Objective: Facial expression recognition is considered the cornerstone of social-emotional learning (SEL). Increasing literature has shown that improving social communication positively affects students socially and academically. Video modeling is known for its efficiency in improving many types of skills. This investigation reports the results of adding a discrete video modeling supplement to in-vivo instructions to teach facial expressions to students with severe developmental delays and complex communication needs (SDD-CNN). Method: A multiple baselines across behaviors single case research design was used to study the effect of passive instruction through discrete video modeling (DVM) on facial expression recognition skills. As a group, participants watched a 3-minute video clip on loop 15 minutes daily for three weeks on the classroom SMART board during snack time. The video clip was produced through the Gemiini DVM system. Individually, participants also completed a short game daily on the Boom Learning platform to collect data on facial expression recognition. Results: The results demonstrated the passive learning through DVM may be an efficient method for teaching facial expression recognition to preschool children with SDD-CCN. Data analysis revealed that 4 of the 5 participants showed a gradual accelerated trend through the intervention and follow-up phases indicating clinical significance.
