EHCP - post 18, foundation degree

[ExponentiallyDepleted]

My DS who has an EHCP (autism, dyspraxia, language impairment) is taking A levels next year and is likely to come out with a B/C grade profile, with this, plus the level of impairment we feel that if he were to progress to university a foundation year would be needed.

I have been unable to find any clear information as to whether or not his EHCP could be maintained for the first year, a friend has said she thinks it might and then cease at the point of moving onto the first "proper" year.

Can anyone point me to any guidance please, or does anyone have experience?

Foundation degrees are higher education even though many of them take place in further education colleges, and therefore the EHCP will cease. Although DS could apply for DSA.

Thank you, the thought of the EHCP ceasing is pretty daunting but he has to move on sometime. I also need to look into whether he can keep it if he carries on with some sort of FE college course / day release in a sideways step.

@ExponentiallyDepleted we are beginning to think about this too. We feel that Ds may also need to make a sideways step.

I plan to start looking at what is available, although we have not discussed it at all with Ds yet. He's barely able to plan his week, let alone his future. School are already mentioning post 18 and with the best will in the world, Ds is not going to be ready for uni or work.

He's only had his EHCP since January but I think he's going to need it to continue post 18, at least for a while.

EHCPs can be maintained up to and including level 3 qualifications. They cease for level 4 and above.

Without an EHCP, unless there's exceptional circumstances a sideways step isn't normally possible, because students aren't usually eligible for funding for a second level 3 programme of study. However, I imagine EHCPs are considered exceptional circumstances, although that isn't explicitly stated in the funding arrangements here.

What about a supported internship or apprenticeship, especially if you could find one related to the degree or job DS would like? He could still go on to complete a foundation degree afterwards.

The other alternative is sitting A levels over 3 years or resitting the first year. Punx this may be particularly relevant for DS with his poor MH, the disruption this year and not having an EHCP from the beginning.

Hi Punx, we haven't spoken for a while, glad you got the EHCP in the end but yes, post-18 is a real worry.

We are considering supported internships or similar. We have also been looking at degree apprenticeships but they seem to be very much business/STEM based and those aren't DS's interests, also we are fairly rural and not likely to be much available locally. So possibly a level 3 apprenticeship or similar. I have discussed resitting first year A levels with school but he doesn't really need to academically, would be moving out of a settled year group and it would be hard to justify to the LA. He's not looking at highly competitive degree subjects and will only consider local ones and living at home, hence them being based at FE colleges in some cases. Going later as a mature student may well be a better idea. But finding work is likely to be hard especially since the pandemic.

SOSSEN have a webinar on Thursday about preparing for university with an EHCP if that is any help.

Thank you, I will look into that. I have been to a couple of their real life workshops in the past but seem to have dropped off their mailing list.

Hope you find the right path for Ds ExponentiallyDepleted. Has his school been able to offer any advice?

I wasn't sure if a sideways move would be difficult 10green. Will have to see if an EHCP does make a difference. We feel that's what Ds might need though.

I had thought about a 3 years for A Level but although Ds is not reaching his potential his grades aren't too bad. He's not gone into school again today though (the second time over the last week). So he may start to fall behind.

Exponentiallydepleted DS isn't interested in sports by any chance? I know of a supported internship with a gym/leisure centre and one with a football team's community team.

Punx when you check don't rely on the LA's answer, check with IPSEA or SOSSEN.

If DS isn't meeting his potential he needs provision to meet his needs so he can make progress. Not just academically, a string of top grades is little use if you can't function in daily life. If part of that is restarting A levels that's reasonable.

What about EOTAS? There's the concern if DS doesn't go to sixth form he won't leave the house (I worry about social isolation with DS1), but if DS is not making it in sometimes and when he does his anxiety is out of control he'll reach burnout at some point. If DS falls behind his anxiety could spiral as he worries about catching up. Whereas with EOTAS you could hopefully lessen DS' anxiety so he copes better day to day. I'm trying not to project but my one regret with DS1's schooling is allowing MS to carry on as long as it did.

Or specialist indie? Or MS indie if there's any untiring ones nearby - main benefit being smaller.

Yes, he is, and plays a lot of sport but doesn't see it as a career path as he lacks the confidence for coaching or teaching and his science is weak so not likely to lead to a sport science degree or similar. Definitely going to look into the supported internships though, the LA have suggested it at his last two ARs. His careers person at school has had him do some of those careers quizzes but he says no to so many things they don't give any meaningful results.

ExponentiallyDepleted have read a little bit about supported internships but don't know much about them. Are they organised through the LA?

10green. I think we probably do need to think about things, it's difficult at times to know what is right. He was more settled with home learning but he's then very isolated. Ds's current school are lovely and much kinder than his previous one but Dh and I are a bit worried at the moment. Ds just couldn't manage today. He hardly ate anything over the weekend and consequently was so exhausted after his shower that he had to go back to bed this morning. It took all day but he finally had something to eat this evening. He's predicted high grades but I know some homework is not getting down now and his attendance is probably going to impact him keeping up.

Yes, google LA name supported internships, ours are on the county council website. It seems to be a generic application process though, rather than applying for a particular placement, but I guess they try and match up experience, skills etc.

Thanks Exponentially, will have a look at our LA. I don't know if it's quite right for Ds but definitely worth a look. Dh and I believe he still needs to be in a college (maybe specialist) environment, post 18, to really get the support he needs to function in daily life and into adulthood. As he can't get any of that at his mainstream sixth form. He's meant to be getting some careers support at school but I'm not sure we are all on the same page with this at the moment.

There may well be other options. In the town where I work there is a specialist setting for people with learning disabilities in this age group, I don't think it's right for my DS but it shows that there are places out there.

We do actually have 3 local specialist colleges that are available to young people who have higher functioning ASD. Two independent and one LA run. The independents go to 25. It's up to level 3 qualifications, so not sure if they would accommodate a young person who already has A levels, if DS gets them!

In hindsight I think we should have looked more closely at these when we were doing the EHCNA. The EP even asked if we had considered a specialist placement and I get the impression, she would have had no problems recommending one. We were a bit overwhelmed though and Ds had found transition to his new school hard. We were concerned about moving him again and causing him more upset.

There is certainly lots of things to think about in the coming months.

Punx if an EP made that comment I would listen. They wouldn't say it if they didn't think a specialist placement was needed, especially an LA EP.

Transition to a SS could be slower with more support than previously. An independent college would be about much more than academic progress so even if DS does manage to complete A levels at his current sixth form.

ExponentiallyDepleted just coming back to this thread as I've been thinking a lot this week about post 18. Did you attend the webinar?

I'm finding this post 18 stuff, quite overwhelming. I've had a quick look online at our local ASD colleges and wondering if they are right or even if Ds would get a place. It's hit me a bit as well, that the gap seems to be widening (not academically but everything else) between Ds and his peers.

10green I think we should have thought a lot more about a specialist placement, especially as it was mentioned by more than one professional. We made decisions with the best of intentions but there are some concerns now.

Hi, yes, I did, I thought it was very useful. Still a very long way to go before we get to that point though. Mine is in a specialist setting now but leaving it is going to be very hard indeed and there's no scope to stay on another year there. It is very hard to know what to so at times.

Punx Everyone can look back with hindsight and wish they had done something differently at some point. You made the decision that you thought was best at that moment in time.

Yes, I agree. I don't think I got everything right either, but what's done is done.

I guess we all have regrets. Dh and I have made our fair share of poor decisions though, regarding what's best for Ds. But we can't change what's happened in the past.

It's also hard at mainstream to not compare your child to their peers and what they are doing and achieving. I have to remember Ds is on his own path. Even though we've not quite worked out what that path is yet!

I have kept in touch with a lot of the other mums I made friends with from birth through the primary school years, it is hard not to compare. even within DS's school there is a huge range of academic ability.

Punx - I know you have had a hard time but you have done a huge amount for your DS, getting the EHCP was a massive step and so was getting him out of the other school.