EHCP Support for Parents in England
Confused about SEN Support, EHC needs assessments, evidence or what happens next? Start here.
EHCPs can feel overwhelming, particularly when school and home are seeing very different things. This page helps to explain when an EHCP may be relevant, what evidence matters and the practical steps parents can take.
Practical EHCP guidance for parents in England who need clarity, evidence and next steps
EHCPs can feel overwhelming, especially when your child has ADHD, autism, dyslexia, anxiety, emotional regulation difficulties or wider SEND needs.
One minute you are trying to explain your child’s needs. The next, you are facing forms, school emails, reports, provision maps, meeting notes and phrases like “needs are being met” while quietly wondering if anyone has actually met your child.
This page is here to help you understand what an EHCP is, when ADHD may be relevant, what evidence matters, and what to do if school and home are telling two very different stories.
This is not about fighting for the sake of fighting.
It is about clarity, evidence and making sure your child’s needs are properly understood.
Please read - EHCPs are specifically part of the SEND system in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different systems.
What is an EHCP?
An Education, Health and Care Plan often called an EHCP or EHC plan, is for children and young people who need more support than is usually available through SEN Support.
An EHCP can identify a child or young person’s educational, health and social care needs and set out the additional support needed to meet those needs.
In England, EHCPs sit within the SEND system for children and young people aged 0 to 25.
Put simply:
SEN Support is what school can usually put in place.
An EHCP is considered when a child or young person may need more detailed, specific or additional support.
Does My Child Need an EHCP?
A diagnosis alone does not determine whether a child needs an EHCP.
The important question is the child's special educational needs and whether the provision they require can reasonably be delivered through ordinary SEN Support.
Current support isn't enough
Support has been tried, adapted and reviewed, but your child continues to struggle.
Progress remains difficult
Despite support, there are significant concerns about learning, attendance, emotional wellbeing, independence or access to education.
Needs are complex
Several areas may interact — for example ADHD, autism, dyslexia, communication, sensory needs, anxiety or emotional regulation.
Support needs to be specific
Your child may need provision that is detailed, coordinated and clearly identified.
These signs don't automatically mean an EHCP will be issued. They indicate that it may be worth exploring whether an EHC needs assessment is appropriate.
Does My Child Need an ADHD or Autism Diagnosis Before Requesting an EHCP?
No. A child does not need a formal ADHD or autism diagnosis before an EHC needs assessment can be requested.
The key issue is not whether your child has a particular diagnostic label. The local authority should be looking at your child’s special educational needs, the impact those needs are having, and whether the support they require may be beyond what can reasonably be provided through ordinary SEN Support.
That means evidence can come from many places, including:
school records and SEN Support plans
attendance or behaviour patterns
reports from professionals
examples of difficulty with learning, regulation, communication, sensory needs or independence
parent observations
the child or young person’s own views
evidence showing what support has already been tried and whether it has worked
A diagnosis can sometimes help explain a child’s profile, but it is not the gateway to support.
If you are still in the stage of thinking, “Something isn’t adding up, but we don’t have a diagnosis yet,” that does not mean you have to sit and wait before raising concerns or gathering evidence.
Can I Request an EHC Needs Assessment Myself?
Yes. Parents and young people can request an EHC needs assessment directly from their local authority. You do not have to wait for the school to make the request.
Schools can request an assessment too, but if you believe your child may need more support than is currently available through SEN Support, you can approach your local authority yourself.
You also do not need to wait for an ADHD, autism or other diagnosis before making a request.
What should I include in my request?
You don't need to produce a perfect 40-page dossier before you can ask for an assessment. But clear evidence can help explain why you believe an assessment is necessary.
Try to show:
what your child is finding difficult
how their needs affect learning and access to education
what support is currently being provided
what has already been tried
whether that support is working
difficulties with attendance, regulation, communication, sensory needs or independence where relevant
what you see at home, particularly if it differs from what school sees
your child's own views and experiences
relevant reports or professional advice you already have
The aim isn't to prove that your child “deserves an EHCP”.
It is to give a clear picture of their needs, the impact of those needs and the support they may require.
What if school says, “We don't think they need one”?
That doesn't prevent you from making your own request.
Rather than getting stuck in a debate about whether your child “needs an EHCP”, bring the conversation back to evidence:
What are my child's identified needs?
What provision is currently being provided?
How frequently is it delivered and by whom?
What progress has been made?
What remains difficult despite that support?
Sometimes the most useful question isn't “Does my child need an EHCP?”
It's: “Is the support currently available through SEN Support enough to meet my child's needs?”
ADHD needs that may be relevant to EHCP discussions
ADHD can affect far more than sitting still or concentrating.
For some children, ADHD may affect:
emotional regulation
attention and concentration
impulsivity
working memory
organisation
transitions
sleep and fatigue
anxiety and masking
This is why a child can appear “fine” in one setting and completely fall apart in another.
A child may not look unsupported because they are causing disruption. Sometimes they look unsupported because they are quietly drowning, masking, avoiding, shutting down or saving the explosion for home.
Can a child with ADHD get an EHCP?
Yes, a child with ADHD may be considered for an EHCP. EHCP’s are difficult to get but not impossible.
But the key point is this:
An EHCP is not based on the label alone. It is based on need, impact and provision.
So the question is not simply:
“Does my child have ADHD?”
The stronger question is:
A diagnosis can help explain the picture, but evidence of need is what matters.
What is SEN Support?
SEN Support is the help a school puts in place when a child has special educational needs but does not have an EHCP.
This could include:
adapted teaching
movement breaks
visual support
emotional regulation support
support with organisation
social communication support
reasonable adjustments
regular review meetings
Good SEN Support should be clear, purposeful and reviewed.
Vague support is where parents often get stuck.
Phrases such as “adult support when needed,” “access to support,” “regular check-ins,” or “support with emotions” may sound reassuring, but they can be hard to measure.
The useful question is:
What does that support actually look like on a wet Tuesday afternoon when your child is overwhelmed, exhausted and one wrong instruction away from collapse?
Because that is where the plan earns its keep.
Sometimes it means school genuinely has support in place and it is working.
Sometimes it means the child is not causing enough visible difficulty in the classroom.
Sometimes it means support exists on paper but is not specific, consistent or reviewed properly.
Sometimes it means school sees the school version of your child, while you are living with the after-school version.
If school says “needs are being met,” ask:
What needs have been identified?
What support is currently in place?
How often is it happening?
Who delivers it?
How is it recorded?
How do we know it is working?
What happens on difficult days?
What is the plan if things deteriorate?
What evidence is being used to say needs are met?
That is not being difficult. That is asking for clarity.
“Needs are being met” should not be a magic phrase that ends the conversation. It should be the start of a more precise one.
SCHOOL EVIDENCE
SEN Support plans
provision maps
attendance
behaviour records
school reports
work examples
meeting notes
What evidence do I need for an EHCP request?
Evidence does not have to be perfect, but it does need to build a clear picture.
PROFESSIONAL EVIDENCE
ADHD/autism assessment
EP
CAMHS
GP
paediatrician
SALT
OT
dyslexia assessment
PARENT EVIDENCE
diary
emails
after-school patterns
homework
sleep
transitions
recovery time
CHILD'S VOICE
what feels difficult
what helps
worries
aspirations
experience of school
Parent Evidence Matters
ADHD itself doesn't automatically mean a child needs an EHCP. The important issue is the impact of the child's needs and the provision required to support them.
What actually happens?
The process.
Request an
EHC needs assessment
Local authority considers whether to assess
EHC needs assessment
Decision whether to issue an EHC plan
Draft EHCP
Parent/young person comments
Final EHCP
issued
How long does an EHCP take?
Where a local authority decides to issue a plan, the final EHC plan should normally be issued within 20 weeks from the request for an EHC needs assessment, subject to statutory exceptions. Parents have at least 15 days to comment on the draft.
EHCP support and guidance
What parents say
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"I was completely lost with the EHCP process and didn’t know what evidence mattered. Janine helped me organise everything, understand what school should be providing and prepare for the next meeting. I finally felt like I knew what I was asking for and why."
Emma, mum of a 7-year -old girl
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"I finally understood what the EHCP process actually needed."
Jo, mum of 9 year old girl
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"My son was in Year 6 and we were worried about the move to secondary school. Janine helped us look closely at his EHCP, identify what was too vague and prepare the points we needed to raise at review. It made the transition feel far more manageable."
Claire, mum of an 11 year old, boy
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"By college, we had years of reports and reviews behind us, but support was starting to be reduced even though the needs had not disappeared. Janine helped me make sense of the paperwork, challenge what didn’t reflect my daughter’s current needs and go into the review much better prepared."
Sarah, mum of a 17 year old girl
A calm, no-pressure conversation giving you time to explain what is happening and work out what your next step could be.
This call is for parents, grandparents and carers of children with any diagnosed or suspected SEND—not only ADHD.
Your child may be experiencing difficulties connected with autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia, anxiety, sensory needs, communication, learning, school attendance, emotional regulation or executive functioning. They may have several overlapping needs, or no diagnosis at all.
Children’s needs rarely arrive in neat, separate boxes. ADHD may overlap with autism, dyslexia, anxiety or sensory differences. A dyslexic child may also experience frustration, emotional overwhelm, shutdowns or meltdowns when learning demands repeatedly exceed the support available.
This is not a sales call. There is no hard pitch, no awkward pressure and absolutely no “book before midnight” nonsense.
During the call, we can talk about:
what is worrying you most right now;
what is happening at home, at school or both;
the difficulties or patterns you have noticed;
whether learning needs, masking, anxiety, sensory overload or emotional regulation may be part of the picture;
questions you may need to ask school, your GP, CAMHS or an assessment service;
which SEND, NHS or school-support pathway may be worth exploring;
whether ADHD in Practice is the right fit for your family.
Your child may already have a diagnosis, be waiting for an assessment or simply have you thinking, “Something isn’t adding up.”
You do not need to arrive knowing the correct terminology. You do not need to decide whether it is ADHD, autism, dyslexia or something else before speaking to me.
Just tell me what is happening. We can begin there.
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For parents who feel confused about EHCPs, SEN Support or whether school provision is enough.
You may be asking:
Does my child need an EHCP?
Can I request an EHC needs assessment?
What evidence do I need?
What should I ask school?
What happens next?
What we cover
We look at:
your child’s needs;
support already in place;
gaps in provision;
evidence from home, school and professionals;
whether an EHC needs assessment may be appropriate;
your clearest next step.
Your package includes
one 70-minute consultation;
practical EHCP guidance;
a concise follow-up email confirming priorities and actions;
one 20-minute review call within four weeks.
What you should leave with
a clearer understanding of the EHCP process;
what evidence you already have;
what information is missing;
what to ask school;
what to do next.
Important
This consultation provides educational and procedural guidance. It does not include legal representation, tribunal preparation, extensive document review, a formal report, meeting attendance or ongoing email support. Additional work is booked separately.
If you are still unsure Book a FREE call
Start with a free 30-minute call