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EHCP

NAS88744

Hi,

I'm after a little bit of advice re ehcp's.

My 9 year old son was diagnosed ASD last year. Although we have a fair few challenges, he is what would have been termed 'high functioning' a few years back. He does well academically in school and mainly masks when he is around other people. He does struggle with transitions, over stimulation, understanding expectations and various other social demands.

The school have said he does not need an EHCP and would not get one if we applied as his needs can be met by normal adaptations. Whilst I understand this, everything I seem to be trying to access to find help seems to require an EHCP. He is starting Year 5 this year, so we will also be looking at Secondary schools and it worries me that without an EHCP in place he will not get the support I know he is going to need. My older son started secondary last year, he has suspected ADHD but I am finding the school policies (which seem to be common amongst most schools in our area) are not geared towards supporting ND children and even more so if they do not have an official EHCP in place.

So.. am I just falling short in my research and worrying unnecessarily? Or should I be pushing somehow for an EHCP? I'm really unsure what to do for the best and I don't want to be asking for something that isn't necessary.

  

  • Thank you so much everyone. I will be talking to the secondary schools and seeing what they can provide. I struggle with knowing the right path sometimes, I over research and hyper focus on reading case studies but then seem to lose momentum and get paralysed when it comes to any type of interaction! I’m trying my hardest to be the best advocate for my boys as they struggle to speak up for themselves. I will see what information I can get from the local authority as well. 

  • You might find it helpful to contact IPSEA to ask their advice regarding applying for an EHCP.

  • Well the first step to getting an ECHP would be to ask the local authority. it’s not the schools decision. If the local authority said no you could take them to the tribunal.

    whether the local authority says yes or no I don’t see what you have to lose by asking for the ECHP unless you think they’re going to put something really awkward and inconvenient in it.

    and obviously I can’t give you legal advice about going to the tribunal but I can’t tell you that most of the time when people go to tribunal over ECHP cases the local authority loses.

  • I think a good next step is to talk to your possible secondary schools about what their policies are. There should be a SEND head email address available on most school websites.

    Ask what they can offer without an EHCP, most schools will provide basic accommodations without one. My younger brother is also autistic and has accommodations including a mentor he can go to, a card to allow him to leave classrooms if necessary, permission to wear things like ear defenders in class and he does not have an EHCP. Other autism accomodations such as, leaving classes early to avoid busy corridors, extra time to get used to the moving around the classrooms, various in class supports, are likely also easy for the school to allow. 

    The only thing I think would be difficult to get without an EHCP is a constant 1:1 member of staff as this would require a lot of funding for the school, but it doesn't sound like your son requires this.

    Suspected ADHD is not the same thing as diagnosed autism, and schools do struggle to give undiagnosed children support partly due to lack of education and partly because they are not paid enough to support the kids that are diagnosed, let alone the ones that aren't, so literally don't have the funds to do so.

    So in short, I would not despair, plenty of schools do give EHCP free support, and have a legal obligation to do so with your diagnose sons.

    Talk to your schools well ahead of time to find out what they can offer. 

    Even if you do need an EHCP they are not easy to get and can be a long and laborious and sometimes expensive process that I wouldn't recommend putting yourself through if you don't have to.