Five tips on applying for an EHCP
Whatever your situation, here are some guidelines that will help you get off to a good start:
1. Find out how your school thinks your child is doing:
First of all, you should speak to your child's headteacher and the school SENCO. Ask them what level of support the school already provides, if any, e.g. School Action or School Action Plus. Ask if your child is on the school SEN register.
Ask the school to provide you with a record of the educational and behavioural interventions they have used and comments about how they have worked or not. Find out who has delivered the intervention, if you don't already know, over what period, how the intervention has been monitored for progress and whether your child has achieved their target. Get concrete evidence that whatever has been planned has been completed. Ensure these outcomes have been achieved reliably and not just hit once on a lucky day. This will give you a better understanding of what your child is currently achieving, and you should be able to compare it with the average expected level for a child of their age.
Collect together any reports or tests your child has ever had, including exam results, school reports, referrals to Paediatricians, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists, etc.
Create a file and organise all of this in chronological order. You are building up the evidence and a profile of your child because you will need to prove that they need the help you say they do.
Scan all your letters into your computer so you never lose them and you can e-mail or print them whenever you need them. Never send original documents to anyone.
2. Find out what levels your child should be achieving:
Your Local Authority (LA) will likely argue that just because your child is achieving below the average does not mean they have any SEN or require an EHCP.
Children in each school class have a broad spectrum of abilities and achievements according to their potential. Many children will never be top of their class, but that doesn't mean they have SEN.
So, how do you show that your child has a more significant potential than their current achievements? The obvious way is to secure an Educational Psychology assessment for them. Each LA has its register of Educational Psychologists. The new SEND Code of Practice says that external experts should be called in at an early stage when an SEN is suspected. You should ask your SENCO to arrange one so that you can, as a team, get a good idea of the current picture. ?You may also need to consider a Speech and Language assessment or an Occupational Therapy assessment if this is indicated.
Building and maintaining a positive relationship with your school SENCO and class teacher is essential. If an Ed Psych assessment is not forthcoming, you could consider a private assessment, usually at great expense. However, the LA can regard these with suspicion, as they may feel the report is biased towards the paying parent's views.
3. Get a medical diagnosis for your child, if applicable:
Parents often don't like labelling their children, but a diagnosis is important if you are looking for LA support. If your son or daughter has dyslexia, dyscalculia, ASD, ADHD, or any other hidden disability, you will need to be able to evidence this, not just give your opinion.
We would advise you to take your child to your GP and ask them to refer your child to a paediatrician, child psychiatrist, or the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). A precise medical diagnosis is hard to ignore.
You can book an appointment with a paediatrician or child psychiatrist privately for a diagnosis if you can afford the significant fees.
If your child has an undiagnosed condition, then focus your case on the symptoms that they have. You may also draw parallels with general conditions for some of their symptoms, e.g., posture, visual difficulties, medication needs, attention difficulties, sensory issues, accessibility requirements etc.
4. Take time to prepare your case:
Once you have all the evidence and information you need, contact your LA and work through their application process, keeping all of their policies together. Make it work for you. Use evidence to demonstrate that your child isn't getting what they should be. When you send in your EHCP submission, you don't need to use their application form if you don't want to. Ensure you write all you can relevant to your case and provide reports to back them up. This will take many redrafts and a lot of time. You may feel you need help; if so, don't hesitate to ask.
Undoubtedly, this process can be stressful and often depressing, and many parents will give up along the way.
Cases are self-evident and easier to prove if your child has visible and significant needs. If your child has a hidden disability, then the issue is much more challenging to prove. In these cases, only the most determined parents will get what they want, and many families will give up during the process. Remember, you are your child's greatest asset and best advocate. Don't give up.
5. Get help:
Look at your Local Authority website and search under Local Offer for further and specific details of the process and policies set out in your region.
When you apply for an EHCP assessment, you should be offered and assigned an Independent Supporter. You don't have to use one, but they're free and should support you through the process.
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