Mission

The school will offer individualised education based on the principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), in particular Verbal Behaviour (VB), whilst ensuring a broad and balanced curriculum in line with the Curriculum for Excellence. The prime focus of VB is to develop functional communication and language acquisition. VB also addresses social, play and independence skills.Another key aim of teaching using VB methods is to reduce challenging behaviour and replace this with appropriate functional behaviours. Reducing challenging behaviours allows pupils to access a broad and balanced curriculum. Teaching using VB gives pupils the learning skills they need to achieve their academic potential.

Category

Education and Skills

Additional Information

Our aim is to establish a specialist school within the Edinburgh area which will make a real difference to one of the most disadvantaged groups of children, namely children with autism who also have learning difficulties and a high level of communication and behavioural needs. Stoa School will be the first school in Scotland to implement a method of education called “Applied Behaviour Analysis”. This is a form of education which is widely recognised and used in schools across the world. It has been shown to be particularly effective for children with low functioning autism and can significantly improve the long-term outcomes for this group of children.