An ABACD design was utilized to examine the effectiveness of a video-t
aped modeling program. The purpose of the program was to increase comm
unity involvement of a man with developmental disabilities who was ref
using to go on outings following recent invasive medical procedures. T
he initial program consisted of a baseline phase, during which the sub
ject most often refused to go out into the community, and an intervent
ion phase involving the presentation of a brief video as a prompt to g
o on an outing. The video portrayed two of the subject's peers going o
ut to eat, shopping, or going to a bank, A return to baseline was foll
owed by a phase involving therapist contact in which taping and progra
m redevelopment occurred. Following this phase, intervention was again
implemented. This intervention phase involved brief video presentatio
ns that portrayed the subject himself going on outings. The results su
ggest clinically significant improvement during both intervention phas
es. This study illustrates the utility of peer- and self-modeling prog
rams in treating populations with severe disabilities and endorses the
usefulness of video as a modeling tool.