Supporting teachers of children with autism using distance education and video portfolios

Rural Special Education Quarterly, Fall 2002 by Zahn, Gail, Buchanan, Michelle

Video Portfolios

Following the second summer institute all participants were required to videotape a child with autism in a home or educational setting and send that video to ATTAIN staff prior to the fall session. ATTAIN staff viewed the tapes and selected sample clips from each. The clips were edited into one tape to be used at the initial fall teleconference session. The edited tape was copied and sent to each participant or satellite teleconference site for viewing during class. The edited video became the focus of the first teleconference class. Participants used this introductory video featuring their own students to identify characteristics and functional behavior.

Participating teachers continued videotaping throughout the program. ATTAIN staff viewed each videotape and provided feedback. Participating teachers also had the opportunity to view each other's videotapes. This not only provided a platform for peer review and feedback, it also provided an opportunity for participants to view and discuss real situations from other rural classrooms. Finally, the videotapes provided documentation of specific skill acquisition that could be used by ATTAIN staff to evaluate teacher progress in the program.

During the summer institutes and distance education courses, participating teachers learned to recognize group and individual characteristics of children with autism. The use of the participants' video clips to identify and share examples of behavior that indicated characteristics of the child or children they were teaching personalized the ATTAIN curriculum and instruction. Teachers learned how to assess (a) environmental influence on children, (b) children's independence in daily routines in the home, community and classroom, (c) concept attainment, (d) communication skills, and (e) social competence. Videotape demonstrated teacher skill in conducting each assessment.

Each teacher kept video clips that documented the assessment and intervention skills they acquired and refined throughout the project. This collection of video clips, showing assessment and intervention strategies applied in their classrooms, became their video portfolio. The video portfolios documented the variety of skills practiced and mastered throughout the year. These final portfolios chronicled not only teacher growth but also documented positive changes in student behavior.

Uses of Video Tapes

Using Video to Assess Challenging Behavior The use of video proved to be especially helpful in supporting learning of complex processes such as the functional assessment of challenging behavior and planning for positive behavior supports. A functional behavior assessment requires the teacher to formulate and test hypotheses regarding the function of problem behavior. Videotape of problem behavior, submitted by individual ATTAIN participants, assisted in this process. Participants shared video with the cohort group and project instructors for comments and suggestions. The Behavior Identification and Prioritization form (Free, Buchanan, & Zahn, 1998) was used to assist in identifying consequential behavior and formulating a hypothesis as to the function of that behavior.