Using Interaction and Quantitative Analysis to Examine the Effects of Video Modeling on Play of a Preschooler with Autism

Play, positioned powerfully in many cultures as a human right, is massively heterogeneous and resists a one-size-fits-all definition. Compared to typically developing individuals, researchers have characterized play in some individuals with autism as repetitive, stereotypical, less imaginative, and isolated. As such, the effectiveness, acceptability, and overall value of play-based interventions for individuals with autism have focused on discrete skills that facilitate normative play as opposed to the essence of play, such as playfulness and joy. The purpose of the current study was to use a mixed-method analysis to examine the effects of a video modeling-based play intervention implemented using a single-case multiple-probe design across playsets for a preschooler with autism. Visual analysis indicated that video modeling alone was not effective in enhancing scripted play, but combining video modeling with in situ modeling improved the participant’s explicitly taught play. Our interaction analysis highlights five themes, providing nuanced insights into the participant’s play that would not be otherwise captured through quantitative methods. Implications of adopting mixed-method analytical approaches to play in autism are also discussed.