Dr Louise Denne

Dr Louise Denne

School of Social Policy and Society
Research Fellow
Study Manager CECiLiA

Contact details

Address
Intellectual Disabilities Research Institute (IDRIS)
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

The focus of Louise's research is on increasing the reach and impact of behaviourally based interventions for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and autistic children and adults with a view to supporting their independence and increased quality of life.

Qualifications

PhD Behaviour Analysis, Bangor University, 2011 - 2017

MSc Behaviour Analysis, Distinction, Swansea University, 2006 - 2009

BSc (Hons) Psychology, First Class, The Open University, 2001 - 2005  

BA (Hons) Geography, Brasenose College  Oxford,  1983 - 1986

Professional registration, Board Certified Behavioural Analyst  1-09-6467,  November 2009

Biography

A Research Practitioner with a particular interest in evidence based practice, she is committed to promoting an understanding of the significance of the application of behavioural interventions to a wide range of social issues.

She was a founding director of the UK Society for Behaviour Analysis and currently sit on its Education Standards and Neurodiversity Committees and the International Liaison Committee of L’Organisation Nationale des Professions de l’Analyse du Comportement (ONPAC) in France. As a clinical practitioner, she works with organisations in the UK and in France to support individuals with developmental difficulties; as a researcher, she is exploring ways to embed evidence based and best practice into services.

Prior to becoming a behavioural psychologist, she worked in a strategic planning and corporate finance role where she gained analytical and planning skills highly relevant to the work she does today. 

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Denne, LD, Flynn, S, Thompson, PA, Morris, R, Roberts-Tyler, EJ, Hastings, RP & Hayden, N 2025, 'Conducting research in real world settings—lessons learned from an implementation and process evaluation of Headsprout Early Reading® in special schools', Frontiers in Education, vol. 10, 1600643. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1600643

Flynn, S, Thompson, PA, Denne, L, Morris, R, Roberts-Tyler, EJ, Grindle, CF, McDowell, C, Hughes, JC & Hastings, RP 2025, 'Effectiveness of Headsprout Early Reading® in Special Educational Needs Schools: A cluster randomised controlled trial', Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-3802.70037

Flynn, S, Denne, LD, Manktelow, N, Hayden, N & Abdi, S 2025, 'Engaging children with developmental disabilities in online data collection procedures: reflections and implications for future research', Tizard Learning Disability Review, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 178-188. https://doi.org/10.1108/TLDR-07-2024-0032

Denne, LD, Moody, G, Coulman, E, Gillespie, D, Ingarfield, K, Manktelow, N, Grindle, CF, Hughes, JC, Taylor, Z & Hastings, RP 2025, 'Teaching Early Reading Skills to Adults With Intellectual Disabilities Using a Support Worker/Family Carer Mediated Online Reading Programme: A Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial', Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARID, vol. 38, no. 1, e13332. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.13332

Alarifi, S, Denne, L & Hastings, RP 2024, 'Challenging behaviour and its correlates in preschool-aged children with an intellectual disability in Saudi Arabia', Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, vol. 68, no. 3, pp. 264-276. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.13109

Grindle, C, Denne, LD, Roberts-Tyler, EJ, Sapiets, SJ, Apanasionok, MM, Hughes, JC, Hastings, RP, Gore, N, Baker, P & McDowell, C 2024, 'Collective effort to enhance the quality of research evidence in intellectual and developmental disabilities: a case study of an academic-practice network', Tizard Learning Disability Review, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 5-13. https://doi.org/10.1108/TLDR-08-2023-0018

Denne, LD, Grindle, CF, Sapiets, SJ, Blandford-Elliott, M, Hastings, RP, Hoerger, M, Lambert-Lee, K, Paris, A, Nicholls, G & Hughes, JC 2023, 'Creating effective teaching and learning environments: Building a positive behavioural support (PBS) model for UK special schools', Support for Learning, vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 183-193. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9604.12459

PBS Working Group, Gore, NJ, Sapiets, SJ, Denne, LD, Hastings, RP, Toogood, S, MacDonald, A & Baker, P 2022, 'Positive Behavioural Support in the UK: A State of the Nation Report', International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support, vol. 12, no. Supplement 1, pp. 4-44. <https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/bild/ijpbs/2022/00000012/a00101s1/art00001>

Beqiraj, L, Denne, LD & Hastings, RP 2022, 'Short report: Correlates of behaviours that challenge in children with intellectual disability in special education settings', Research in Developmental Disabilities, vol. 131, 104367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104367

Commissioned report

Denne, L, Flynn, S, Thompson, P, Hayden, N, Murray, CA, Morris, R & Hastings, R 2023, Headsprout Early Reading® in Special Schools (HERiSS) A randomised controlled trial: Evaluation report. Education Endowment Foundation. <https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-and-evaluation/projects/headsprout-early-reading>

Langdon, P, Denne, L, Thompson, P, Hayden, L, Blumenfeld, F, Cullen, S, Flynn, S, Taylor, E, Williams, C, Gray, K & Hastings, R 2023, Reducing the risk of criminal exploitation using multisystematic therapy-the RESET study. Youth Endowment Fund. <https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/funding/evaluations/reset/>

Other report

Langdon, PE, Denne, L, Thompson, P, Hayden, N, Blumenfeld, F, Cullen, S, Flynn, S, Taylor, E, Williams, C, Gray, KM & Hastings, RP 2023, Reducing the risk of criminal exploitation using multi-systemic therapy – the RESET Study: Feasibility study report. Youth Endowment Fund. <https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/YEF.-RESET.-October-2023.pdf>

Review article

Paris, A, Denne, LD, Grindle, CF, May, R, Apanasionok, MM & Hastings, RP 2024, 'Facilitators and barriers to the implementation of the picture exchange communication system (PECS): a systematic review', Frontiers in Education, vol. 9, 1206410. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1206410

Alarifi, S, Denne, L, Alatifi, N & Hastings, RP 2024, 'Interventions addressing challenging behaviours in Arab children and adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism: A systematic review', Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, vol. 37, no. 2, e13205. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.13205

Beqiraj, L, Denne, LD, Hastings, RP & Paris, A 2022, 'Positive behavioural support for children and young people with developmental disabilities in special education settings: A systematic review', Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 719-735. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.12989

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