Teaching science to students with developmental disabilities using the Early Science curriculum

There is a large science attainment gap between students with and without special educational needs, and many students with developmental disabilities (DD) struggle to access the mainstream science programmes of study. The purpose of the present project was to pilot the use of the Early Science (ES) curriculum over a six week period with nine students with moderate to severe DD in a special education setting in the UK. Staff members indicated positive experiences of using the curriculum, especially the use of the structured teaching methodology as a helpful tool. Evaluation data suggested that all nine pupils improved their science knowledge over the course of the intervention. Some suggestions are made to improve the delivery of the ES curriculum in UK special education settings, and the need for larger scale evaluation research.