Launch of the BIND Screener

ACCESS CHANGES LIVES: BIND-S officially launched on World Duchenne Awareness Day

Today, on World Duchenne Awareness Day 2026, the BIND Association is proud to announce the official launch of the BIND-S, a brief screening tool designed to help identify potential brain-related difficulties in people living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

Why does access to screening matter?

DMD is primarily known for progressive muscle weakness, but it can also affect the brain and neurodevelopment, with difficulties that may include learning, attention, memory, speech, behaviour and emotional well-being.

These difficulties can sometimes go unrecognised, despite having an important impact on everyday life, education and well-being.

Access to screening can help to:

Identify potential difficulties that might otherwise go unrecognised.
Highlight learning and cognitive difficulties, helping to inform appropriate educational support.
Identify potential behavioural and emotional difficulties, including anxiety, attention difficulties and challenges with social interaction.
Guide further assessment and personalised support, which may include psychological, educational, speech and language, or other appropriate interventions.
Help families and professionals better understand an individual’s needs, supporting communication and care.
Support a more holistic approach to Duchenne care, recognising that DMD can affect much more than muscle.

Although DMD is primarily known as a muscle disease, recognising associated brain and neurodevelopmental difficulties is an important part of providing whole-person care, rather than focusing only on the muscles.

What is the BIND Screener?

The BIND-S, developed by the BIND Consortium, is a brief screening tool designed to help identify potential brain-related difficulties in people with DMD. It is intended to help make potential difficulties more visible and support decisions about whether further discussion or assessment may be appropriate.

The development of the BIND-S represents years of international research and collaboration within the BIND Consortium, with the aim of improving the recognition and understanding of brain involvement in dystrophinopathies.