Start EHCP or wait for the school?

[towardsexperience]

Our twins are on the autism pathway. No movement yet no triage etc. But 'they're on the pathway' we keep getting told.

They have just started nursery. Both are non verbal and requiring 1 to 1 assistance.

The school has been aware of their attendance since sept of last year, and they are adamant that we should not start EHCPs ourselves.

Has anyone had any experience with this? I feel like we should just start but the school wants more evidence... I dont want to delay though for risk of not getting the help they need. Ideally, a special needs school.

How is the nursery managing to get the funding for 1-1 without ehcps.
What have the paediatricians said in there reports.
I should imagine they are under development paediatrician, salt etc.
I know when my dd school 1st applied they got turned down as they reckoned that the school hadn't done enough to proove the need for ehcp. In those says it was called a statement of special needs. Got it 2 nd time.

As they need 1-1 that should be enough,.to start the ball rolling for ehcp in my eyes.
Hopefully someone else who's started the process themselves will agree.
Then it would open special school settings as well as mainstream.

Request EHCNAs yourself, and appeal if you are refused.

Some areas have specialist assessment places for nursery age DC who are or need to go through the EHCNA process. Does your LA have anything like this?

How is the nursery managing to get the funding for 1-1 without ehcps.

They may be in receipt of early years inclusion funding. However, OP doesn’t say DTs are receiving 1:1, just that they require it.

Some councils try to suggest (to both schools and parents) that you have to have gone round several cycles of "Assess-Plan-Do-Review" in a school to demonstrate that they can't meet your need in the normal course of things, before they will consider an EHCP needs assessment that might potentially grant the school extra money. However, this is not actually part of the lawful requirement, so you can push back on it and go ahead with submitting the forms anyway.

You also need to be aware that the entire EHCP process nationwide is characterised by as many delays as possible being introduced, as the later in your child's school career you get an agreed EHCP, the less money the council have to pay out in total - and although an EHCP grants extra money to a school it also comes with additional things they need to provide and often they are expected to pay for some of that themselves with a budget that is estimated rather than precisely calculated and is likely to have already been allocated elsdewhere.
Tbf, this is caused by both the council and schools not being granted enough money themselves to cover their required costs and desperately trying to make ends meet and cover their existing financial liabilities, rather than personal malice.

They have volunteers at the moment and as I said they require 1-1, though may not always have that.. but they currently have 1-1 supervision via volunteer. Only funding they have is EIA because of starting with a funded post at a nursery in january, and I don't know how many hours have been alloted yet as they only started last week. This is all still so fresh to me. Apologies I am new to mumsnet too!

I have heard a bit of this. Everyone I know has advised that it's a financial issue. I really appreciate your response. I think the assess-plan-do-review is what our school is doing. Im terrified they will hold my girls back from the right support. I know thats a foolish feeling but I need 2 echps not just 1 like most parents! xx