Help/advice/support needed

[Tillydillit]

Hi, we are preparing for a an EHCP mediation for DS who is 22. The assessment was refused largely, it seems to us, on the basis that his WISC IV results report is very old (true 7 years and we have been fighting for some help in all of that time - didn't know you could get an EHCP post 16!) Does anyone know if these reports go out of date? Report says that the discrepancy between test scores is not normally seen in the rest of the population - whatever that really means... and that he might find it difficult to produce work that reflects his ability. Desperate to complete A levels but there is nothing available locally - College doesn't do them - only choice is BTEC which doesn't suit his learning style needs the 2 year syllabus to process the information - sorry about the long post - desperate for help!

Yes you can get a post 16 assessement - it applies to A levels. Uni, Further Educationetc. BTecs can be a two year course, and a level 3 should be. Does he have English and Maths gcse or equivalent? What subjects interest him?

Hi- thanks for responding - yes DS has Maths and English GCSE and wants to study Computer Science A level with maths and further maths - BTEC just doesn't work for him (tried that and resulted in another bout of anxiety and depression)

The requirement is to "consider" mediation; you don't actually have to go through with it.

When we went through this, we were advised by the solicitor not to bother with mediation, as it can take up to a month to arrange, and if you get nowhere (which we knew was highly probable with our useless and spectacularly unhelpful LA) you are then a month further down the line with your appeal.

It takes 3 months between registering the appeal and the hearing, so you are probably looking at a September hearing now as it is. Time is of the essence as your son is already 22.

As our son (like yours) was over 18, he qualified for legal aid and the solicitor prepared all the appeal paperwork and also arranged for us to get extra evidence from an independent EP and OT which included up to date WISC IV results. (A Tribunal would expect to see evidence gathered fairly recently - certainly more recent than 7 years ago.)

www.ipsea.org.uk/where-can-i-get-help-with-making-an-appeal

An EHCP can go up to the age of 25.