How Dr. John Augustine is Transforming Learning for Children with Autism

As Dr. John Augustine speaks about helping young children with autism, he doesn’t begin with data. He starts with the idea of possibility…of what can happen when a genuine curiosity meets a sturdy collaboration.

“I’ve always been interested in finding supports that prepare young children for public school settings and more natural environments,” Augustine said. “I wanted to move away from restrictive practices and instead build on each child’s strengths to help them become independent in a way that feels natural and joyful.”

That specific philosophy became the foundation of his doctoral research at the University of Missouri, along with the spark for a one-of-a-kind partnership with Easterseals Midwest’s Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) team in Columbia, Missouri. Together, they explored how technology could help children learn new skills, manage daily routines, and build up confidence, all while reducing the need for direct prompts.

The result was a project that reimagined how children learn, and how educators and therapists can work alongside one another to make learning a lot more meaningful.

Simple Idea, Big Potential

John’s study introduced what’s known as a video-enhanced activity schedule - a digital tool that helps children dig through step-by-step tasks by watching short clips on an iPad.

Each clip, filmed from the child’s point of view, showed an instructor demonstrating a simple activity like matching letters, identifying shapes, or completing a short academic task. After each video concluded, a friendly voice would say, “Your turn!” or “Now you try!”, prompting the child to complete the action on their own before moving on to the next step.

A simple process, yes, but the results were nothing but remarkable.

“Many of the children loved seeing their teacher or RBT on the screen doing the same task,” John explained. “It made learning fun, and more importantly, it helped them become more independent. Just using technology can reduce challenging behavior. It gives kids something they enjoy while helping them build skills in a proactive, positive way.”

Instead of sitting side-by-side and giving specific directions, the Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) at Easterseals were able to take a step back, observe, and watch as learners independently steered through videos and completed their activities.

The sessions, which clocked in around ten minutes apiece, had a long-lasting impact. For a lot of children, this was the first time they completed academic tasks on their own.

Building a Partnership on Collaboration

And none of it would have been possible without the hands-on partnership between John and the Easterseals Midwest team, led by Dr. Megan Tregnago, ABA Manager and Adjunct Instructor at the University of Missouri’s Department of Special Education.

“Megan made it so easy,” John said. “We worked together to identify what skills the learners were already working on, and she helped me connect the research to their real goals. It was collaborative from day one.”

All the way back before the study even began, John trained Easterseals staff on how to build and use the video-enhance schedules, then let them take ownership. “The RBTs completely built the schedules themselves and implemented them during their normal classroom routines,” she said. “It became a true team effort.”

Megan stated that the spirit of collaboration is part of what makes Easterseals Midwest so unique.

“We have such a great opportunity here,” she said. “We support so many children and families, and we have incredible staff who are open to innovation. Partnering with researchers like John gives us a chance to try new things, learn what works, and hopefully make a lasting difference for kids.”

Moments That Make a Difference

For John, one moment during the study stood out above all the rest.

“One of our learners - we called him Connor - had a lot of trouble working independently,” he recalled. “Before we started, he’d rush through assignments or get up and walk away. On the first day using the schedule, he sat down, watched the video, followed each step, and completed everything on his own.”

John sat and watched, while Becca Lenger, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) at Easterseals, looked on with disbelief. “She started crying,” John said. “She was so proud. It was the first time she’d seen him completely engaged and successful without needing constant support.”

It was a brief moment, but something that captured the ultimate power of the project. “Becca was taking pictures, sending them to caregivers, saying how amazing it was,” John said. “Moments like that remind you why this work matters.”

Going Beyond the Study

The impact of everything John accomplished didn’t end when the study was over. Megan said two of her graduate students who are completing their practicum at Easterseals Midwest for Mizzou’s Applied Behavior Analysis program have launched their own video-modeling projects inspired by his research, with one focused on staff training, and another on helping children use communication devices.

“Once you get one piece of research like this, it inspires all these little sub-projects,” she said. “It’s exciting to see the ripple effect.”

John, who is now a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri, is already inclined to continue this field of study with Easterseals. His upcoming goal? To expand video-enhanced schedules to help children develop social and play skills, while studying how these tools can help reduce the workload for educators and therapists.

“Teachers in schools often have one adult for eight kids,” John explained. “If we can use technology to help learners work more independently, we can make classrooms more efficient and inclusive.”

For Easterseals Midwest, this type of research partnership matches flawlessly with the organization’s mission to empower those with disabilities to learn and play in their communities.

“What’s most inspiring about John’s work,” Megan said, “is that it’s not just research for research’s sake. It’s something our staff can actually use to make a difference for our learners.”

A Shared Vision

Flashing back, John mentioned what stood out the most wasn’t the technology or the data. It was the people.

“I didn’t want this to be a situation where I came in, collected data, and left,” he said. “I wanted it to be a cyclical relationship. Something where everyone benefited: the learners, the RBTs, the staff, and me. That’s exactly what we built.”

For both of them, that collaboration is only the beginning of what’s possible between innovation and compassionate work.

At Easterseals Midwest, research like this goes beyond a study. It’s a glimpse into the future of autism education. A future where children are able to learn independently, where teachers gain unique tools to engage their students, and where every small victory - like a boy named Connor finishing his work by himself - becomes a massive celebration.

Because when learning provides elation, independence isn’t merely a goal. It becomes a reality.