EHCP for child with verbal dyspraxia please help!

[BJUV]

Hello
My 4 yr old daughter was diagnosed with verbal dyspraxia by the Nuffield Centre in May 2017. At the assessment they said that she needed a high level of speech therapy to progress. Despite this she has one session with a SALT per week and NHS say they won't provide any more than this (but that's another story...)

The Nuffield suggested that we apply for an EHCP and we did this in July but were refused a needs assessment by the LEA. My daughter has started at school nursery in September. We have applied again to the LEA in October with a 144 page request consisting of reports and numerous articles and this time they have agreed to assess.

I wondered if anyone has experience of getting an EHCP for a child with verbal dyspraxia? I am unsure of what to ask for specifically or the number of hours to ask for.

Currently my daughter is having 1:1 speech practice sessions with a TA in the nursery once a day. Even if we had twice a day this would only amount to 5 hours a week. She does also need other support with her peers (who can't understand her and say she speaks a different language) and accessing the curriculum but I am not sure again how this is worked out in hours of support?

Any advice from anyone who has managed to get an EHCP in place for verbal dyspraxia or a severe speech disorder would be gratefully received!

My son has an EHCP for severe phonological/ speech sound disorder. He needed it to attend his specialist unit and was agreed easily once the SALT said he needed the unit. Send me a PM. I know lots about the EHC system through my work and am happy to offer some thoughts.

Thanks - have sent you a PM.

Hello, I'd be very grateful for any snippets of advice regarding requesting an EHCP assessment form the local authority.
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Wattos, generally it's best to start a new thread for a new inquiry. But there's lots of information here - www.ipsea.org.uk/ehc-needs-assessments

I got a statement (as they were called then) for my son about 12/13 years ago. He has verbal dyspraxia /severe phonological/ speech disorder too. He had visits from a speech therapist at his school and a TA who worked with him each day. We also did lots of work at home. We considered sending him to a school with an attached speech and language unit (which he would have been accepted for with his statement) but in the end he stayed at the same school as his brother. In his early years at school his peers didn't understand him either. It was a long journey but now you wouldn't know he had a problem.

Thanks for that, I appreciate you posting the comment, it is most helpful and also heartening to hear of your son's success story and more importantly, your comment about 'now you wouldn't know he had a problem'. Simply wonderful! You must be very proud and also relieved that he can now fully participate in the world of language and communication.
I know, having worked in state schools that statements were certainly a lot easier to get in those days. The criteria for EHCp's now is much tougher to meet. However, we are not disheartened and ready to go into battle with the LEA if necessary as WE are requesting the EHCP assessment, not the school.
Can I ask, how old was your son when he was diagnosed and when did he receive his statement? How long was the statement maintained?
The little one aged 2.8 starts nursery school this September. 95% of what she says is unintelligible. We have had to pay for a private ST assessment and the diagnosis is DVD. Her peers cannot understand her they frequently ignore her, she is becoming withdrawn, passive and isolates herself. She gets upset and very angry when family can't understand her and is beginning to lash out in frustration. She stomps off, goes to lie on her bed and cries her heart out. It's heartbreaking to see. 😢 We feel so incredibly helpless. Our beautiful, bright, intelligent little one is losing her self confidence and bubbly outgoing personality. We feel she is 'locked in' and unable to communicate even at the most basic of levels. Her receptive language is excellent and she's bright enough to work out that no one really understands her....

Hi! Did you manage to get an EHCP for your daughter?

The criteria for ECHPs are really no different from those applicable to statements. The difference is that more LAs are refusing because of money, and are gambling on the fact that a lot of parents won't appeal. However, both EHCP and appeal rates are rising.

Yes, I agree, it's about the availability of money but without a doubt, authorities have tightened up their draft guidance. I was comparing statementing guidelines 15 years ago with ECHP's today - vastly different.

That's want I wanted to show people - that these children can get over their speech problems (I never thought it would be possible). I had to fight for my statement - it wasn't easier back then. He got it before he started school and it is still in place (amazingly) so he still gets annual reviews and any support he needs. Fortunately for my son, although his peers couldn't understand him when he started school, he always seemed to have lots of friends and remained confident so I really feel for you @wattos .

We get nowt. We only just tipped the threshold to even go ON the speech therapy waiting lists and that was when DD2 started school unintelligible about 80% of the time. Still not even at the top of the speech therapy waiting list now - the improvements we've had are because school have cobbled together what they can from previous kids' speech therapy programmes to try to put something together to keep DD2 going while we wait... and wait... and wait.

No money for going private at all.

DD2 had a rotten start to Reception - the kids just would walk away when she started trying to talk to them and it was bloody heartbreaking (I can understand the kids' feelings - a child who sounds really funny and has a dodgy concept of personal space too - she has both verbal and physical dyspraxia - must be quite hard to relate to) to watch. It's calmed down over the year and she's had massive leaps in speech clarity but her speech is still awkward, laboured in parts and there are sounds which she still can't articulate - plus days it's worse than others.

We get nowt.

That's good news.social skills and having friends that support is wonderful!

OiWho, it sounds like your daughter may well meet the criteria for an EHC assessment - I'd suggest you send in a formal request. See www.ipsea.org.uk/ehc-needs-assessments

Thank you for the support and advice. 😊

Hi, my son, 4.5, also had severe speech delay. He's likely to have verbal dyspraxia (though not diagnosed yet). We have an EHCP in place but he gets 1:1 input for only 10 minutes for 3 days a week. I don't think that is enough to help him with his speech and particularly phonics lesson. Can you suggest me how I can get better provisions for him in his ehcp?

How is she doing now? Our son is likely to have verbal dyspraxia and we are trying to refer him to Nuffield. Did you get an EHCP for your daughter and did it help?

@crescen you would be better starting your own thread. If you don’t think the EHCP is meeting DS’s needs you can request an early review. IPSEA has a model letter you can use.

Hi is this still alive thread? My daughter has suspected apraxia and applied for EHCP. Assessment has been refused on the basis of school hasn’t made reasonable adjustments and accessed E3 funding. The funding will not cover speech and language therapy which is what is required of her.

any help would really be appreciated

@Farkhou you would be better starting your own thread.

You should appeal. The only lawful threshold for an EHCNA is a) has or may have SEN, and b) may need special educational provision to be made via an EHCP.

The exact wording given is “ The evidence provided by the school confirms they are supporting Alaya’s needs through reasonably provided resources that are normally available to mainstream providers”. All the school is doing is following guidelines of the SALT and haven’t applied for any further funding

Just appeal. The bar is so low, "may" need can be as low as they are in the school SEN register.

We got pushed back, and it does seem the council is just rejecting everything. The SEN department ignored us and I had to contact director of child services just to get a call back, to explain why it was rejected and they just made up another reason on the spot.