Objective: This investigation aimed to determine the effectiveness of using social scripts and video models for identifying emotions and nonverbal cues in adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on a telehealth platform. Previous research with adolescents has focused on pro-social behaviors, social interactions, and turn-taking. Methods: Three young adults ages 17 to 21 years with a diagnosis of ASD and social communication weaknesses participated in this A-B-A investigation. The dependent variables measured participants’ ability to identify emotions and nonverbal cues. During baseline (Phase A1) and withdrawal (Phase A2), participants were presented with a social script alone. During intervention (Phase B), the PI introduced video modeling with the social script. Results: Participants 2 and 4 displayed a gradual increase in the identification of emotions within Phase B, with an immediate decrease between Phase B and A2. Participant 4 demonstrated increased identification of nonverbal cues within Phase B, with rising trends across all phases. Conclusion: The mixed results indicate that video models, social scripts, and a combination of both may improve social skills. However, there is no clear indication that one treatment is more effective than another. Additional research is needed for more evidence-based interventions designed for adolescents and young adults with ASD.
