DNA tests on children could be used to “pre-diagnose” SEND conditions and help to “streamline” support for those youngsters at most risk, government-commissioned research has said.
The findings came in a report, released last week and commissioned by the Conservative government, examining the implications of future genomics technologies on the education sector.
Ipsos MORI researchers suggested genetic screening – tests designed to identify those most likely to develop genetic disorders – “could function within current systems for SEND and alternative provision”.
“It is possible that genomics could be used as a form of pre-diagnosis or assessment of risk for developing SEND, which could potentially improve systems of diagnosis, support and early intervention,” the report explained.
“Understanding the potential risk of developing certain SEND conditions earlier could also mean developing an education, health and care plan [EHCP] sooner for young people.”
Early intervention potential
The researchers also said it was “possible that future genomic screening could develop to the point where a child could be assessed for increased risk of developing autism from birth”. Most youngsters are not diagnosed for the condition “until after the age of 3”.
Such information would allow “early intervention and additional support…[to] be put in place to both improve outcomes for the child entering the education system and the support provided to their family”.
They warned that this kind of screening “will not provide a formal diagnosis”.
But it would “provide more information to parents… which could be used to adapt the home learning environment and childcare provision [and] begin educational planning for starting school”.
It would also “allow for streamlining of children at elevated risk for the associated assessment/diagnosis”, freeing up staff to undertake SEND and behaviour work in schools.
This comes after the SEND review highlighted, among other things, an “overreliance” on EHCPs for “support when they are hard to obtain [and] prolonged waiting times for diagnosis” as key issues for parents.
A recent DfE study also found that education psychologists “have significantly less time to focus” on improving schools’ SEND and behaviour support systems as “individual assessments and diagnostic work [are] taking up most of their time”.
Monitor development
Previous government research has said there are more than a thousand genes that relate to educational and cognitive outcomes.
But Ipsos stressed that genomics available on the consumer market “currently has little utility within education settings”.
However, “increased screening and marketing of education-related genomic products is anticipated in the relatively near future… there will be sufficient scientific and technological developments to perform screenings like this [for specific conditions] en-masse.”
Researchers also warned there were no regulations around this and their use “could lead to stigmatisation of pupils”.
Julie McCulloch, director of policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, added: “There are chilling implications about the idea of scientifically testing children to determine their ability to learn and the potential for this to be deeply stigmatising and divisive.”
Ipsos urged the DfE to monitor developments in scientific research, “the cost and forms” of screening and any indication the tech could be used in education.
The department has also been advised to support studies focusing “on the link between genomics and SEND conditions” if it “feels its application [in education] is likely and wants to steward the system”.
Beware saliva IQ tests
However, Ipsos believes prior attainment and teacher observation will be “far more accurate” than polygenic scoring – which estimates an individual’s likelihood of developing conditions – at predicting a child’s attainment, cognitive ability and IQ.
It added that, for these technologies to “have a significant degree of accuracy and applicability, larger sample sizes… would be required so that findings made thus far can be replicated amongst the larger population”.
This comes after a separate piece of government research, released in 2022, stressed it was “very difficult” to accurately predict a pupil’s educational performance using polygenic scoring.
Despite that, “direct-to-consumer” testing companies were expanding into education fields and marketing the tests to parents.
Three providers were offering “genetics-informed IQ tests from a saliva sample” in 2018, but it was not clear how much traction these would gather or what support teachers would need in response to their use.
Genomic testing is mainly used in the health service. The government launched the Genomics Medicine Service in 2018 to help identify genetic causes of rare diseases and cancer in order to help with treatment.
