An EHCP is a document that sets out the education, healthcare and social care needs for a child or young person for whom extra support is needed in school, college and beyond. It outlines the support that school/college can provide and can set out provisions that will be offered. These are just a few key things I would recommend knowing about an EHCP and the annual review process.
- Know what is in the EHCP, it is a lengthy document that can be quite a few pages long, but it is important to know what information is on each page. Knowing what your child/young person is entitled to, is vital.
- What reports and assessment have been done recently? Have they been put into the appendix section of the EHCP? When was the last time an assessment was carried out? E.g., an occupational therapy or a speech and language assessment? When was the last time an educational psychologist (EP) carried out an assessment on your child? Having these reports can make a difference, especially when it comes to applying for more funding and for extra support.
- Reports and assessments need to up to date.
- Having an EHC plan can benefit your child when it comes to applying for a school/college. With an EHCP, your child/young person could have an opportunity to choose a school/college that best fits their needs. This can be done via the local authority; your local authority will be able to give you more information about date deadlines etc…
- Ask to see their provision map. A provision map outlines what provisions/interventions schools or colleges do with the child, to support their needs. Ask when the interventions/provisions are being carried out and how often.
Annual review.
- Before the annual review, arrange it for a date and time that suits you as some annual reviews can be quite time consuming.
- Are you prepared? Notepad and other writing equipment is always, important as it allows you to take notes and highlight concerns or topics that may come up.
- Who is going to be attending the annual review? At times, the review could be made up of parents, SENCO, professionals who have written a report for the EHCP, support staff and on some occasions your local authority.
- What do you want to say or ask? This is the best time to voice your thoughts and opinions about things that may be affecting your child/young person.
- When is your next or first annual review? Take out what is out of date and no longer reflects the individual. Input what currently reflects your child’s needs, in relation to the support they require. Make notes and ask questions.
- Where is the funding going?
- Are reports up to date? It is always helpful if the reports are up to date, as this allows all the provisions to be tailored to their current needs.
- Start to think about what school or college you would like for your child to attend. As during the annual review, you could choose to name a school/college for your child to attend. During the annual review it is a great time to speak to the school SENCO and other professionals, about what school/college they may feel best fits your child/young person and their needs.
- Who supports the child/young person? An annual review is a great time to ask for a change with who is supporting.
Lastly, if you are able to print a hard copies of the current EHCP, reports and assessments that is being reviewed. That gives you the opportunity to make notes directly, on the sections that you want to ask questions about. I can not begin to tell you how helpful I have found doing that.
Cherilee x
Sometimes it’s hard… emotional but that’s my truth.
I can not remember how many times I have cried because I feel like I don’t have any more energy to be strong. I am not ashamed to say that I do cry because my son is autistic, not because I feel sorry for him. But because it is so hard to watch him experience different aspect of his life and face challenges that an atypical child does not typically experience. It can be as small as making friends or as big as continuing his education in a mainstream school.
Watching children be mean to your child unleashes a different and powerful restraint not to confront them, children are innocent yes, but they can be cruel and mean. Once I watched a group of boys talk about how “weird” they thought my son was because he was always by himself. I can’t lie it took a lot not to go over to them and explain that he is autistic, and he finds it difficult or challenging to socialise. Because the truth is at this point, I have explained it so many times I couldn’t be bothered. So, I just smiled and let them know that every child is different, as my baby walked to meet me in the car oblivious to the conversation I have just had with his peers.
I could write a list of all the negative things that we have experienced, but they will always be outweighed by the positives. I am determined to make sure that he has the best in life and experience things that most children could only dream of. I am determined for him to travel and see the world to know that his options are not limited.
Mostly, I spend a lot of time pretending I am okay when the truth is I am just clinging onto that last bit of a reserved energy. I must convince myself that I must be strong for everyone. I must make his dad think that everything is okay, I must keep smiling so his brothers don’t see my pain, I am always smiling and sometimes the smile is real but, sometimes the smile is just pure pain. It might sound dramatic but until you have experienced some of the things I have, you can only imagine how painful it can be. I am always questioning why things are so hard? Why must I always have to fight? I have to fight to get him the education I feel he deserves, I have to fight to get the referral I know he needs; I have to fight to access services and most of all I have to fight everyday with life. Now, I know sometimes this might sound dramatic to some people but that is my reality. Don’t get me wrong, life is good and now after all these years I am a lot stronger emotionally and I am more able to cope but sometimes. It is helpful to reflect on how things once were to know how far we have come. I spend a lot of time telling the parents I work with to seek help and to be honest is because I had to. I had to speak to someone about how I felt and how I continue to feel. It takes a lot of energy to be strong and sometimes the strong breakdown. There is no shame, it takes a lot more energy to admit when you need help or support don’t ever be afraid to access those services because you do need it too.
Cherilee x
