Does Dyslexia Mean My Child Needs an EHCP?
Updated: Oct 28
Dyslexia does not automatically mean an EHCP
An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is a legal document used in England for children and young people who need special educational provision through that statutory framework. Many dyslexic pupils receive effective support through ordinary classroom adjustments and SEN Support without an EHCP.
Other pupils have more extensive or complex needs and may require provision that cannot reasonably be secured through the school's usual arrangements. The key question is what educational provision is needed and whether an EHC plan may be necessary to secure it.
What is an EHC needs assessment?
An EHC needs assessment is the local authority's formal process for deciding what a child or young person needs and whether an EHC plan is necessary. It gathers evidence from the family, education setting and relevant professionals.
The legal threshold for deciding whether to assess is different from the decision about whether to issue a plan after assessment. A request should therefore describe the child's needs and why provision through an EHC plan may be necessary, rather than simply asking for a plan because dyslexia has been diagnosed.
When might parents consider requesting one?
An EHC needs assessment may be appropriate where a child has or may have special educational needs and it may be necessary for special educational provision to be made through an EHC plan. This is the statutory test for assessment under section 36(8) of the Children and Families Act 2014.
You do not have to wait for a set number of terms of SEN Support, spend a prescribed amount of school funding or obtain a diagnosis before requesting an assessment. Persistent difficulties despite support can be useful evidence, but they are not mandatory prerequisites. For example, a pupil might have literacy, language and attention needs that make it unclear what specialist provision is required.
What evidence is useful?
Collect a clear account of needs and provision: classroom work, progress over time, intervention records, attendance or wellbeing concerns where relevant, the pupil's views and any professional assessments. Show what has been tried, how consistently it was delivered and what happened.
A specialist dyslexia report can contribute useful evidence about literacy and cognitive processing, but the authority must consider the wider educational picture. Avoid sending only test scores without explaining their effect on ordinary learning.
Who can request an assessment?
In England, a parent can ask the local authority directly for an EHC needs assessment, and a young person over compulsory school age and under 25 can also request one. Schools and other professionals can make requests too. Parents do not need the school's permission.
The authority applies the statutory test to the evidence; it should not reject a request solely because a pupil lacks a formal diagnosis or because the school has not exhausted a locally prescribed number of intervention cycles. Independent legal guidance from IPSEA can help families understand the threshold.
What happens after a request?
The local authority must normally decide whether to carry out an EHC needs assessment within six weeks of the request. If it decides not to issue a plan after assessment, it must normally notify the family within 16 weeks of the original request.
If it issues a plan, the final plan must normally be issued within 20 weeks. Statutory exceptions can apply. A refusal to assess, or a refusal to issue a plan after assessment, may be appealable to the SEND Tribunal. The decision to assess and the decision to issue a plan are separate.
What does a plan actually do?
Where issued, the EHC plan identifies needs, intended outcomes and the special educational provision required. The provision specified in section F has particular legal force.
This is different from a private assessment report, whose recommendations can inform planning but do not themselves become a statutory plan. A plan is not a substitute for good teaching; it is a means of specifying and securing provision where the statutory criteria are met.
A sensible next step
If you are unsure, ask the SENCo to explain the current support, the evidence of progress and whether your child's needs can be met through that provision.
You can seek independent advice from SENDIASS or IPSEA before deciding whether to request an assessment. The article describes England only: Wales uses the Additional Learning Needs system, while Scotland and Northern Ireland have different arrangements.