Non verbal ASD 2.5YO. 121 AT NURSERY??

[Exhaustedmama32]

My son is on the pathway non verbal doesnt like any kind of messy play/painting etc. Spends alot of time alone especially at nursery. He is under all the relevant services. Im sure i read on these threads that some children get funding for 121 at nursery?! But nursery staff said this isnt 'a thing' has anyone has tgus with their LO? XX

Yes we had it - think they applied for it from 2. It was a private nursery and he got enough for 1-1 half the time he was there. There should be info about how to apply in your county online.

Our ds had 1-1 funded support at nursery. You would need to look at your local authority local offer which outlines support available, it does differ by area. You could also apply for an EHCNA which will assess your child's needs and can result in an EHCP being issued which outlines what support is required and is legally binding.

As PP said check your local council's send offer. Parents or schools/nurseries can apply just fill in a form and the send team will refer it to the pre school forum who will decide if he meets the criteria to be assessed for an EHCP. Then it's 20 weeks to get one IF professionals agree. It's a long process though as there's a big delay with health reports such as Ed psych but better to get it sorted now. Without EHCP your nursery is correct - at the moment he won't have a one to one

Does 121 come under a certain 'name' online that i can research with my local council. My son is involved with the learning disability team on the autism pathway has a development pead, portage, SALT. and has specialist teacher involvement qt nursery (although they only go in about 1/2 times a year and not even sure what they do tbh never receive any feedback.) But with all that on top of him being non verbal lack understanding and struggling socially he surely would qualify for it?!

We had it. This was 8 years ago now.

We had it , I think it is a national thing.... was on council website. But only once the 15/30 outs kick in age 3 I think. Nursery got ball rolling to organise it before that though

*hours

Yes we had it. Full time 1-1 which is reality was part time because she only did 3 days but she was 1-1 with a keyworker the whole time she was there. It is 'a thing' but they might not realise it. If you're happy to post your county I can have a look for the relevant info for you (I work in this area).

Please look into an EHCP application. You've got lots of time before your child starts school and going by what you've said he will need one. They do take a long time (longer than they should!). This is, if he needs one because he can't manage mainstream, how you access a specialist school. You won't get him in without one.

Do they think he needs a 1-2-1 to access the nursery provision?
What is happening that makes you think he does?

In my experience it can be a thing. It's something many local authorities are trying to move away from, the aim is more for children to be supported within the group and not having 'time out' or over-reliance on an adult. Some areas will fund a certain amount of time at a higher rate which can be used to facilitate adult support, but they like to see this used in small group or more inclusive activity where possible so that the child is not learning in isolation from their peers. This is typically known as inclusion funding.

As other posters have said, an EHCP can lead to 1:1 funding, often for the full amount of time that the child attends the setting depending on their needs. And in my experience, it often does result in full time 1:1 support at the nursery stage, depending on need and the amount of support a child needs to make progress with their education.

This is something you could ask the nursery to refer for or you could look into referring your child yourself. They don't need to have a diagnosis, but will typically ask for evidence of the child's needs and the impact on their development. If you Google your local council and EHCP or ehc needs assessment, you should be able to find more info about the process in your area. The website SENDIASS might be helpful for learning more/supporting with this too.

@oddoneoutalways its Lancashire. Thanks very much and @Motherchicken no he is already in nursery 3 days a week with his twin brother. But he doesnt get involved in anything really and doesnt like any sensory play paints/messy play etc and doesnt really do anything with others. So hes very secluded. I was hoping a few hours 121 a week (not the full time hes there) would give someone that much needed time with him as without that theres not the spare staff for someone to spend time trying to support him indivudally to try new things etc. And to try and help him intragrate (if thats the right word) with others. I think he would really benefit from some 121 time even if just a few hours a week. I was under the impression and ECHP wouldnt be looked at until the year before he starts school? Or am i wrong is that something i should be pushing for now? He wouldnt start school for 2 years x

Ive had a look at the council website there is something called the inclusion fund. It says applications are mainly for 3/4 year olds but can be made for 2 year olds with sufficent evidence... i think i will go in and discuss this with nursery this week.

Have you applied for DLA, OP? This can unlock funding for nursery once your child is 3 and obviously get you extra financial help too.

We had inclusion funding. Someone came to observe DD1, decided she needed 1:1 support and told preschool to crack on and they'd backdate the funding once it went through administratively. DD1 went on to get a Statement (now EHCP) and then went to special school. DD1 was globally delayed, hyperactive, had no sense of danger, and had an attention span of around 30 seconds at the time.

@Bobbybobbins thankyou he does get High rate care dla.. @Lougle thanks so much im going to speak to nursery i presume they need to apply for this its not something i can do?. Or is it?..... do you mind me asking did your daughters develop improve overall? Did she catch up to peers? Xx

In my LA, they had an inclusion coordinator, who the preschool contacted.

You can contact:

www.lancashire.gov.uk/children-education-families/special-educational-needs-and-disabilities/getting-help/inclusion-service/

DD1 has a brain malformation, found via MRI when she started having epileptic drop attacks. She was diagnosed with ASD when she was 15. She's never 'caught up' but she can read simple texts, can write (although it's hard work). She has a severe receptive and expressive language disorder, but can chat about things she's interested in. Unfortunately, her impulsivity is still a barrier to independence and she still has limited danger awareness. She's now at special college on a course for independence skills, in a class of 8 with 4 staff, so well catered for.

We had it, it was called DAF funding or disability access funding

Thank you all for your comments. My son has a portage worker that from the inclusion 'team' so im going to discuss with her if this inclusion fund provides funding for some 121 hrs and if its worth applying for him. Unsure as to whether nursery will want to do it tho 😟