Draft EHCP - advice please

[MonkeyPuzzler]

DD has ASD. The Educational Psycologist has put in her report "DD will require a high level of one to one support to access a mainstream education". Despite this the plan only offers 10 hours of TA support. Can any one give any advice on how to put my case forward when I meet with the LA. I feel like they are constantly pushing me to see when I give up

[senvet]

My thought is to ask them, casually, how they arrived at 10 hours (without giving any inkling that you disagree with it). Let them tell you.

Then ask which hours the support will be provided for. Is it 2 hours every morning, or 5 hours twice a week?

And then, what is the supporting person going to do? (Is it keep DD on task, and help her understand the teacher?)

The 10 hours is probably worked out on a matrix of funding with the kids they deem most severe at one end of the matrix, and the least severe at the other.

Whatever their answers to the question, it will probably make no sense whatsoever when you consider that your DD has ASD 24/7. If she needs adult support to keep her on task, then are they saying that her ASD disappears for all the other hours in the day?

It is just possible that they have noticed her problems are at break time and lunch time and that she is fine in the classroom. Or that her concentration lapses only for the last two hours of the day. So they have worked out that this is the only time she needs support, ie that there is a rational explanation worked out on a careful analysis of your child's needs. I will be completely gobsmacked if that IS the case, but it is a logical possibility, just very unlikely in my experience.

Your DD is entitled to full time education that meets all her needs. If she needs support to engage appropriately in lessons, then they cannot get away with giving it for only a few lessons.

AND with EHCP you have 'best possible outcome' as the goal, so partial engagement in lessons is scarcely likely to be that.

Hope this is hitting the spot

[MonkeyPuzzler]

Thanks senvet that has really helped. DD is only at preschool 15 hours per week at present so you are absolutely right they haven't come up with 10 hours after carefully analysing her needs in school. The draft does not even specify over what days the hours will he used which i had not considered. Thanks again for your help.

[senvet]

Full time entitlement comes at 5, but it is still the case that all her needs must be met.

Sometimes if full time support is requested, the LAs paint a picture of your DC being the only child with a 1-to-1 adult following them everywhere, and cramping their style.

A good 1 to 1 will know when to step back and let a naturally occurring situation develop, but be there to step in when needed if something is brewing, or when an excellent learning opportunity arises - whatever their purpose is. If your DC might need support at any point in the day and no-one can predict when, then you can argue that she needs support for the full 15 hours.

Sometimes ASD kids have unpredictable behaviour which can put them or their classmates at risk. In this case it is a no-brainer. Support must be full time - or I would tell the LA (actually, I did tell, in the case of a relative who kept bolting) to advise their insurers of the risk that they are taking because the writ for damages could be on their desks the day after a predictable injury

Good Luck.