The Department of Health and Social Care has shared an important update on 'neurodevelopmental screening' for all children, following public demands. Its message addresses an ongoing petition calling for these checks to be mandatory at 'key developmental stages' to better identify children who need support.

While the department acknowledged the need for early intervention and help foryoung people, it said the 'evidence does not support neurodevelopmental screening for all children'. In a response published on January 28, it also added: "We know many people, including children and young people, with suspected neurodevelopmental conditions experience severe delays in accessing services, including assessments and support.

"We want to move to earlier identification and support. The government’s 10 Year Health Plan recognises the need for early intervention and support. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) ADHD guidelines (NG87) recommend that ‘universal screening for ADHD should not be undertaken in nursery, primary and secondary schools’.

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"Evidence underpinning the recommendation concludes that there is little to no effect in introducing a universal screening programme in educational settings on children’s ADHD symptoms. Similarly, the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) published a review of screening for autism in pre-school children under the age of five in February 2023.

"They concluded, based on the available evidence, that ‘the UK NSC does not currently recommend screening for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in pre-school children under 5 years’, due to concerns about the accuracy of current screening tools and a lack of evidence that children diagnosed through universal screening have better long-term health or social outcomes than those identified through clinical pathways."

Beyond this, the department also added that it is 'currently carefully considering' the recommendations of the independent ADHD taskforce report, commissioned by NHS England in 2024. This recommends improving early identification of neurodivergent children and young people to enable personalised support and prevent escalating needs.

The Department of Health and Social Care's response then continued: "Building on the work of the taskforce, the government is also working to better understand why demand is rising and how to make sure people get the right support at the right time.

"On 4 December 2025, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care launched an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism.

"This independent review will inform our approach to enabling people with ADHD and autistic people of all ages to have the right support in place to enable them to live well in their communities. The final report will be published in the summer."

The petition entitled 'Fund mandatory neurodevelopmental screening for all children' has garnered more than 27,000 signatures. Should it reach 100,000, it will be considered for a debate in Parliament.

If you would like to read the petition or its response in full, visit Parliament's website here.

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