Have your say on government e-petitions

Require developmental assessments for children before starting school

Submitted by Georgia Charlton on Thursday 5th March 2026

Published on Wednesday 8th April 2026

Current status: Open

Open until: Thursday 8th October 2026

Current Signatures: 30
(count is updated approximately hourly)

Relevant Departments

Tagged with

autism ~ Children ~ delayed ~ National Health ~ National Health Service ~ place ~ Sooner ~ Spectrum ~ speech ~ system ~ The National

Petition Action

Require developmental assessments for children before starting school

Petition Details

We want the Government to introduce a system ensuring children can receive developmental and neurodevelopmental assessments before starting school, so additional needs can be identified and support put in place earlier.

Additional Information

Many children with additional needs are not assessed until after they start school, meaning they may struggle without the support they need. Early identification of conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, speech delays and developmental difficulties can greatly improve outcomes. Long waiting lists through the National Health Service mean many children start school without assessment or support. Early assessment would allow support to begin sooner.


If you want to sign this petition (as opposed to merely discuss it), you need to do that on the government's e-Petitions website.

Sign this petition
at petition.parliament.uk

Have your say on this petition!

comments powered by Disqus

repetition.me is a Good Stuff website

216.73.217.179 Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:57:50 +0100