Back
to Resources Page
USES OF
VIDEO RECORDING
IN EARLY
INTERVENTION
Workshop
presented at
INFANT
DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION
BIENNIAL
CONFERENCE
June,
2001
Los
Angeles, CA
By
M.
Diane Klein,Ph.D, Sharon Kilpatrick, M.A
Lavada
Minor, M.A. & Deborah Chen, Ph.D
**********
USES
OF VIDEO TAPE IN EARLY INTERVENTION
- As "family movie"
or keepsake
- Observation
of specific child behaviors
- Assessment;
Team evaluation
- Demonstration
of change over time
- Evaluation of
effectiveness of intervention strategies
- Demonstration
of therapy techniques (especially positioning)
- Caregiver self-evaluation
- Demonstration/affirmation
of effective caregiver-interaction
strategies
- Professional
self-evaluation
- Supervision
- Use of commercial
video tapes for parent information and education
USE
OF VIDEO TAPING IN HOME VISITS: TIPS AND CAUTIONS
Preparation:
- Establish rapport
with families
- Identify purpose
of video; why it will be useful, etc.
- Inform parents
what will be video taped, how long, etc.
- Ask parents
if they are comfortable with the idea, and ask if they have questions.
- Obtain written
consent (Form should include how tapes will be used, etc.)
- Explain that
parents will get to keep the tape.
- Ask if there
are things the parents would like to have video taped.
- Consider taping
in more than one situation or setting. The contrasts are often interesting.
Pitfalls and Challenges:
- Difficult to
be the cameraperson and the early interventionist at the same time.
- Can use tripod,
but results won't be as good as handheld, using zoom, etc.
- Must be sensitive
to parent's level of discomfort.
- In first taping
session, focus primarily on the child (and maybe siblings), rather than caregiver.
As soon as parent seems comfortable, include caregiver child interactions
in video.
- Frequent interruptions
in home setting: phone calls, doorbell, other family members
- Frequent need
to change camera position as activity changes (avoid abrupt camera movement.)
- Environmental
noise, e.g., traffic, fans, etc.
- Lack of space,
poor lighting, etc.
- Avoid long tapes.
Limit to about 15 minutes.
Nuts and Bolts:
- Familiarize
yourself thoroughly with camera ahead of time; practice.
- If using battery
make sure it's charged. A long cord for AC outlet is more dependable.
- Assess the environment:
remove obstacles, check lighting; be aware of noise, e.g. TV.
- Avoid back lighting;
don't shoot toward window or door, or toward lamp.
- Label tapes
immediately with names, time and date; maintain a log sheet.
- Use proper storage.
Viewing Tape with
Parents
- Begin by commenting
on child's behavior and expressing interest:
"I've never
seen him do that before"
" He seems
to love that toy"
- Be positive;
note new accomplishments.
- Particularly
note child and caregiver's mutual interactions:
"You knew
exactly what he wanted! How could you tell?"
"She really
responds to the sound of your voice"
References
"Using
Video in Home Visiting"
Bernstein, V.J.
(1997, Winter). Using video tapes to strengthen the parent-child relationship.
IMPrint, Newsletter of the Infant Mental Health Promotion Project, 20,
1-4. Toronto: Hospital for Sick Children.
Bernstein, V.J.
(1992). Home movies: Using videotapes with at risk families to strengthen the
parent-child relationship. Abstracts of the Proceedings of the Fifth Congress
of the World Association of Infant Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines. Chicago,
IL
Klein, M.D., Chen,
D. & Haney, M. (2000). Using videotaped observations. In PLAI: Promoting
learning through active interaction. A guide to early communication with young
children who have multiple disabilities. (pp.75-79). Baltimore, MD: Paul
Brookes
Klein, M.D. &
Briggs, M.H. (1987). Facilitating mother-infant communicative interaction in
mothers of high-risk infants. Journal of Childhood Communication Disorders,
10(2), 95-106.
Videotapes (set
of 2)
Seeing is Believing:
Videotaping families and using guided self-observation to build on parenting
strengths: University of Minnesota: Irvin B. Harris Training Center for
Infant and Toddler Development. http://www.red.coled.umn.edu/harriscenter,
612-624-4510