worried about ehcp

[elliejjtiny]

I know it's early yet, DS4 is nearly 2.5, but my friend's dd has been turned down for an ehcp and I'm worried that if she can't get one then DS4 won't get one either. DS was born with cleft lip and palate has an immature brain for his age and has hydrocephalus (not shunted yet but will be before school). He also has glue ear (got grommets in) speech delay (he can say a few words but they are very unclear) and he can only walk about 2 steps before falling over. He has had 9 operations for various things and understandably he is now very scared of anything that resembles hospital, nurses etc.

At the moment he goes to a sn preschool where the ratio is one adult to 2 children, we haven't tried him in a mainstream setting yet. I'd like him to try mainstream school, with the option of moving to ss if he can't cope (I admit part of it is I want to add "went to mainstream school" to his achievements, to proudly display at least one photo of him in his red uniform on my wall and watch him play shepherd number 2 in the nativity just like I did with my older 3 boys, otherwise I would probably cheerfully send him straight to ss). Anyway if he doesn't get the ehcp then him going to ss isn't an option. I know he will change a lot in 2 years but I don't see how he will cope with being just another child in a class of 30 when he struggles to speak. And if they do anything like have a dentist visit or have their hearing checked or even have the home corner set up like a hospital he will be terrified and start screaming. This part is getting worse as he gets older as he understands more of what's going on. Also if his shunt gets blocked/infected will the teacher notice if she has 29 other children to teach?

I know it's naiive but I thought that we'd be able to get an ehcp for him with a bit of a fight. But now my friend's dd has been turned down (she is going to appeal) I've got a horrible feeling that DS4 will be turned down too. She has completely different needs to him as she has autism so I probably shouldn't compare really.

Don't compare with the other child! You need to go into this determined you will get an EHCP and your son will get properly supported at school. Do start looking at schools too, seeing where he will best fit. It sounds as though he will need an EHCP for a mainstream setting so you don't want to wait until he is struggling at school to get it in place. Good luck.

Thankyou. His 3 older brothers go to the nearest local primary so it's more or less decided that he will go there if he goes to mainstream. The school senco is aware of him and will go to visit him at his SN preschool in the summer. His key worker at pre-school said I should start applying for school funding next September. So it's all in hand, I'm just worried he wont get what he needs.

Please don't rule out looking at special schools too, it is a much more expensive option for local authorities and many children are left really struggling in mainstream whilst the parents are told the special school is full or many other excuses. It can be very difficult to move out of mainstream and isn't a straight forward process.

It sounds very cynical but don't be under the impression that the educational professionals will have your child's best interests at heart. Only you can do that.

My 3 year old starts school in Sept and hasn't got a ehcp yet. He is non verbal. I do think they are getting harder to get ( funding cuts).

Agree with moving from mainstream to ss will be hard. Ss will be fully allocated from the off in reception. Yes kids do move but with 8 per year / class movement is much smaller.

My sons ehcp is being done now via nursery but he will not have it ( IF he gets one ) until just before he starts school.

Are you sure nursery will apply? If not I would apply yourself now. Then you have time to appeal and build a good case.

It took in total about two years to complete the entire appeal process for me

To be assessed - appeal refusal sept 2013 - case dropped by la Jan 2014

Not to issue a statement - appeal April 2014 heard oct and Dec 2014

Statement was issued and rubbish April 15 - appeal heard in Nov 15

Not to mention over a year of being ignored by school asking for assesment in reception year

Thankyou. Didn't realise that it was difficult to move from mainstream to ss. I have 3 older children who have less severe SN so some bits of the system I'm familiar with and other bits are new. DS4 will have an assessment at preschool between December and February and his keyworker says there is no point in applying for anything before then. We're also waiting for the ed psych to come and see him and sort out portage. In February he is going to have another mri scan and hopefully we will know for definite what his long term medical needs will be. I think after that would be the best time to apply. However I think it would be a good idea to get the forms before that and work out what evidence we need to get so it doesn't get held up by something that we could have sorted earlier.

If you can get nursery to apply that's the ideal route. Parents are routinely refused, school nursery rotinely accepted.

If on adverage ( from my quick look at ss places I'm considering) a place costs £15,000. Mainstream is more like £4000.

Also there are maybe only 20 ss in my county all with 8 places max each year ( and not even that as they tend to blend years so 8 in year r and 1 combined)

I am in my rural town I think we have ten schools with 30 each in reception so thousands of receptions places in ms and tens of places in ss. There just isn't the capacity