EHCP Criteria help

mummy4

Hi I have a 9 year old just going into year 5 with ASD and ADHD. A few months ago he had a SALT review who told me that he could really do with an EHCP in place prior to secondary school, and for the transition period before secondary. They explained that they had spoken to SENCO about gathering the information needed to apply for an EHCP and SALT were happy to come and do some tests etc to support the application.
However I contacted my sons SENCO who disagreed, and stated thats not what SALT said to them, and that my son doesn't meet the ECHP criteria. I confirmed with SALT again and they fully supported an EHCP.
So I've arranged a meeting in September about SENCO and their poor unsupportive attitude, and to speak about going for an EHCP. However I want to be fully clued up on what is needed to apply for an EHCP because SENCO are going to baffle me with their knowledge on it, and I'm scared their going to put every barrier in the way to stop him getting one.
Any help appreciated 

Luna51

Hello

I've been through this process twice with my younger daughters and sadly the lack of basic training and understanding of a particular child's needs can often be the reason SENCOS occasionally, aren't very helpful. It is frustrating but you do have the SALT on your side, so that's a good start. 
Also request a visit from the Educational Psychologist if at all possible, as they can add some real weight to your case. 

Any supporting evidence you can lay your hands on will really help (including consultant's letters outlining the diagnosis and difficulties) do use/quote those letters to get across your child's needs to the School and eventually, the Local Authority. 
Schools and LAs tend to listen to the input of the 'Professionals' often above that of the parent's views (which drives me insane!!) 
But of course your views must be taken into consideration.
Your child's teachers might also be able to give you more insight, it's worth talking to them if you can, and ask them what your child finds difficult. 

To start the process, the School needs to outline your child's needs and why they need extra supoort, perhaps your child needs help to refocus during lessons and can be easily distracted, perhaps some environments cause sensory overload and they need time out, perhaps they are unable to listen in on practical lessons without some visual clues from a TA, they may need help with social skills and understanding others around them etc, etc. 
All of these things (and more of course) require extra time and support from someone (A TA) to overlook and ensure that your child can access education reliably (with real emphasis on the word 'reliably') 

Do you have a local parent support group you can contact?
I suggest having a look online for this. 
From my own experience, I cannot recommend them highly enough. They will often be able to tell you of other agencies who are able to go through the EHCP process with you and what to expect. I was lucky enough to find someone who was very knowledgeable about SEND law and she came along to our first transitional meeting.
My daughter's Primary was pretty horrendous during the last year, but with their support, we got what she needed. 

My last bit of advice is to keep on side with the SENCO, as much as you probably feel frustrated by their attitude (which is totally understandable) you do need their support. They just need to understand there is that definite need for support for your child. 

Below is a link to Contact - another brilliant charity, the page explains the EHCP process a little more.
They also provide a 'Listening Ear' service, which I've used myself and to be honest, it was just good to talk to someone else who understands. 

Best of Luck! 

https://contact.org.uk/help-for-families/information-advice-services/education-learning/

mummy4

Thanks, I've not heard of IPSEA so I'll take a look

L_Volunteer

Hi @mummy4, 

Thanks for reaching out to us. I always appreciate how much courage it must take to reach out for the first time. I am sorry to hear you are experiencing a difficult time, especially with the contradictions in communication. I can imagine that is not helpful at all for you and no surprise that you need (and deserve!) our support with navigating this.

I agree with @Username_removed about the credibility of IPSEA. If you are interested, you may particularly benefit from the EHCP section of IPSEA's website which covers most things related to EHCP's. You can find this at https://www.ipsea.org.uk/pages/category/education-health-and-care-plans.

In summary, the eligibility for EHCP does vary according to your local authority since your local authority is responsible for assessments of EHCP's. However, there are some general guidelines all local authority authorities should be following which might help to give you an idea about what is expected.

I hope this helps but, as always, if you have any further questions or anything else you would like our support with, please do not hesitate to reach out to us again