This expands on his current campaign to ensure there is screening among all young children for dyslexia to better identify and support those with the condition.
In parliament this week Hancock asked Education Secretary Gillian Keegan “whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a universal screener to identify children with neurodivergent conditions in state primary schools”.
But in response from the government, children, families and wellbeing minister David Johnston admitted that the “department has not undertaken an assessment of the effectiveness of universal screening for neurodivergent conditions”.
Instead, Johnston details how the government had launched a £600,000 pilot in five areas including Bradford to deliver earlier identification and assessment of autism through linking teachers and health professionals.
A report evaluating these pilots is set to be published by academics by the University of Manchester at the end of November, he said.
In addition, Bradford’s Centre for Applied Education Research is using early findings from the pilots to develop a digital tool to help primary school teachers “to identify and respond to learning and support needs of neurodivergent children in the classroom”, said Johnston.
Johnston added that more than 100,000 education professionals have undertaken autism awareness training.
A study in the US into universal screening of autism found that children who screened positive received a formal diagnosis seven months earlier on average than those who tested negative.
However, this study also found that accuracy of universal screening needed improvement.
Hancock, who was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 18, is looking to bring in legislation around the universal screening for the neurodiversity in primary schools.
His dyslexia screening and teacher training bill completed its second reading stage in the House of Commons in December last year.
“It’s shocking that still only one in five dyslexia kids are identified in school”, the MP for West Suffolk told CYP Now last year.
Last month Hancock launched the group Accessible Learning Foundation, which aims to promote better identification of dyslexia and other neurodivergent conditions.
