Autism myth busting

Here are some common myths around autism and Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) which have been busted.

You need a diagnosis in order to get an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

This is not true. You don’t need a diagnosis of Autism for an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. Whether or not a child or young person qualifies for an EHC plan depends on their special educational needs and the amount of support required for them to make progress towards the agreed outcomes, not on their diagnosis.

The only way to get help is to have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans are for those children or young with special educational needs who require support beyond that which an educational setting can provide at Special Educational Needs (SEN) support. If a mainstream school can put in place the support the child needs from the resources they have available, then they must do so without the need for an EHCP.

All schools should follow a process of Assess, Plan, Do, Review (sometimes known as the “graduated approach”) to identify, assess and meet needs before an EHC assessment is applied for.