Teachers/parents opinions on removing EHCP

[Sunnybow94]

I’m looking for opinions on whether to request my son no longer has an ehcp.
A bit of background, my DS attended two specialist pre school settings before starting year r with an ehcp and 1 to 1 he had lots of delays which were obvious from a young age and was diagnosed autistic early on. The early intervention and his sheer determination have meant he has come on leaps and bounds. He’s now in year 3 and no longer has a 1 to 1 as it isn’t necessary, he is smart, a rule follower and is now fully verbal.
My problem is this, because he is on the SEN register and has an EHCP this makes more work for the teachers and I’m getting the impression, from a few comments made, it’s a bit of a pain for them to put in these extra provisions when in reality academically he is doing well.
In some areas he does still struggle, although he can talk he rarely will say when he needs help or is hurt they have told me they need to look for visual clues, he still struggles with sensory overload and had to be taken out of assembly the other day as he was crying due to the noise, he eats things he shouldn’t and has put things up his nose on occasion but they really don’t seem bothered by this. He’s great at maths and reading but can’t always explain what he has actually just read and his self care isn’t always great for example he will put his back pack on then put his coat on inside out over it ect.
There are so many other children in the school that are higher support needs than him, the funding is low and the help is stretched and I’m sure the teachers are burnt out. I’m just getting the view that they feel it’s inconvenient to have to put these extra target reports in place and do extra meetings and ehcp reviews for a child that is very quiet, follows the rules and is where he needs to be academically.
After spending what feels like years trying to get his needs met and even having to at one point transfer schools, I’m now burnt out with the whole thing and feeling like a nuisance.

No, dont get rid of it. Just because he is thriving now doesnt mean a few years down the line he won’t struggle. Theres a big jump from
primary to senior and you may be very, very glad he has one. You would be insane to get rid of it.

would grit your teeth and keep the EHCP, personally. Your DS sounds like he has made amazing progress but it also sounds like he could do with the support. My DS has different needs but is in Year 6 and school basically denied he had any additional needs until we plonked a couple of diagnoses and professional reports in front of them - similar issue as he is well behaved, quiet and not actually failing, so they just weren’t interested. We are currently working our way through the EHCP needs assessment process.

I think you’d regret not having an EHCP for secondary school (as it will give you the right to name your preferred school for him), and he may well need it from
a support angle there.

But I totally hear you about feeling burnt out. I have spent most of my DS’s school career battling for extra support and trying to explain that there is actually a problem - nobody took me seriously until we had diagnoses despite all the gubbins about support being based on need as “he isn’t showing any need”, aka he’s not disruptive and just about keeps up. It is bloody knackering and so dispiriting. Can your DH/DP share any of the load? Mine is great to offload to but just nods and agrees to most things a professional says, so I have to take most of it on.

I'm an ex teacher and was also the SENCO. Do not get rid of it.
What extra provisions are they putting in place and why is it 'a pain'? The provisions should meet his needs, so if he doesn't need them academically then they can spend the funds on whatever else. For a example a programmer like the ELSA (emotional literacy) programme.

I wouldn't. I'm sure school wouldn't want to lose the funding either. It sounds like he still needs a certain amount of extra support and that may become more or less as he gets older. The jump to secondary school can be particularly difficult and you will want to make sure you get the right school for his sensory needs as well as one that won't be overly punitive for executive function difficulties and has good pastoral support, even if he is still on track academically.

My only issue with EHCPs is that they often aren’t practical. I have a child in my class with 50+ reasonable adjustments, each one simple enough on it’s own but when all added together it’s impossible to accommodate. There is little to no extra help from the government or the LA and it just feels like we’re failing these children. This has no bearing parents, everyone is doing their best but the whole system is broken.
I don’t know what the solution is but EHCPs as they stand right now aren’t working for the majority of mainstream schools.
Edit to add keep the EHCP you have though. Whilst the system doesn’t work you have to do the best by your child and until someone comes along to make them more manageable to fulfil that’s all there is.

Don’t get rid of it.

he may need it later - transition to secondary etc.

As pp said, it is quite likely that he will need support as he gets older. It is highly likely that he is doing as well as he does because he has everything in place to support him. The thing about having an EHCP is that, in addition to the obvious support listed, it acts as a flag to ensure all staff are aware that this child has additional needs. Some years ago our sendco said that while she didn't think our child needed an EHCP for the provision, she did need teachers to carefully consider any issues that may arise in context and an EHCP was the best way to do this. I understand what she was trying to say.

My child has never been "behind" academically in that she was achieving above average, but does struggle with many other aspects of education, and was not actually doing as well as she could. She managed primary school fine, but secondary was a huge change and the support needs were very different. EHCPs are not just about the academics, they are about the whole education process and it sounds like your child still needs that differentiation for sensory needs, communication and understanding.

Given how difficult it is to get an EHCP, I would not give it up as getting another later would be so much work.

Staff should not be making you feel you don't need the support you are getting , or that you are adding to their workload. It is part of their job.

Don’t get rid of it. The transition to secondary is very difficult for children with extra needs. The needs for dc now could very well be totally different in secondary and you’ll need the EHCP to get him the support he might need.

we found out dc EHCP invaluable when going to college too. We were able to name the college in the EHCP and get a lot of support to transition them in a way that suited. Also the EHCP was very much needed for access arrangements for exams.

I think you’ll regret not having the EHCP as our dc change so much in their teens and their needs shift significantly

You will need it later. Things might be ok right now, but that can change fast.

You may find he’s doing so well because he has the right supports in place, those supports would then drop off if the ECHP was removed, and you son start struggling again. Staff should not be communicating to you that they’re fed up or under pressure, you child is entitled to support and while you might empathise with them, your first priority needs to be your son.

Kindly, toughen up! Your only priority is your child - you can't deny him the support he is entitled to because you don't want to inconvenience the teachers.
Let them do their job - you do your job.

The likelyhood is he will need more support as he gets older, especially as he moves to a secondary school where things are very different and hormones kick in.

I would not get rid of the ehcp

The provisions might well be why he is doing well and academics are not the only measure of doing well.

EHCPs are about far more than academics. Academically able DC can still require an EHCP.

In some areas he does still struggle, although he can talk he rarely will say when he needs help or is hurt they have told me they need to look for visual clues, he still struggles with sensory overload and had to be taken out of assembly the other day as he was crying due to the noise, he eats things he shouldn’t and has put things up his nose on occasion but they really don’t seem bothered by this. He’s great at maths and reading but can’t always explain what he has actually just read and his self care isn’t always great for example he will put his back pack on then put his coat on inside out over it ect.

Read ^this paragraph again and you will realise it is still necessary to maintain the EHCP and the legal threshold for ceasing to maintain isn’t met.

Other DC having higher needs is irrelevant. Staff/resources are irrelevant.

He needs the EHCP. Please don't allow it to be removed, you will regret it.

I have been advocating for my son since he was 10 months old and have fought for every intervention and adjustment he has ever needed. Without going into detail as I’d be here forever it has been a very bumpy road at times and I’m sure most mums of autistic children will understand it can burn you out. A few comments from the school and some from another mum of a SEN child who is in the same class and keeps telling me her DS is higher needs and needs more help have gotten to me and for some reason despite all the things we have faced in his educational journey this has been the straw that broke the camels back. You are right! I need to ignore it all, toughen back up put my DS needs to the front of my mind as I usually would.

I’m so grateful for all of the replies and you are all right. I needed to give my head a wobble.
We have fought so hard to get ds what he needs and it would be mad to take it away now.
Between reading about the pressures on teachers regarding EHCPs and them not being fit for purpose (which to an extent I do agree with), a few comments here and there from the school and another mum on the school run I’ve stupidly let it cloud my judgement and make me feel guilty.
Despite being where he needs to be academically he struggles with anxiety and sleep issues, gross motor skills and self care and although he can talk he rarely communicates what he actually needs.
These things often come to a head as well and he generally requires more support when struggling emotionally, it just so happens that at the moment he is doing really well but that doesn’t mean he won’t need to lean on the EHCP support in the future.

If there is a child with higher needs it’s up to their parents to fight for them to be met, it’s not for you to give up the accommodations your son has.

Its entirely likely that the other child doesnt have higher needs but that their needs aren’t being met but that is not your problem

I have 2 autistic sons and my experience is that their education accommodations got greater as they got older.

Year 6 was a real eye opener in terms of seeing ds1s needs. Both my boys were pretty much where they needed to be, academically, but neither of them could manage in a mainstream secondary school.

It’s not your problem to worry about whether or not other children have higher needs than yours. It’s your job to do the best you can for your child, which you have done. Presumably, there are annual reviews of the EHCP and that’s the opportunity to discuss progress.

It’s a good thing that progress has been made, but it isn’t always a linear thing and may slow down or speed up. When it comes to secondary preference, you will want to make sure that he goes to a school that best meets his needs and the EHCP will be of help then too.

Totally agree.