ESRC IAA Implementation of the British Early Special Schools Teaching (BESST) model in maintained special needs schools

Impact Summary for the General Public

The British Early Special School Teaching (BESST) model is an evidence-based intervention for children ages 4-7 years old who are enrolled in Special Needs Schools. The model combines teaching practices derived from Applied Behaviour Analysis and uses a curriculum intended to teach children the skills they need to learn from the natural environment, such as joint attention, imitation, and social referencing. Teachers and classroom assistants deliver the model in collaboration with behaviour analysts and other professionals. The model is a novel approach to education in maintained school settings. Research from Bangor University has found that children in the BESST model make significant gains on IQ, academic, and adaptive behaviour measures (Foran et al, 2015). The current project is an extension of this research: the BESST model will be replicated in six special needs schools across England and Wales. The funding will be used to provide training, facilitate stakeholder working groups, and obtain feedback on the model.

Research outputs (3)

View all