EHCP for a child who masks?

[LemonOnAPear]

Bit of background. 8yo DD diagnosed when she was 5. High functioning ASD, masks at school, explosive at home. High anxiety, selective mutism and SPD.

So, she’s about to start year 4 and is in mainstream. She’s on an SEN support plan, is working at beginning to mid year 3 level, has extra support in maths, is in a spin off group for literacy with mixed level ability but for children who struggle in the groups they should be in. She’s bottom group level across the board. Her handwriting is at beginning of year 2 level and something she struggles with. So she’s not majorly behind at all, is actually doing really well and enjoys school.

But I made the decision I don’t want her going to a mainstream secondary school, I have a 14yo DD with ADHD and have pulled her from one school and moved her to another. She is getting on much better there but she’s very confident, can ‘hold her own’ and doesn’t take much to heart. DD2 would get eaten alive and it’s not a risk I want to take for her. She’s very vulnerable and has had issues with her friends already where they take advantage and manipulate her. This has been picked up on by the school.

There’s an amazing all girls school near to me, mostly attending by girls with ASD. I’m going to call them in September and hopefully arrange to meet with them.

I have no idea how to go about getting her an EHCP when she masks. Has anyone been successful? If so, any tips?

I don’t know the answer to this one for sure but I think you need to show that your DD isn’t making ‘expected progress’ and that the gap between her and her peers is widening. It doesn’t have to be academic progress, social and emotional progress counts too. Like the issue with her peers taking advantage of her - the gap between their development and hers could be widening.

Would an EP report show a difference between her cognitive ability and where she is at school? With my DD (ASD, selective mutism) it became very apparent in Y4 that she wasn’t making progress and reaching her academic potential - anxiety often stopped her from completing work in class. Eventually she became too anxious to attend at all. Then it was relatively easy to show she needed an EHCP as the school obviously couldn’t meet her needs.

(I am also wondering if the secondary has the initials LG - we looked at it for DD but after Y5 and 6 in a specialist school she is back in mainstream)

Thanks panne.

I think I need to start taking notes and keeping a diary, writing every single thing down. It’s more her emotional needs I worry about. I’m going to have to do a lot of research and attend a few workshops I think.

The social and emotional gap is definitely widening and becoming more noticeable now. I need her primary school on side as well, I’ll speak to them in September and try and get them to keep an eye on her socially.

No the school begins with A. I know the one you’re on about though, we don’t live anywhere near there unfortunately.

I’ve just remembered as well that I want to ask the school to do some cognitive testing on her. They do a reading comprehension where she’s come out as a 9 year old... highly unlikely!!