Has anyone applied for an Ehcp?

Yes, I have recently applied for an EHCP without having a formal diagnosis and my son has been accepted for assessment.

At the time of applying my son was on the waiting list for autism assessment. The council's panel was due to make the EHCP assessment decision on the 16th of the month and had a deadline for submissions from various agencies (school, NHS etc.) of the 11th. On the 9th they phoned my ex to say they had decided not to assess. I then got a solicitor to write to the council pointing out they were not due to make a decision for a further week, they hadn't waited for various external inputs and if they hadn't confirmed the assessment by the 17th we would take the matter to tribunal.

It may have helped that we got the paeditrician leading on the assessment to write saying my son needed an EHCP. My son was formally diagnosed with ASD yesterday and we now have to wait for the EHCP assessment process to be completed and then see if they will issue a plan.

I believe any parent can apply for an EHCP, and can do so once every 6 months. There is a system of Independent Supporters throughout the country who are tasked with helping parents like you and me. Where I live the service is provided by www.kids.org.uk. They might be the provider in your area or there may be another provider. I think speaking to a local Independent Supporter could be a very good first step.

There's a lot of information online at various places but as EHCPs are still so new much of the info will tell you about the process in principle - there seems little first hand experience online yet.

Though a diagnosis is not necessary to apply for an EHCP and, indeed, provision is supposed to be made according to need rather than diagnostic label, it is my hunch that having a diagnosis makes it harder for them to say no.

If you qualify for legal aid you can get professional help all the way through.

Good luck!

Yes, I have recently applied for an EHCP without having a formal diagnosis and my son has been accepted for assessment.

At the time of applying my son was on the waiting list for autism assessment. The council's panel was due to make the EHCP assessment decision on the 16th of the month and had a deadline for submissions from various agencies (school, NHS etc.) of the 11th. On the 9th they phoned my ex to say they had decided not to assess. I then got a solicitor to write to the council pointing out they were not due to make a decision for a further week, they hadn't waited for various external inputs and if they hadn't confirmed the assessment by the 17th we would take the matter to tribunal.

It may have helped that we got the paeditrician leading on the assessment to write saying my son needed an EHCP. My son was formally diagnosed with ASD yesterday and we now have to wait for the EHCP assessment process to be completed and then see if they will issue a plan.

I believe any parent can apply for an EHCP, and can do so once every 6 months. There is a system of Independent Supporters throughout the country who are tasked with helping parents like you and me. Where I live the service is provided by www.kids.org.uk. They might be the provider in your area or there may be another provider. I think speaking to a local Independent Supporter could be a very good first step.

There's a lot of information online at various places but as EHCPs are still so new much of the info will tell you about the process in principle - there seems little first hand experience online yet.

Though a diagnosis is not necessary to apply for an EHCP and, indeed, provision is supposed to be made according to need rather than diagnostic label, it is my hunch that having a diagnosis makes it harder for them to say no.

If you qualify for legal aid you can get professional help all the way through.

Good luck!