Why won’t they assess my poor little boy?

[Candycanesallround]

My 4 year olds EHCP assessment request has just been turned down for the second time. First time was because his preschool hadn’t submitted enough cycles of evidence, second time because they felt more time was needed to see if their ideas helped him make any improvements. He’s been at the preschool 10 months. His ASD/ADHD has been confirmed by various professionals who have all assessed him and written reports confirming this. They have all recommended he needs the support of an EHCP. He has no learning disability and is very bright. But he is hugely impulsive, no danger awareness, very very hyperactive although when he is very interested in something he can hold his attention and focus well - but only when it is something he’s really into, like a puzzle. He has good language skills - not such great back and forth conversation skills. Physically very able which is good but his speed and strength combined with his impulsivity and lack of danger awareness terrify me. I am going to have to go through an appeal tribunal. No idea if I will be successful.
I have zero and I do mean zero support. I have a 7 year old daughter who is lovely but I constantly feel
guilty she plays second fiddle to her brother and his additional needs. I never have enough eyes or hands or time to do it all. I work part time. His dad lives with us but is basically a hologram in that he looks like he’s here but he isn’t really. He goes to work and watches tv the rest of the time; he hasn’t even read any of our sons reports and when I tearfully told him the EHCP assessment request I’ve been fighting for has been turned down again, his response was “I thought that was all sorted?” 🙄 No family. Lots of lovely friends but they all have their own kids and issues etc.
I cannot overstate how through the roof my stress levels are.
why won’t they assess him? Will they ever assess him? What happens if they don’t? Will he literally just be left to struggle in school without help?
I honestly cannot breathe sometimes with the worry.
any knowledge or advice appreciated. Thankyou

OP I just came to say that, as you’re already finding, there is a wealth of information and support you can tap in to from other parents. And this thread is also very informative about the different viewpoints of the professionals involved! Unfortunately it’s very much a case of support going to kids whose parents are able to inform themselves of what they can/should ask for and are willing to keep pushing and fighting for it. And paying for private input if possible.

As well as threads here, there are some really useful Facebook groups. Just search EHCP or SEN in groups and you’ll find lots, probably including a local one.

I think that figure went up to 98% with the release of new stats this week.

The form of the "advice and information" from an EP is not specified in the act. As I state above, some LAs are trying to use EP attendance at a TAC meeting and agreement with other people's outcomes as enough. In my view it is not.

Neither is it best practice to apply for an ehcp before seeking advice from an EP, if and when it is possible to do so beforehand it is much better all around for everyone as I stated above. Which is why, in this case, with a very young child who is academically able but struggling in their context, the expertise of an EP working with teaching staff in things like establishing joint attention over time and with supervision is likely to be much more impactful than just writing some recommendations based on a one off visit that you then have no ability to supervise, consult on, or adjust in response to progress.

So, OP, as I said before, try to get an EP involved if you can.

I wonder what happens if everyone or more than half the class have EHCP? How can teachers cater to every single student's special need at the same time?

The form of the "advice and information" from an EP is not specified in the act.

I know, I have literally posted exactly that. The form it takes may not be specified, but the act of seeking advice and information is so no EHCP should be written without EP involvement which is what you posted.

Is there a reason you are pushing so hard for this while he’s only 4?

This is also not true. EPs train for a minimum 7 years in order to support children who have special educational needs, and we do not "downplay everything". We are guided by a strict code of ethics. If you genuinely believe an EP has written a report that "downplays everything in order to save (the LA) money" then you should report that EP to the regulatory body.

That does not mean that EPs don't sometimes get it wrong - this was particularly the case with able anxious youngsters a while ago, though this is now improving thankfully - but it was never a deliberate ploy to downplay need, more a training issue in initial training.

That's because our local professional term for an observation, assessment and discussion, setting targets, writing report etc is called an "EP involvement". I apologise for the confusion. I meant that an ehcp written where the EP has just shown up at a meeting and agreed with people (which I consider insufficient to term an "involvement") is less likely to be as good, targeted etc.

An ehcp written where the only EP involvement is after the ehcp request is agreed is also less good, just because it's a one off snapshot involvement. Best practice remains, and I reiterate, that an EP is involved via assess-plan-do-review in advance of ehcp request, and supports school in its best endeavours.

This is a good question. I work in a preschool and we have 2 children going down the SEN route who I really don't think have SEN (neither do any of the very experienced staff). In fact, they are 2 of the least likely - but the parents insist! I had one mother tell me her child is masking. He so relaxed, kind, empathetic, calm it's just sad to see her negativity. It's wearing down the services when people pursue this who don't need it. There's other children who I'd say are borderline (it's hard to tell so far) but their parents are not pursuing this for whatever reasons - often cultural, or linked to poverty. It's a mess really.

@DrRuthGalloway

There is an EP that I know of that never speaks to the child or the parents but converses with schools and reviews the LA reports and then produces witness statements to the Tribunal making outlandish statements.

They hide behind the fact that they can't be sued for defamation of character in a witness statement. Absolutely no scruples whatsoever.

This EP is rolled out at many tribunals accusing many parents of the same thing whilst never speaking to them or the child.

I'm sure that you have high standards but, unfortunately, in any profession there are those who bring their profession into disrepute.

I am assuming that all your lives are dominated by his ADHD behaviours - but 4 is very young. I am a teacher and parent of child with ADHD/ASD.
I have dealt with many children, mostly boys with ADHD and it has only been those who were medicated who were successful at school. An EHCP that allocates 1:1 ( unlikely) can make a difference but only when the TA is sitting next to them and it doesn’t deal with the interference inside their head caused by the chaos wrought by ADHD.

It took me 4 weeks from Ed Psych meeting to medication which completely changed my child’s educational experience. He says that without the meds at aged 10, he would not have been able to learn. He was barely hanging on until 10 and underperformed in all exams before that. He only ever took tablets for school, never in holidays or weekends. Just finished uni.

If you can afford it, go private. An EHCP might prove helpful if he is likely to get into trouble at school in the future, as it is more difficult to exclude a child with EHCP. I had no hesitation in giving my child meds at 10, because I could see how much he was struggling. At 4? Really don’t know?

If they all had EHCPs additional support would be in place. The problem arises when they are SEN Support.

That is shocking and absolutely not what I would do. They could still be reported to the HCPC.

https://www.aep.org.uk/resources/hcpc-standards-conduct-performance-ethics

Of course there are bad apples like in any profession, but respectfully, that is not the same as saying that all LA reports by ed psychs deliberately downplay need.

When I asked my sons school senco about EHCP . She said I can do it. It's up to me but it's better to wait until his diagnosis. Although it's not needed. She said if we can get (everything) we Need together. EP. General reports fron teachers , senco , few other people can't remember who they were. She explained if anything is missing or not enough evidence etc . They could say no and then it's hard work doing it all again. So I took her advice. After that the school it all for me all I had to do was sign a few bits and give a bit of input. But even before the ehcp they were great with him.

Op I hope you get sorted. Try not to panic. He's still very young. I can't remember what it was called. But when my child was in nursery/reception they applied for funding that meant they could give extra support. I can't remember what it was called though

@QuestBloomingdale Check your LA Ordinarily Available Provision to see what a teacher should be able to do before an EHCP. It's quite shocking and I'd suggest beyond many teachers.

Sadly post COVID there is not only a huge spike in ehcp requests but a massive reduction in decent TAs as other jobs are now available that are working from home or other flexibility and pay better. So no, if everyone had an ehcp (which would not happen) chaos would reign as there would just not be enough decent staff to support that much need.

If he has been diagnosed at 4 with adhd (never heard before 5). Have they not offered to start him on adhd medication?

Thankyou again for all your replies.

@Abbimae - no, he’s not “just naughty”.
Cheers for that valuable input though 😑👍🏻

At such a young age, I would imagine its hard to evidence a graduated responce.

Essentially, they try something and see if it helps. Then try something else, see if thar helps. Then try more stuff, and so on. Thus evidence is the Graduated Responce.

@DrRuthGalloway

Unfortunately, the LA reports we've had are very heavily weighted in the schools favour. The language used is "Mum reports" but not "SENCO reports". So SENCO's comment is stated/implied as a fact but "Mum reports" implies something entirely different.

Also, the reports we've had read entirely differently from the conversations we've had with professionals. They'll see something in the assessment which confirms the child's difficulties and then that never makes it into the report.

Does he have NHS diagnoses of ADHD/ASD? I’m a bit confused by your description that various professionals have written various reports and all confirmed he has ASD/ADHD. Generally you get one diagnosis and report from a multi disciplinary team.

As others have said just appeal. SOSSEN have a £10 prerecorded webinar on how to appeal refusal to assess. It’ll tell you everything you need to know and do.

13 years of the Tories. Unfortunately this is what the majority voted for.

Unfortunately, many LAs and professionals do see that level of contact as ‘involvement’. I agree, it is terrible. As you say, one of assessment is not best practice. Unfortunately, non-statutory assessment is not available in most LAs. Even when there is further actual assessment many LA reports are vague and woolly.

I say both "mum reports" and "senco reports" and "mum shared" "senco stated" etc...its just a way in my reports of sharing info I have not myself directly observed. It doesn't mean I disbelieve anyone?

"The Senco Tanya Jones states that Toby is in general very quiet and compliant in school, and appears rather anxious. However his mother Tracey reports that at home, the picture is different, with frequent distressed outbursts and episodes where Toby is so dysregulated, often as a result of emotions he has bottled up whilst in school, that he will punch or kick his mother if she tries to comfort him".

Is that not what you mean? That sort of report would not in any way mean I don't believe either party.

If you do feel disbelieved I am really sorry. My view is, if someone feels there is a problem, then there is a problem, and my job is to try to leave the situation better than I found it.

I would not sign my name to anything I could not defend in court if I had to. I absolutely loathe being called in tribunal and have told my LA on occasion that should they call me in this case, I would be a hostile witness. I have had to appear twice against parents in 25 years, which I hated, as I see my job as supporting young people and their families. However in these cases both parents were being completely unreasonable in their demands and in both cases the tribunal found in LA's favour which as you know is pretty rare. Just like an EP can be less good or more good, it is important to acknowledge that sometimes, maybe very occasionally, a parent can also be unreasonable.