Effect of online instruction on volunteers who support people with complex communication needs in active recreation

Abstract

This study was conducted to teach and evaluate the effectiveness of an online training called The CAPTURE & Share program. The program was taught using online instruction in an asynchronous manner with six volunteers who facilitate recreational participation for individuals with complex communication needs. The online training focused on teaching volunteers how to support opportunities for individuals to capture photos and videos from recreation and then share them across their social networks. The first aim of the study was to teach the volunteers about implementation and use of the 8-step CAPTURE & Share program while the second aim was to evaluate the programs’ overall effectiveness. Two multiple baselines designs across three participants each were used to evaluate the volunteers’ written responses to probes delivered during baseline, intervention, maintenance, and generalization phases. Additionally, social validation data were collected. Results indicated that volunteers were not only successful in learning the program, but were also highly satisfied with the online training methods. Implications for using online instruction are discussed for speech-language pathologists, caregivers, individuals with complex communication needs, and recreational professionals.