EHCP for autistic 10 year old

[TyotyaKlava]

Hi, just looking for opinions really. My daughter is 10, she has been diagnosed with autism when she was in year 1. She has mostly social needs. She is clever and doing well academically. She has only one friend at school. Even then this friend is quite social and when she is with someone else my daughter is all by herself. She hardly engages in conversation with adults even us her parents. Only if she has something to tell about her interests like Pokémon game etc. she also potentially has pda. She hates being told what to do and becomes quite stressed in the mornings when there is a lot of demand for her to get ready in time.
now, she is in year 5 and we need to think about her secondary school application. Our catchment school has very bad reviews. Any other local schools are oversubscribed. She is also getting tutorship for 11 plus tests but if she doesn’t pass or doesn’t score high enough we need to think about mainstream schools.
im now thinking of getting Ehcp for her. She will now cope in secondary schools with her social issues. Do you think I stand the chance? If I do, do you think we will get one in time before her secondary school application is due (Oct 2025)?

thanjs

What do you want an EHCP for exactly? Is it because you don’t want to send her to the local mainstream school(s) if she doesn’t get into the grammar? Are you hoping you can specify parental preference and get her in somewhere else through consult rather than normal admission process?

To get an EHCP you would need to evidence her learning needs and / or social, emotional and mental health needs are such that she is not making expected progress in her learning and that she needs significant support. If there is no evidence to support that then you’re unlikely to get an EHCP on a diagnosis alone.

Does her school have a support plan for her? Are there significant accommodations that need to be in place?

Yes I’d like an Ehcp for her social needs in case she doesn’t get into grammar school so we can chose from local schools. She has some sort of support plan but teachers seem to be happy with her as she doesn’t cause any troubles. They know she doesn’t talk to her peers at school just one child . She struggles emotionally as well. With anxieties and just general moodiness.
the problem is due to her academically achievements the school is not concerned about her. But it’s not the only important thing about learning surely? Her emotional well being is important too and at the moment is not great. She doesn’t have friends, she hangs out by herself and god knows what happens in secondary school

As for the evidence we only have an initial diagnosis letter (written long time ago). Plus we get DLA not sure if it will help.

She’s 10 and in year 5 now, so you will need to apply for secondary school by the end of October this year.

If you apply for a needs assessment, there will be a waiting list and if the assessment leads to an EHCP, you won’t meet the deadline for applications. It’s a longer process and there’s only a few weeks until the end of term.

It sounds as though the school has put a support plan in place, although you have concerns about her social development. The authority will need evidence of her needs from the school, as well as you. You can apply for a needs assessment yourself, but it’s unlikely to happen before secondary application deadlines.

You probably will need more recent information from professionals too.

Based on what you’ve said, it’s possible, but not probable, she would get one but not before October. They’re taking up to a year in my LA. I think the legal timeframe is 26 weeks from the date of application, so Dec at the earliest as many authorities are unable to meet that timescale anyway.
Also there would need to be evidence she is not progressing. You would be unlikely to get one based on preventing her struggling socially if she doesn’t get into the school you want. Can the school demonstrate several cycles of graduated response? If she has a support plan and things are going OK for her then this evidence suggests her needs can and are being met in mainstream with some reasonable adjustments.

Thanks for your reply. That’s what I thought about the timelines. However if we get it in time for the appeal process, do you think it’s realistic?
as for the evidence from me what sort of evidence I can provide? Teachers could back me on her social issues but what else I can provide to prove her lack of friends and social interactions? Thanks

I think you might better focus on things that might help your child socially, through out of school activities perhaps. Are there things she’s interested in that she can do out of school?

It’s at least 26 weeks and that takes you beyond the deadline. You can select several secondary preferences and go on waiting lists for the schools you prefer if you don’t meet the initial admission criteria. It does sound as though her needs are being met in mainstream with some adjustments.

Request an EHCNA. Appeal if refused.

The first, relatively low, threshold you need to look at is that for an EHCNA. The only lawful tests are a) has or may have SEN, and b) may need special educational provision to be made via an EHCP.

You won’t have a finalised EHCP before the application deadline. With a few exceptions (including where it isn’t practicable for the LA to comply due to requesting information from the school over the summer holidays starting one week before they close and finishing one week before they reopen) the legal timescale is 20 weeks, not 26 weeks. Where the exceptions don’t apply, if LAs do not adhere to these timescales, parents don’t have to allow the LA to take over a year, they can take steps to force the LA to act, including via JR. It doesn’t matter if the EHCP is finalised after the normal application deadline, you should make a normal application but if an EHCP is issued the placement named in there will override the offer made via the normal application process.

Unfortunately, because some have to appeal, sometimes more than once, having an EHCP prior to the start of secondary school isn’t guaranteed.

DLA isn’t relevant. EHCPs are based on needs rather than diagnosis. They are also about more than academics, so being academically able doesn’t prevent DC from getting EHCPs. You can get EHCPs for DC who are still making expected progress in their learning. Many have to appeal because LAs like to act unlawfully, but it is still possible. You can get EHCPs even when the school doesn’t support the application. Again, some have to appeal but you shouldn’t let that put you off. It isn’t lawful for LAs to refuse because there has not been several APDR cycles. It is not part of the lawful test. It is a myth LAs and some schools like to perpetuate. And any decision now should consider the upcoming transition to secondary.

Grammar schools are still mainstream schools. They are selective mainstream schools. From your posts, DD would still need support in a grammar.

DD’s needs are not being met currently. She may be flying under the radar at school because she is academically able without behavioural concerns but, for a start, she has clear communication and interaction needs that are not being met.

Does she want friends?

thanks for your responses, I really appreciate it. I’ll speak to her sen teacher at school first and decide how to tackle it best.
she wants to have friends she just doesn’t know how to behave naturally around her peers. She will just stand there awkwardly and only respond to her the only friend. She will not even say hello to her unless her friend acknowledges her first 😓
she was upset multiple times about the lack of friends how no one invites her to birthday parties or play dates. It is heartbreaking 💔

The school can and should put in place interventions to support the development of social skills without needing an EHCP, at least in the first instance. There may be specialist ASD advisory teachers w putting fir the LA who can advise school on this. Ask the school SENCO.

Beyond the deadline? The child's in year 5 not year 6.

It's certainly likely an EHCP wouldn't be issued before October of year 6 but it's not impossible.

This thread is a couple months old. The child is Y6 now. An EHCP will not be issued by October deadline.