Should I apply for an EHC plan? Take the test!
Top tips when applying:
1) Do not delay
You can apply for an Education, Health and Care Plan if you think your child may need Special Educational Provision (some extra support) in school. It is better to apply than delay - early intervention may be necessary for your child and your child may have unidentified needs.
2) Get the support of your school and professionals
They will be able to help support your application by writing reports about your child. It may not always be possible to get the support you need, so if you are not sure if your child needs an EHCP, simply chat with us online and we will let you know what our thoughts are from an SEN expert position.
3) Do not be put off if you are turned down - appeal, but know your facts
You can appeal the decision if the LA says they will not assess your child. A very high percentage of families are able to overturn this decision because, if you have not assessed a child, how do you know if they need an EHCP or not? A simple argument can be that there simply is not enough information!
4) It’s not just education
The EHCP is not just about Education. It is meant to be about bringing together Health and social Care Packages too. In order to qualify however, for an EHCP, there must be an educational need. Do not be fooled - OT, SLT and sometimes PT, can be classed as Education.
5) Progress might be because your school is already providing intervention or additional support
Your child may be progressing, but it may be because the school is actually providing above and beyond that normally provided in mainstream. Make sure you detail this in your application.
6) Finally, is the current school support sustainable?
Perhaps the school and LA feel that the child is ‘fine’ and does not need additional support beyond reasonable adjustments. Well, what is that level of support or environment is simply not sustainable? Perhaps your child is moving from having very small class sizes at nursery, to 30+ in reception? Perhaps your child is moving up to high school? This is an exceptionally different picture to how it may have been at primary, and may demonstrate that in actual fact, your child will need additional special educational provision on top of a ‘typical’ high school placement. Sustainability of intervention or even support in terms of environmental factors, is an argument.
If you want help in creating an EHC application, please click here to learn more about our Bright Futures’ feature: