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The school kept saying 'let's give it another term'. By the time I finally put in the EHCP request myself, without the school's blessing, my son had been struggling for two years. I didn't know I could just write to the council directly. The moment I found out, everything changed.

The draft EHCP they sent us was full of phrases like 'support as required' and 'access to interventions'. SENDIASS told us this was not legally enforceable. We pushed back in writing on every single section. The final plan is completely different: specific hours, named therapist, everything. Don't accept the first draft.

We went to tribunal. I was terrified. I represented myself with support from IPSEA and our local SENDIASS. The panel was kind and genuinely listened. We won. The school my daughter is now at has transformed her life. Please don't be put off by the word 'tribunal', it is not as frightening as it sounds when you're prepared.

My biggest regret is not keeping better records earlier. When we finally got to tribunal, I had to reconstruct two years of history from memory and WhatsApp messages. Start a folder. Right now. Date everything. Screenshot emails. Keep every letter the council sends you. Your future self will thank you.

SENDIASS came to our annual review with us. Just having someone there who knew what was legally supposed to be in the plan completely changed the dynamic. The council officer stopped being vague. We got specific provision written in. One phone call to SENDIASS was one of the most useful things I ever did.

The council said no to our assessment request. I cried for a week. Then I appealed. The tribunal overturned their decision within 20 minutes of the hearing starting. The evidence was overwhelming. I just didn't know I was allowed to challenge them. You absolutely are.

As a single parent I felt completely alone in this. I found the parent carer forum in my area through this directory and met three other mums going through the same thing. We supported each other through the whole process. You don't have to do this alone.

I'm 19 and navigating my own EHCP going into post-16. It's really hard when you're trying to advocate for yourself. But I found out I have the same rights as my parents did when I was younger. I can make my own requests, attend meetings alone, and appeal. Knowing that gave me confidence.