Parent-Mediated Video Modeling for Teaching Tooth Brushing Skills to Autistic Children

The purpose of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of a parent-mediated video modeling intervention along with task analysis in teaching tooth brushing skills to children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Two boys and one girl with ASD, aged between 5 and 7, and their parents participated in the study. A changing criterion design within the single-case experimental research method was used to measure the two dependent variables. These variables were (a) parents’ fidelity in use of video modeling to teach tooth brushing skills, and (b) children’s correct and independent use of the tooth brushing steps. The findings of the study showed that the parents significantly improved their fidelity in the use of video modeling to teach tooth brushing skills and that all three children reached a predetermined mastery criterion and learned to independently brush their teeth. In addition, the participating children were able to generalize the skills they learned to different people and maintained these skills over time. Last, parents expressed positive opinions about the procedures and outcomes of the study.