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Defining Dyslexia

Evidence and adjustments

EHCPs and dyslexia: what a private assessment report can and cannot do

Parents are often told that an Education, Health and Care plan is the goal, and that a diagnosis is the way to get one. Neither is quite right. This page explains what an EHCP actually is, how support in school works without one, and where a private dyslexia report genuinely fits.

Talking to your SENCo Your local SEND information

Please read this first

An EHCP is not an outcome of an assessment

The basics

What an EHCP actually is

An Education, Health and Care plan is a legal document, maintained by the local authority, for a child or young person aged up to 25 whose needs cannot reasonably be met from the resources ordinarily available to their setting.

  • It is a statutory document, not a diagnosis

    A plan sets out a child's special educational needs, the outcomes sought and the provision the authority must secure. It is written about need and provision, not about a label.

  • It follows an EHC needs assessment

    A parent, a young person over 16 or the school can ask the local authority to carry out an EHC needs assessment. The authority decides whether to do so, and then whether to issue a plan.

  • It is reserved for higher levels of need

    The threshold is whether provision beyond what the setting can reasonably provide is required. Many children with significant dyslexia are supported well without a plan.

  • It is reviewed at least annually

    A plan is not permanent or fixed. It is reviewed each year, and can be amended, maintained or ceased as needs change.

The common misunderstanding

A diagnosis is not an EHCP, and an EHCP is not the only route to support

Diagnosis does not lead to a plan

There is no list of conditions that trigger an EHCP. The decision rests on the level of need and on whether the provision required goes beyond what the school can reasonably be expected to make from its own resources. Two children with the same diagnosis can quite properly have very different outcomes.

Support does not require a diagnosis

Schools have duties to identify and respond to special educational needs whether or not anyone has been assessed privately. If your child is finding reading, spelling or writing far harder than expected, that is enough to start the conversation with the SENCo today.

How schools should work

SEN support and the graduated approach

Most dyslexic children are supported at SEN support level, without a plan. The SEND code of practice describes a graduated approach that repeats in cycles, each one building a clearer picture of what actually helps.

  1. Assess

    The school gathers a clear picture of the child's needs, drawing on teacher knowledge, assessment data, your views and the child's own experience.

  2. Plan

    The school agrees, with you, the support and interventions to be put in place, who will deliver them, and the outcomes being sought.

  3. Do

    The support is delivered. The class teacher remains responsible for the child's progress, working with any specialist or support staff involved.

  4. Review

    The impact is reviewed against the agreed outcomes, and the approach is refined. The cycle then begins again with a better-informed assessment.

The record this creates matters. Where a local authority is later asked to consider an EHC needs assessment, the school's evidence of what has been tried, over how long, and with what result is usually more significant than any single report.

Where a private report fits

What a diagnostic report can contribute, and what it cannot

It can

  • Describe a child's cognitive and literacy profile in detail
  • Explain why particular tasks are disproportionately difficult
  • Set out recommended teaching approaches and adjustments
  • Give parents and school a shared, precise language for the difficulty
  • Form one part of the wider evidence a local authority considers

It cannot

  • Require a local authority to carry out an EHC needs assessment
  • Require a local authority to issue a plan
  • Replace the school's own record of support and progress
  • Award exam access arrangements, which the exam centre decides
  • Guarantee any particular provision, placement or funding

Practical steps

What parents can actually do

  • Talk to the SENCo, and put it in writing

    Set out what you are seeing at home and ask what the school has noticed. Ask for the support plan in writing, with the outcomes and review date.

  • Keep your own simple record

    Dates of meetings, what was agreed, samples of work and how long homework takes. It is unglamorous and it is the most useful thing you can do.

  • Ask what has been tried and what changed

    The graduated approach is only meaningful if each cycle is reviewed. Reviewing honestly is more useful than adding more interventions.

  • Get free, independent advice early

    SENDIASS in your area, and IPSEA nationally, give free advice on SEN support, EHC needs assessments and appeals. They are independent of the local authority.

  • Read your council's Local Offer

    It sets out what your area provides, how to request an EHC needs assessment and who to contact locally.

  • Consider assessment for the right reason

    A diagnostic assessment is worth it when you need to understand the profile and target support precisely, not as a route to a statutory plan.

Check the current rules yourself

Official and independent sources

The statutory process changes over time, and the local authority is always the body that decides. Check these directly rather than relying on any private website, including ours.

  • GOV.UK: Children with special educational needs and disabilities (EHC plans) ↗

    The official overview of SEN support in school and of Education, Health and Care plans, including how to ask the local authority for an EHC needs assessment and the timescales involved.

    Decision made by: The local authority, under the statutory process

  • GOV.UK: SEND code of practice, 0 to 25 years ↗

    The statutory guidance schools, colleges and local authorities work to, including the graduated approach of Assess, Plan, Do, Review and the EHC needs assessment process.

    Decision made by: Schools and local authorities, within the statutory guidance

  • Council for Disabled Children: find your local SENDIASS ↗

    Free, impartial and confidential information, advice and support on SEND for children, young people and parents, provided locally in every area of England.

    Decision made by: Independent of the local authority, advice only

  • IPSEA: independent legal advice on SEND ↗

    A national charity offering free legally based information, advice and support about the SEND system, including EHC needs assessments, plans and appeals.

    Decision made by: Independent charity, advice only

Questions we are asked

EHCPs and dyslexia: common questions

Does a dyslexia diagnosis mean my child will get an EHCP?
No. An Education, Health and Care plan is not an outcome of a diagnosis. The local authority decides whether to carry out an EHC needs assessment, and whether to issue a plan, based on whether a child's needs call for provision beyond what the school can reasonably be expected to provide from its own resources. Many dyslexic children are well supported through SEN support and never need a plan.
Can my child get support at school without a diagnosis?
Yes. Schools should identify and respond to need whether or not a diagnosis exists. The SEND code of practice describes a graduated approach, Assess, Plan, Do, Review, which schools use to work out what helps and to refine it over time. You do not have to wait for an assessment before speaking to the SENCo.
Is a private dyslexia report useful for an EHC needs assessment?
It can be one part of the evidence. A diagnostic report describes a child's learning profile, the difficulties they experience and recommended provision, which a local authority may take into account. It sits alongside the school's own records of what has been tried and what difference it made, and it does not by itself establish that a plan is needed.
Who decides whether an EHC needs assessment goes ahead?
The local authority. Parents, young people over 16 and schools can all ask for an EHC needs assessment, and the authority must decide within the statutory timescales. If it declines, there is a right of appeal, and organisations such as SENDIASS and IPSEA can give free, independent advice.

Knowledge Centre

Related reading

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