Reflection
Why did I choose to examine video social stories and case study action research?
The purpose of my study was to determine how the use of video social stories and social skills strategies might increase the ability for a student with autism to model identified target behaviors to support the student’s successful transition from high school into the Young Adult Program and beyond.
I conducted this action research because social skills are frequently taught in my ACP classroom whether it is through observation or actual lessons. I try to add social skills in my daily lessons with core curriculum. With the level of student’s I teach it is best to teach social skills as often as possible and bring up social issues as soon as they come up.
I also picked to pursue this strategy, because I have several students on social stories this year. Four out of my nine students are on social stories this year. My target students has been doing a social story for four years. The social stories have been different each year to fit the student's strengths, behaviors, likes, and dislikes.
What did I research, apply, and learn through conducting action research?
To conduct this study, I had my students and other teachers participate in creating video social skills behavior stories. The behaviors and socials skills were selected based on target behaviors that many students struggle with in my classroom serving students with identified disabilities, especially one of my students with autism. For example, the videos focused on target behaviors such as how to engage in a conversation when meeting someone new, stay on topic during a conversation, or purposefully end a conversation. I showed these videos to the whole class twice a week, usually on Monday and Friday. Sometimes time would not allow that, so I would show them on Tuesday or Thursday. The students looked forward to watching these videos and seeing who would be in the next video. The videos were short and easily accessed on google classroom. My school is also one to one, each student has a computer or ipad, some days I had the students watch the videos on their own devices. Some days we would have struggles with the internet not working. The research case-study student, Nina, started watching the videos everyday from the third week until the end of the research study.
How did I measure the impact of my research?
To collect data on the student's growth I used weekly google forms, daily parent communication notebooks, and weekly observation. One challenge of collecting data from multiple viewpoints was collaborating with Nina’s family and gathering timely feedback on how Nina was transferring the social skills we practiced to other settings. For example, did Nina introduce herself to someone new during the weekend? If so, what did her mother notice about the interaction?
What did I find through investigating and implementing video social skills stories?
My data demonstrated some growth in how Nina was able to use social skills in daily conversations. Nina also had an increase in new relationships. She struggled during a 3 week period due to a change in our school schedule. This student has been known to have behavior issues when schedule changes happen, even when expected. These three weeks of schedule change showed a decrease in the students appropriate and expected social skill behavior after lunch.
Six out of my nine students have parent communication notebooks. While reviewing the students notebooks their behaviors problems decreased from the start of doing these video social stories. There were fewer behavior problems occurring during the weeks I have presented these videos. I was not taking data on my whole class like I was for my target students, but I reviewed their take home folders to identify this research theme.
How might this experience impact my practice as an education professional?
I would like to use this strategy with other students that I work with at the same academic level. This experience was a positive one and could be use in other ways. If I were to teach general education students they could make their own videos to show school rules or classroom expectations. I could show these videos monthly or after long breaks as reminders. This could also be great to have the students show to the new incoming students. Students in a general education curriculum could use this type of strategy to help show students that struggle with social skills how to make new friends or other ways to express themselves.
These types of videos could be a way for students to show their parents what they have learned. There are many different things I could have students create with a similar idea.
When dealing with students that love technology and struggle with behavior problems, I can think of similar ideas that tie in both of these things. I now know that there are other ways to help students with behavior. I am hoping to dig deeper with these types of strategies and use them in a variety of ways to better help students and a variety of learners.