Autism - to ask how EHCP decides mainstream or special school placement?

[Leabee1234]

I am really hoping to get some advice or hear from other parents who have been through this because my head is completely all over the place right now.

My little boy turned 3 in August, and we are currently going through the EHCP process. His application is heading to panel in October, and I know we have to figure out his school placement direction as things move forward.

I am so stressed and confused about how the school choice actually works. Do I have to choose between a mainstream or a special school myself, or does the panel making the EHCP decide what type of setting he needs? also when would the ehcp be approved as the deadline for applying for schools is January?

To give you an idea of what we are dealing with every single day, his support needs are extremely high. He is autistic (under a pediatrician and awaiting our full multi-agency assessment) and struggles daily with:

Severe eloping with zero sense of danger—I cannot take my eyes off him for a single second.

Intense emotion dysregulation and aggression when he gets overwhelmed.

Sensory processing challenges where everyday environments completely trigger him.

Huge communication hurdles, making it so difficult for him to tell us what he needs, which leads to massive frustration and meltdowns. He can talk but not functionally I cannot have a conversation with him but he can say things such as hi mommy love you mommy and sometimes says I want drink I want this on TV etc but minimal . He sings alot and uses alot of echolalia too
Mostly I think the aggression is frustration

Close supervision required just to keep him safe and others

Positives are he can be sociable he plays with other children at nursery sometimes he loves his cousins (but this can go other way if he gets overwhelmed or frustrated he melts down hits out throws in anger bites screams hits kicks)

He knows everyone's names including family member friends and nursery teachers

Very clever knows all his numbers alphabet and even can read big numbers and shapes

He gives good eye contact but gets distracted easily with everything cannot sit and play he is very very hyper active constantly running climbing wont sit still for even a second so he has possible Adhd too. Gets distracted easily cannot concentrate.

Nursery have had to reduce his hours due to not having the funding to.meet his needs.

I really like a local mainstream school because of its strong reputation for SEN support, but with his level of need, I am terrified that mainstream won't be right, or that people will think he belongs in a special school. At the same time, I do not even know if a special school is what he needs, or how the council panel determines which setting is appropriate.

If anyone has been through the EHCP panel stage with a child with these type of support needs, how did you figure out the mainstream vs. special school choice? How does the panel make that decision, and when do we actually have to lock in our choice?
Any advice or shared experiences would mean the absolute world right now.

Thanks everyone for your advice I appreciate it. The ehcp is actually being done by his nursery and the council SENCO lead helping them and me, hes been in this nursery since 11 months old 3 days a week. I also have wrote my sections of the form a few pages and the council ieys senco and nursery said it was absolutely brilliant what I wrote and I really explained everything in detail and advocated for my son.
I havent said what kind of school he needs to attend as I still am unsure thats why I asked will they decide. But I will be reviewing the final draft before they submit with the council senco.

It is all a huge minefield and I am spending hours researching daily when I can on the night to try and get him support he need and actually help him.at home too.

The ehcp is actually being done by his nursery and the council SENCO lead helping them and me

The nursery may make the EHCNA request and, if the LA agree to assess, the nursery should provide advice and information as part of the needs assessment, but it is the LA who make the EHCP.

Don’t blindly trust the LA. They will tell you what they want you to know and their version of the law, which is often an unlawful version. Similarly, don’t rely on the nursery giving you correct information either.

In relation to “also when would the ehcp be approved as the deadline for applying for schools is January?” this part of your OP, when (if! There is still the chance the LA will refuse to issue.) the LA should finalise will depend on when the EHCNA request was submitted.

Mainstream is the default but sadly despite lovely promises from people who don’t work there it often cannot meet need - at best the child is outside the classroom with inadequate education, at worst they have a breakdown from school trauma which takes years to recover from.
“Special school” sounds scary and not what you hoped for/expected for your perfect baby, but honestly, most people in your position end up fighting and even going to court for years to get a place (and/or home educating).
In your position I would try the mainstream that is your first choice but be watchful and don’t delay stepping in and firmly asking for SEN if you don’t see it going as you hope. Keep folders with copies of literally everything - and start to keep a diary of your child’s day including their food/sleep/mood/activity which could be used to track trends and as future evidence.

I just want to say don't rule out specialist provision at this stage if offered, it is much more straightforward to move to mainstream if their needs change than to fight for a special school place with all the others who wanted to give their children a chance at mainstream first. My 10 year old has been at special school since nursery and has progressed leaps and bounds in her time there. The classes are streamed and, as she is bright, she is doing age appropriate work within the national curriculum. Last year (9) she was given a reading age of 10-11. Her main issues are sensory and emotional and I'm sure larger classes would be difficult for her, as it is, she is in a class of 9 children, most working at her level.

I don't feel that anything has been 'dumbed' down for her, she was extremely delayed and was able to work at her own pace. Her school have already assured me that they have links with other secondary schools in the area and when the time comes, my daughter will be able to attend some classes there with the back up support of her special school. I fully expect her to take her GCSEs when she is at that stage.

I think people don't really understand how special schools work nowadays. I am grateful my child got to have this warm and supportive environment to develop at her own pace.

They arent allowed to say they are full. They can only refuse a place if they cant meet the childs needs or if taking them would significantly impact the children who are already there. You might have to go to tribunal to force a place but the school would struggle to refuse one completely if they could meet needs.

However what i meant was that it is so easy to get overwhelmed thinking that every decision is super important when you have a disabled child. I remember feeling like if i chose the wrong school it could be the difference between my ds living independently ans having a job and him having to end up in residential care for ever. I waa juat trying to reassure the op that all choices can be changed if needed. Not always easily but it can be done.