Support at school - SEN support and EHC plans

How schools identify when a child needs extra support

If your child is struggling or not progressing as expected at school, they may be entitled to extra support - regardless of whether or not they have an autism diagnosis.

Schools regularly test pupils to ensure they are meeting attainment targets. If your child is making less progress than expected in one or more of the following areas, schools should offer extra support:

• communication and interaction
• cognition and learning
• social, emotional and mental health
• sensory and/or physical needs.

SEN support

Every school has a budget set aside for special educational needs called SEN support. If they identify a pupil who needs this support, they should notify parents and outline the support and strategies they are putting in place.

This could include access to a teaching assistant, quiet rooms, extra time in tests or other help with other aspects of their learning, for example handwriting.

If you have questions about your child's progress and support needs, the best person to speak to is the school's special educational needs coordinator (SENCO). This is the qualified teacher responsible for coordinating SEN provision. Their responsibilities include identifying children with SEN and making sure there is adequate provision to meet those needs.

Education, Health and Care plan assessments (EHCP assessments)

If your child is still not making progress following SEN support interventions you or the school should consider asking the local council for an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan assessment. You do not need a autism diagnosis or permission from the school to do this, but as assessments are school-based it is usually better to request one with the school's support.

Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans are a vital tool that help many autistic children and young people unlock the support they need at school and beyond.

They were introduced by the Children and Families Act 2014 and are for children and young people aged up to 25 who need more support than is available through special educational needs (SEN) support.

An EHC plan is a legally-binding document that sets out the needs of a child or young person and also outlines the different types of support they will receive at school or in their education provision.

Parents, schools or professionals working with a child or young person can apply for an assessment and young people aged 16-25 can request an assessment themselves. 

Further information about the Education, Health and Care process 

Read a comprehensive guide to the EHC plan process in our parent toolkit.  

Independent Parental Special Education Advice (IPSEA) offers free and independent legally based information about EHC plans.