non-profit organization specializing in the training of child and youth agencies on the inclusion of children with and without disabilities, works with providers across the country and at 293 sites throughout San Diego, including the YMCA and Boys & Girls Clubs.

NFAR has supported KIT’s inclusion training to childcare and recreational providers for many years. In 2005, NFAR funded the development of KITs ASD training module “Accommodations for Children with Autism” which is now one of their most requested inclusion training programs.

As part of KIT’s eLearning program, the new NFAR funded “How-To-Videos” focus on four general topics and provide “hands-on” strategies for implementing visual, sensory, communication, and social supports.

In an increasingly busy work environment with an emphasis on online resources, the instructional videos are a just-in-time resource for professionals all across the country. “The videos are great,” noted one recent KIT training participant. “It's a nice resource to be able to watch these videos as a reinforcement and reminder of the concepts learned at the KIT trainings and webinar.”

These online resources are free for early childhood and youth providers and can be accessed on the KIT website under Instructional Videos.