ADD EHCP

[ADogAndThreeCats]

We are going to have our EHCP meeting at school which I requested at a Local Council. I would appreciate any advice about what to mention, and what to say...

My Y6 DS has ADD and exhibits symptoms of dyspraxia. This includes his PE, coordination and inability to handwrite longer pieces. It's not only about the legibility of his handwriting ( awful) but, most importantly, his hand gets tired very quickly. The handwriting struggle affects the development of his writing skills, particularly in creating stories. Last year, the teacher paid no attention to my recommendation of allowing my DS to type. Only half a year later did the message sink in for her, but it had already affected my son's writing skills.

Therefore, I would like the option of typing longer pieces of accommodation to be included in the EHCP statement, so I don't have to struggle with the lack of communication between SEN and the teacher, to say the least.
We are unlikely to get a 1:1 ratio because my DS is above the expected levels in maths and reading. This is due to the fact that he is very bright and my hard work with him at home. He could benefit from somebody helping him to pay attention as he is inattentive and his mind flies around even during tests.
CAMHS rejected him as he is missing that H in ADHD. He is not impulsive or hyper. He is calm, just inattentive. This is confirmed by the teachers who struggle to keep him focused but not enough for CAMHS
I am struggling to get an appointment with a paediatrician specializing in such cases. My GP says the referral should come from the school, but the school has done nothing despite I have been raising this issue since Year 3.
Now, after I completed the EHCP request, the SEN at school suddenly started panicking and completed the referral to OT. OT responded that they had already spoken with the school's SEN about it and sent a letter requesting referral forms. The school sent me a scan of a letter addressed to the school's SEN lady asking if I had heard about it. I must admit I was shocked that they sent me a letter that wasn't addressed to me and they clearly lost!
Last year, SEN wanted to meet regularly with my son, but it never happened. When I asked why it never took place, I received loads of excuses. I was truly fed up with it and that is why I think that only EHCP may help.

Any advice before EHCP meeting? Many thanks in advance

No I have not contacted the SEN governor

I’d recommend contacting both the SEN governor and the head tomorrow.

Undertaking statutory assessment costs thousands. Going to tribunal if necessary costs thousands. All because a school is being crap. Not your fault, but what a system.

Extract from Lamb (2019).

Well I am pretty sure they didn't spend thousand and thousand pounds as it was just reading form and coming to a meeting at school that will take place soon.

It’s the whole statutory assessment process that costs thousands-having to get an EP to assess is a part of that. Many requests to assess never happen though.

Good luck with your meeting-is it with a case officer at the LA?

You have a very inflated opinion of your power if you think asking for an EHCP referral causes panic. The school will see this many, many times a year. You need to look at this from both sides and not just yours or you'll get no where. SEND is a messed up, massively underfunded area but that's not the schools fault. You have self diagnosed and said he needs x, y and z but it doesn't seem for one second that you stopped and considered the other side. Your son is achieving well. Thousands of kids each year struggle to concentrate. It doesn't mean they all have ADD. Even if he does have ADD why would he suddenly start needing an EHCP?

OP, it’s important so I will mention it again, if the LA refuse to assess you should appeal. The most recent statistics show 92.2% of refusal to assess appeals are upheld.

disorgansiedmess not necessarily panic, but parental EHCNA requests do make some schools pull their finger out like the OP describes.

Have you actually read what happened? And what has that got to do with my alleged " power"? She would have reacted like that if it was a case of anybody that is actually check what she neglected.

>You have self diagnosed and

Yes, CAMHS assesment is " I self diagnosed". Neurologist assesment is " I self diagnosed". Teachers saying that he has attention deficit and that they quote from this week" struggle with him" is " iI self diagnosed".
Darling either you haven't read carefully or you are simply arrogant.
Thank you for your attention. Please do not write back

It is at the school with the assigned person by LA. Thank you :)

"Darling either you haven't read carefully or you are simply arrogant."

Wow. You'll get nowhere with this SEND process and most of that will because of your attitude. I'll leave it there.

@FatandRoundBouncingontheGround

I stated in the form that we most likely don't need 1:1 assistant and related funding. I described the problems I was facing sticking to facts. And I described that I need the help with getting the right assesments and that he will be allowed to type as a statement if any
Knowing that and having CAMHS letter they have not dismissed the case but are coming to school. They want to help even if this will not turn to EHCP statement but just talk to us and SENCo of what can/should be done.

Yes, " your powers" will make so 🤦🏼‍♀️.Please again do not write to me. Thanks

Hi OP, I can hear your frustration. I felt very frustrated too.

The UK process for diagnosing and assisting with SEN is absolutely bananas and largely based on preventing anyone doing anything useful. The councils are in so much debt. They will do almost anything to avoid incurring expense!

If you Google your local authority name and "local offer", you will find details of local parent support groups. Ask around for private diagnosis services for ADHD/ADD and dsypraxia that others have used.

Sadly to get anywhere with this you generally have to pay.

If that's out of the question I suggest a change of GP and/or a change of school could be considered. They vary a lot. We were lucky. Ours were helpful. We still couldn't get referrals because everything was so backed up.

Thank you, Phineeyj for a good word. We are in Y6 and my son will be moving to secondary anyway.

Ah OK! Well you can probably solve the laptop issue at that point by buying him a cheap, sturdy one for school. Yes you will need to get permission but school may well support it if it helps them read his writing.

You should definitely network with other parents to find out which secondaries are better or worse with SEN (you have to choose them by end of October).

If he's in year 6, the primary doesn't have much incentive to do much at this stage as soon he will be elsewhere...

>You should definitely network with other parents to find out which secondaries are better or worse with SEN (you have to choose them by end of October).

Yes, exactly that is a bit of a puzzle. i have visited 5 schools so far that we are in the catchment of.

Eo you have a preference for any of those you visited? We’re you able to speak to the SENCo at any of the schools?

It would be useful to check on the admission criteria for these schools and see where SEND is for each one. Recommendations from other parents with children with SEND may be helpful and remember that you aren’t choosing a school, you’re expressing a preference. If you are in the catchment for five schools, you have some options.

Yes, I did speak with people in SEN dep in in all but one school. Tbh they all were nice and accomodating.

Without an EHCP DS’s SEN won’t be taken into account for admissions. Some schools have an exceptional medical or social circumstances criteria but it is highly unlikely DS will qualify to be considered under that.

If you have catchments you're doing well. We're in a bit of London with no catchments and despite being a teacher myself it's very difficult to call round here, especially with "fair banding tests" (I also have a DC in year 6).

I don't want to depress you but I started an EHCP in October of year 5 and am now on my 2nd tribunal...we might get it through by year 6 but who knows...it's certainly not going to make a difference to admissions.

It is very unusual to be in catchment for five schools, even in a major city. Be very sure that you have a realistic chance of getting in to your preferred options.

We went through the EHCNA process this spring and summer (NA=needs assessment).

The reports the LA commissioned from their educational psychologist and occupational therapist clearly showed the same needs that the various private reports we'd previously paid for did (as you'd expect, if assessments are carried out professionally).

It is definitely worth requesting an EHCNA, declining mediation and then appealing. Parents win over 90% of "refusal to assess" appeals and tbh I think most councils refuse to assess most of the time, irrespective of what's written in the request.

Just as a ballpark (and bearing in mind we're in an expensive part of the country) we spent around £5k on assessments and therapies before getting to the EHCNA stage.

Plus of course my hundreds of hours of unpaid work...

Yes, we are. Only one we are on and off looking at the past years. One year in, One year out. In worse case scenario we would be on waiting list for that one but probably close to the top of the list

Fair enough. That's very unusual.

some of the schools are faith schools