TY - JOUR

T1 - Developing an evidence base for behavioural interventions: A case study of the Headsprout® Early Reading programme

AU - Denne, Louise

AU - Roberts-Tyler, Emily

AU - Grindle, Corinna

PY - 2024/3/14

Y1 - 2024/3/14

N2 - Evidence informed decision making is considered best practice when choosing interventions in applied settings across health, social care, and education. Developing that evidence base, however, is not straightforward. The Sharland Foundation Developmental Disabilities Applied Behavioural Research and Impact Network (SF-DDARIN), a network of like-minded researchers and practitioners from across the UK has implemented a process that systematically develops an evidence base for behaviourally based interventions.In this case study we describe the progressive research steps undertaken by the SF-DDARIN to develop the evidence base for an on-line reading intervention, the Headsprout® Early Reading programme (HER®) which uses behavioural principles to promote learning to read.A series of discrete projects targeting gaps in the evidence base for HER® led to the funding of two Randomised Controlled Trials in England, one in Education and one in Health and Social Care.This case study illustrates an original, creative and effective way of collaborating across academic research departments and applied settings, to systematically extend the evidence base for a chosen intervention.

AB - Evidence informed decision making is considered best practice when choosing interventions in applied settings across health, social care, and education. Developing that evidence base, however, is not straightforward. The Sharland Foundation Developmental Disabilities Applied Behavioural Research and Impact Network (SF-DDARIN), a network of like-minded researchers and practitioners from across the UK has implemented a process that systematically develops an evidence base for behaviourally based interventions.In this case study we describe the progressive research steps undertaken by the SF-DDARIN to develop the evidence base for an on-line reading intervention, the Headsprout® Early Reading programme (HER®) which uses behavioural principles to promote learning to read.A series of discrete projects targeting gaps in the evidence base for HER® led to the funding of two Randomised Controlled Trials in England, one in Education and one in Health and Social Care.This case study illustrates an original, creative and effective way of collaborating across academic research departments and applied settings, to systematically extend the evidence base for a chosen intervention.

KW - Evidence-based practice

KW - evidence continuum

KW - behavioural interventions

KW - reading intervention

U2 - 10.1108/TLDR-12-2023-0036

DO - 10.1108/TLDR-12-2023-0036

M3 - Special issue

JO - Tizard Learning Disability Review

JF - Tizard Learning Disability Review

SN - 1359-5474

ER -