VIRTUAL PROCEDURAL FACILITATOR TRAINING WITH VIDEO MODELING: IMPACT ON THE OPINION WRITING OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL- AGED CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) impacts one in every 44 children in the United States (CDC, 2022) and is characterized by marked deficits in social communication with the presence of restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. Students with ASD are increasingly being educated in the general education classroom and are expected to meet the curricular demands thereof (Roberts & Webster, 2020). Due to the core features of their disability, these students often experience significant challenges in written expression. Writing, across content areas, is a primary means in which student learning is measured and evaluated. The COVID-19 pandemic forced educators to explore the use of technology, through the application of synchronous and asynchronous instructional models, to meet the needs of all students while also providing access to Evidence Based Practices (EBPs) and rigorous content (Cox et al., 2021). This study examined the effects of an intervention package consisting of video modeling and virtual coaching on the use of a procedural facilitator (PF) as a planning tool on the overall written quality of the opinion writing with elementary school-aged children with ASD. Writing quality was measured by the presence of planned paragraph elements, Correct Word Sequences (CWS), and Total Words Written (TWW). The significance, acceptability, and effectiveness of the intervention package was also explored.
Results indicate a functional relationship between the intervention package and the presence of planned paragraph elements. The intervention package did not directly impact CWS or TWW. Participant perceptions of the intervention package were generally positive. Caregiver perceptions of the intervention package were generally positive. Implications of the present study are discussed along with limitations and recommendations for future research.