Aberdeen is set to become a testbed for a new evidence-based approach to supporting neurodivergent children, following approval at today’s meeting of Aberdeen City Council’s Education and Children’s Services Committee.
Launching in August 2026, the initiative — structured as a formal ‘Test of Change’ — will introduce an Allied Health Professionals-led, multidisciplinary assessment pathway grounded in neuro-affirming science and the GIRFEC (Getting it Right for Every Child) framework. It is being delivered jointly by Aberdeen City Council and the Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership.
The model moves away from diagnosis-first pathways, instead applying holistic, strengths-based assessment methods that consider contextual factors, lived experience and developmental strengths alongside clinical indicators. Aberdeen City Council’s Educational Psychology Service will underpin the pathway with evidence-based methodology to ensure assessment quality and scientific rigour.
Neurodivergence — encompassing conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia and developmental language disorder — is estimated to affect around 15% of the Scottish population. Demand for specialist diagnostic services has surged in recent years, creating fragmented pathways and long waiting times that researchers and clinicians have flagged as a systemic problem across the UK.
The Aberdeen pathway is designed to address this by enabling earlier identification and intervention — particularly during the preschool to Primary One transition — without always requiring formal diagnosis. In cases where diagnosis is appropriate, a clearer, faster route will be in place.
The pilot will launch across one Associated School Group before a formal evaluation is presented to committee in August 2028, with findings used to inform potential wider rollout across the city and beyond.
The project aligns with the Scottish Government’s Neurodevelopmental Specification and guidance from the National Autism Implementation Team, and is part-funded through the Fairer Futures Partnership Grant.
