EHCP

[Mum1405]

We are currently in the process off applying for an EHCP for my son when he starts school in September. We have already provided them with information/reports etc and have now been told he will get the assessment.

They have now asked us to provide any additional information. I'm feeling extremely nervous/worried what if he doesn't get it.
Can anyone help with what may help to include?

[openupmyeagereyes]

Did you submit a parental contribution, outlining the difficulties your son has etc.? Was the application done by yourselves or the nursery?

If there have been any changes since the original submission, or any additional professional involvement then you can include the new information.

[Mum1405]

Thank you openupmyeagereyes. Yes we did a parental contribution. The application was done by pre school but with our input and sending lots of reports. They are now asking for any additional information. Theres lots of questions and they have asked we just provide as much information as possible.

[Biggreen87]

This may be of some help.

www.ipsea.org.uk/what-happens-in-an-ehc-needs-assessment

Have the local authority asked any professionals to assess or have existing reports been submitted?

[BackforGood]

They just ask that as standard. If the reports were strong in the first place, it is fine to say the initial information stands and there have been no changes.

[Mum1405]

Thank you Biggreen87. I'm not sure who they have asked to assess him. I thought they went into preschool to do this but not sure who. I am going to call and speak to them monday to find out. We have provided all the reports we had.

[Mum1405]

Thank you BackforGood. It's just so a worrying time as we know he needs this.

[openupmyeagereyes]

My ds’ assessment was done by an educational psychologist at his nursery. He spoke to us for a while before he observed ds. He had all the reports we had submitted on his laptop and referenced them as we spoke. He issued a fairly detailed report within a couple of weeks. Then all the information goes to a panel to review for the final decision. If you are successful you should be invited to a planning meeting to discuss the EHCP content.

It’s a worrying time but you’re over the first hurdle. As PP says, it’s a standard template. If your original submission was strong then try not to worry. If there were things you wish you’d explained better, or if they’ve asked things in different ways then you could take this time to fill in any gaps.

Personally I wouldn’t submit nothing. We added a section to the top of our parental contribution saying that there was new information, x and y, but that the remainder still stood and resubmitted the whole thing but that may be overkill...

[openupmyeagereyes]

Does he have a diagnosis?

[Biggreen87]

I'd consider how old the existing reports are, do they reflect your child's current needs, do they offer recommendations which could form the provision section F of ehc plan etc.

If your not full happy with them now is the time to request new ones from the la. I'd want salt, ot and ed psych minimum. It really depends on what you want to come from the plan. Are you looking at mainstream or special schools etc.

[Mum1405]

openupmyeagereyes yes he got diagnosed with ASD in august. Pre school have also reported he is delayed with everything.

[Mum1405]

Biggreen87 what we he needs is a full time 1:1 which is what has been requested by school. He currently receives 1:1 in pre school as has senif funding. At the moment the plan is for him to attend mainstream school but obviously this may change in the future as he gets older.

[openupmyeagereyes]

This is what my ds has, 1:1 in mainstream. He is autistic too. He also had SENIF funding for 1:1 in his last term at nursery. I was told this was a good indicator of a successful EHCP application along with delays across several key areas.

We submitted reports from Paed, SALT, OT and dietician and, I think, specialist teacher. All were current reports. The EP assessment was part of the EHCP review itself.

Good luck op.

[Biggreen87]

As long as your reports reflect this level of support they'll be fine. Your local send iass would be able to advise you.

[Mum1405]

Thank you openupmyeagereyes. Is your ds doing well in mainstream with 1:1?

[Mum1405]

Thank you Biggreen87

[openupmyeagereyes]

Have you thought about deferring his start to school? I’m still not sure if we should have done that. On the one hand I think school has supported him better and that he’s made more progress at school than he would have made at nursery (but really, who knows for sure). On the other hand he’s behind the rest of the class in many areas, though not all and he’s not the only child with difficulties in the class, and deferring a year may have made things more on par for him.

Overall I think it’s going well. He has good days and more difficult days but the school have lots of adjustments in place for him and are very caring and understanding. It is a village school with around 180 pupils and a single class for each year group. The head is great, a big believer in inclusion and behaviour as communication etc. It also has a no exclusion policy.

[Beveren]

You should push for a speech and language and occupational therapy report, but you may struggle to get the LA to do it and might ultimately have to take the matter to tribunal so that they can order the LA to get the right reports.

You might find SOS SEN's Assessment and EHCP booklets helpful - www.google.com/search?q=sos+sen+online+booklets&rlz=1C1GGRV_enGB751GB751&oq=sos+sen+online+booklets&aqs=chrome..69i57.3579j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[Mum1405]

openupmyeagereyes I did think about deffering start date to school but I have read that at some point he may have to jump up a year and this worried me.

[Mum1405]

Thank you Beveren

[Mum1405]

We have been told by pre school that following the ehcp assessment at school we have got a draft meeting booked. We have not had officially confirmed if we have got the ehcp but if we are having draft meeting does that mean we have got it?

[openupmyeagereyes]

Our LA SALT told us that if you had a planning meeting it was almost certain to be approved. Fingers crossed OP.

Make sure you have a list of things you want to be included in the plan. Ideally these would be backed up by the professional reports.

[openupmyeagereyes]

Oh, and they did not include the funds on ours until they issued the final draft and they completely refused to include wording that specified 1:1 support.

[Mum1405]

Thank you openupmyeagereyes. The thing I really want is 1:1. I'm not sure really what else we would want included.

[openupmyeagereyes]

It will need to list the specific outcomes for the year and the provisions to ensure these are met. A starting point would be those targets in any professional reports that you might have from Ed Psych or SALT.

For example, an outcome might be for dc to engage in play with a peer for 5 minutes and the provision might be for an adult to engage in turn taking activities with dc (or other scaffolding).

Then it will list who and when this will be done which is where 1:1 support could be specified if they allow that.

[Mum1405]

We receieved the educational phycologist report this week from the assessment he did and there was a break down of lots of different things required and where/who they could be provided.
Thank you for your help.