To ask for people's experience of SEN provision

@Jadebanditchillipepper echoing what @BrightYellowTrain has said. They do exist. They can be funded and it is possible.

@Jadebanditchillipepper if DD has an EHCP, independent schools can be named in there if necessary and therefore funded. As can part time school and part time other provision.

If DD doesn’t have an EHCP, you should request an EHCNA. IPSEA has a model letter you can use.

Alongside this, if restarting to attend full time doesn’t work, you should request alternative provision from the LA. This can either be instead of school or as well as part time school. It depends on DD’s needs. IPSEA also has a model letter for this.

For years I looked for an alternative school. Asked my LEA specifically if a school that wasn’t mainstream, as DS would struggle with that sort of teaching and environment and wasn’t for children who were never going to be able to live independently existed and was told categorically that none existed

Imagine my disappointment years later, during Covid to find that this wasn’t true.
Dd signed up to a TA agency that provided cover for schools that had TAs off sick.
Dd was told one morning to go to a school about 40 minutes drive away

The state senior school was for children with ASD/ ADHD/dyslexia When dd came back that evening she was describing the school as exactly what I had struggled to find for DS.

This type of school does exist or this might just be a one off but this model of school and teaching methods should be made to be more common. For those who fail to thrive in mainstream senior schools especially who have recognised learning difficulties can we not afford to have this type of school to fulfil the potential of a significant swathe of what will be the adult population in 7 years

I know DS feels he missed out on qualifying in a trade or going to university because he didn’t get the GCSEs he needed because the teaching methods used and the lack of provision for someone with ADHD and dyslexia and possible ASD was not there.

You can apply for an EHCP as a parent. Look at the Ipsea website for guidance. https://www.ipsea.org.uk/

I haven't read the full thread.

I have two children with Autism and ADHD. Both are academically bright, but just cannot cope with the noise/demands etc of secondary school - Both would probably thrive in a small private school, but I can't afford that - especially now they have added VAT to fees.

The state secondary school that they both attend/have attended have done their best, although we have gone for the smallest secondary school in our area, there are still 1500 pupils! - This is just too much for both of them. My son has now left school, but my daughter is only in year 8 and currently on a reduced timetable - she was out of school completely for most of October/November, so they eventually agreed to the reduced timetable, which is working really well - dd is visibly happier and less stressed and is attending every day. She is gradually increasing how long she stays in school for, but they are constantly putting pressure on me and her for her to be back full time.

Attending full time just doesn't work - Everytime she's tried it, she's become so dysregulated, anxious and distressed that she's ended up not attending at all.

Surely 60% of every day is better than no school at all, but they can't seem to see this? Today is the first full day she has done since October. After that full day in October, she told me she was never going to that "Hellhole" ever again, refused to eat anything for days and was really anxious and low.

Now, because she has worked up to it gradually, knowing her limits, she is actually OK and happy about going tomorrow. I can't afford Private school for her so I am stuck with doing the best we can manage in this school - and they do try, but they really don't "Get it"

Regarding private diagnoses - surely these take pressure off a completely overloaded system and allow children of parents who can't afford private assessment to move up the waiting list?? If everyone waited for an NHS assessment, the waiting lists would be longer than they already are?? Schools are supposed to put reasonable adjustments in place without a diagnosis and children who need an EHCP should get it with or without a diagnosis, so why are private diagnoses so frowned upon?

I'm not sure i could do our experience justice without writing a novel. I'm chomping at the bit to campaign for better though. If only my local (Labour) MP was interested. Sam Carling, I'm looking at you.

@EHCPerhaps you can also request (tell!) the LA does not use Egress (or Microsoft Purview or similar) to communicate with you. Ignore the ‘not secure’ party line. It is rubbish. LAs use email for SENDIST. LAs use Royal Mail (yes, my LA went through a spate of hand delivering communications when I pointed that out to them).

@Hugmorecats I second requesting an EHCNA yourself. You can use one of the model letters IPSEA has on their website. Whether other DC with SEN also need EHCPs is not your concern.

If the other child has 1:1 detailed, specified and quantified in their EHCP, I hope their parents know the support is being shared and know they can take enforcement action.

@Hugmorecats you can ask for an Echp though you don't need school to do it. Write and ask for statutory assessment. They then write to the school as part of the process

My son has an ASD diagnosis but I haven’t found that changes much practically in terms of help. His teacher says he is about two years behind the rest of his class in terms of the level he’s working at. He sits next to a TA but she is actually meant to be a 1-2-1 for another child. The school have been saying for years they want to apply for an EHCP for him but there are always more urgent cases. I do see what they mean - there are a handful of children (all boys) with more significant behaviour issues from what I’ve seen on school trips just in his class.

I have seen it from both angles.
Two of my sons have/ had ehcp's/ a statement.
First son was initially turned down as he was achieving above average regardless of diagnosis (autism) He used legal aid to challenge and was granted a statement. He attended a special ed school and specialised education for those with severe mental health problems. He had help until post uni.

Second son became a school refuser. Was at a local grammar and they gave in with no fight. Have paid for private sen education until 19 and gets help at university. (Autism)

I am in Kent.

I also teach at a pru and see how awful it is now regarding dragging of feet over assessment and counting down the clock to avoid help and responsibility. Some children desperately need help and will never get it. I believe my boys were given what they needed as I knew my way round the system. For the parents of the children I teach they realise too late and are badly advised. It is no use chasing diagnosis at secondary level. Certainly not in my area. Our senco is methodical and writes detailed reports for ehcp's and they are generally turned down until appeal. She is utterly brilliant at what she does.

This is of course my opinion and is specific to my area which has a large amount of specialist private SEN schools that cost ££££.

Thank you for this. I didnt know that about the legal aid. People with experience who know their stuff and who take the time to advise each other is what has kept me sane

Lots of LAs use a secure system to email parents on EHCP matters, called Egress. This system blocks parents from being able to view the messages from the LA that have been sent to them, after about four weeks.
When so many LAs get into dispute with parents or ignore them for weeks/months on end to save on budget spend, and parents are already in challenging situations, blocking them from being able to see their own email thread with the LA is appalling.

I’m shocked if it can even be legal, given that parents have to appeal their LA’s decisions so frequently, which has to be done within strict legal time limits.

Horrendous system I’m just over 2years into the get a EHCP that’s fit for purpose fight and out of 9 tribunal court dates my LA missed or ignored 8 of them causing delay after delay through a combination of utter incompetence, short staffed and systemic lies to avoid paying for anything. No one holds them to account, there seems to be zero consequences eve being judged inadequate by ofsted twice doesn’t make a difference, everyone seems to ignore the fact that vulnerable young people are in the centre of this storm. We have been forced into home education as a result, like 1000s of other parents.

The wait time is terrible, but it's not for a lack of trying. My borough has doubled the number of speech therapists and paediatricians doing ASD assessments in the last 3 years, to try to get wait lists down. Now they have stopped speech therapy treatment blocks for children with speech disorders such as stutters, to focus on assessments and get wait lists down, and they offer the option of funded private assessments, and paediatricians are delaying reviews for children with complex medical needs, again to increase ASD assessments. But what is the point of doing all these assessments and then not being able to offer treatment, except to tick the box for an EHCP. It does feel like an impossible hill to climb for professionals and for parent's.

Pretty similar journey to mine only for two on a longer timeframe. I'm exhausted from it if I'm honest. Latest complaint now 18 weeks, sent to LGO refused as no stage 2 and they allow LA 12 weeks. Asked them to clarify how 18 weeks doesn't satisfy the 12 week criteria.

I'm in Scotland so the system is a bit different.

DS had a terrible time at primary for 3 years. Spent all day, every day dissociated and learned nothing.

Then COVID hit. We saw a huge improvement in mental health and academic ability. So we kept up the home schooling for the next 4 years. Living off disability benefits to make it work.

Now he's in a hub within a mainstream school which is working out well. Except that they put his academic ability at low primary level. Whereas at home I have him doing secondary level work, no problem.
I suspect what school are seeing is problems with processing speed and focused attention. Rather than a lack of ability to do tasks.
At home this is less of a problem since we tailor everything to his attention span and just sit out the bits when his "brain stops braining" as he would say.

So far he has an NHS ASD diagnosis but I'm considering an expensive neurodevelopmental assessment to get a better idea of his cognitive profile.
I'm very lucky that I've not had to "fight" the system as such.
Partly because the Scottish system is less bureaucratic (which has pros and cons. Less barriers but less accountability as well).
Partly because of the home education, I think. It meant we had no school gatekeeping the request for a specialist placement. The home education officer we were dealing with was actually motivated to help us in order to get a kid back into school.
Not that I'd recommend home ed as a way of playing the system. It only worked for us because we were genuinely prepared to home ed all the way through! And we may simply have got lucky.

I work on an advice line for parents of disabled kids. And I totally agree with the PP who said class is a big factor in what you get. Its often possible to correctly guess at the level of support, from the callers accent alone.

The lowest level of support is genuinely horrific. Think of kids left in soiled nappies, kids repeatedly restrained, kids losing years of their lives to school trauma.

Strategic incompetence is a national problem, sadly. I say problem, but I suppose that depends on your PoV. LAs certainly don’t see it as a problem. I doubt those members of the general public who are of the opinion SEN DC cost too much see it as a problem either.

Derbyshire, their latest inspection was pretty accurate "widespread and systemic failings"

My child has been on a waiting list for assessment/diagnosis since spring 2023. School are very understanding of him though despite the fact he's not diagnosed, as it's fairly obvious he's on the spectrum.

I hate to say this but my experience is that children with behaviour issues seem to get diagnosed more quickly and if your child is well behaved and on the spectrum they seem to slip through the cracks and not be a priority.

My son is in Year 6 and is in a SEN school and thriving. When he started after Feb half term in year 3 he was at Pre Key Stage level - he's now working at Year 3 to 4 levels which may not sound that great but it really is!

In the mainstream school nursery his teacher asked SENCO to observe which she did twice and said he was just a hyper boy. In Reception it was the same. Finally 1 week into Year 1 his new teacher refused to accept that and SENCO spent time with him. She quickly realised she'd screwed up. She put a CAHMS request in and he was accepted onto the Pathways for ASD (Not ADHD as he was 5 at the time and our area you have to be 7).

She started all the paperwork for an EHCP and then Covid came along so then she had to start again. An Ed Pysc did her assesment when he was in Year 2 and she said he was PKS and wouldn't get further than Year 1 level by the end of Y6.

When I got the report I was heartbroken but refused to accept his fate. Once his EHCP was agreed I rang ALL of the private schools within 20 miles (Yorkshire) and out of the 7 all 7 turned us down as 'its not what the other parents pay their fees for' (we would have scrimped and saved every last penny to get him there).

I fought with the LEA and his mainstream school for 18 months as they were insistent they were meeting need despite so much proof that they weren't (age 7-8 soiling himself and being left all day that he came home bleeding!) and not doing what they said they were and had timetabled for. We took them to tribunal but before that we had to have a mediation hearing with the head of the LEA and a judge which was on Zoom. Within 5 mins she said she wanted to speak to him privately and she forgot to mute herself but OMG she was tearing him a new one - she then realised and muted herself. 5 mins later they came back on and he apologised for all we'd been through and said he'd be delighted to offer our DS a place at our requested SEN school.

It was an awful few years and such hard work but totally worth it. DS was diagnosed in Y5 (4 years after the referral was accepted!) With both ASD and ADHD.

He was meant to be going to a SEN high-school but we managed to find out about a hub within a mainstream which will suit him better. He will still be in a separate building to the mainstream but, as and when or even if he's ever ready, he can go into some mainstream lessons like music or PE so he will get to mix with NT kids - thankfully the LEA contacted us this week to offer him a place.

"What I've seen happening in the schools is that parents who have greater means seem to get better help for their children than those who have social barriers. Sometimes they take away from a child whose parents aren't sure what they should be getting to give to a child whose parents do know."

exactly, I am not rich but studied in a law department ages ago in my country; Had a child who needed some provision but also saw how many people have not got clue what they are talking about and kept sending a child with sensitivities to mental health ( nothing to do with her case! ) and people giving us always the opposite advice of what we really needed. My SENCO was amazing and very intelligent and I kept working , chosing and chosing the relevant services , wether NHS or private and all the child's issues got resolved and she got taken from the SEN register.

Would have I been walking around with an open brain and a mouth wide smiling at everyone, who knows

I have two DC with autism. The second crashed as soon as she hit secondary. It's taken two years of attendance below 50% to get as far as the Local Authority even agreeing to assess her. School have made many adjustments but she still can't manage.

I also teach in a mainstream primary. In my class alone I have two non-verbal autistic children with one adult between them, two diagnosed with ADHD who are violent and aggressive, two with significant learning difficulties who are working at Reception level or pre-Reception level. Only one of these has an EHCP. There is no specialist support, no training, nothing. One of the parents wanted special school for her DC but the LA wouldn't name it despite the fact my school clearly can't meet needs. The parent has their own needs and can't access the appeal system although we have tried to support her (eg she won't make phone calls, but won't come into school to let staff help her make them).

The system has completely failed my DC and many of the DC I teach, not to mention the impact on other students in the school of having a high level of pupils with significant SEND and not enough support.

I thought more and more parents want their SEN kids at home because clearly the mainstream schools are staffed by awful miserable individuals and kids who are vile and not compassionate; you can put supports and treatments in place and still a child with SEN to hate the whole social side of it. Agree that the mother kept the mentioned child at home and the relative who reported the mother should be ashamed and hope she gets the justice she deserves