What Makes a Strong EHCP Application: Evidence That Works

You know your child needs an Education, Health and Care Plan. You understand the process. But do you know what separates a successful EHCP application from one that gets rejected? The answer, in almost every case, comes down to one thing: the quality of your evidence.

Local authorities receive thousands of EHCP requests every year. They’re looking for specific types of evidence that demonstrate not just that your child has special educational needs, but that those needs are significant, complex, and cannot be met through ordinary SEN support available in mainstream schools.

This guide will show you exactly what evidence works, how to gather it, and how to present it in a way that makes your application undeniable.

The Foundation: Understanding What Local Authorities Look For

Before we dive into specific types of evidence, you need to understand what threshold your evidence must meet. Local authorities will assess whether your child’s needs meet the criteria for an EHCP by asking:

The Four Key Questions

1. Does the child have a learning difficulty or disability? Is there evidence of significant and sustained difficulties compared to peers?
2. Does this create a barrier to learning? How does it impact their ability to access education?
3. Do they require special educational provision? Do they need provision that is additional to or different from what’s available through normal SEN support?
4. Has SEN support been tried and proven insufficient? Is there evidence of the graduated approach (Assess-Plan-Do-Review) being implemented without sufficient progress?

Your evidence must comprehensively answer all four questions. If there are gaps in your evidence, the local authority may refuse to assess or refuse to issue an EHCP after assessment.

Evidence Category 1: Professional Assessments and Reports

Professional reports from qualified specialists carry significant weight in EHCP applications. These provide objective, expert analysis of your child’s needs and recommendations for provision.

What Professional Evidence You Need

Essential Professional Reports:

• Educational Psychologist (EP) Report: Arguably the most important assessment. EPs assess cognitive ability, learning profile, social and emotional needs, and make specific recommendations for provision. If the LA won’t commission one, consider private assessment (£800-£2000).
• Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) Assessment: If your child has communication difficulties. Should include standardized assessments, specific diagnoses, and recommended therapy frequency.
• Occupational Therapy (OT) Assessment: For sensory processing difficulties, motor skill delays, or daily living challenges. Should include sensory profile and specific recommendations.
• Pediatrician or Specialist Doctor Reports: Medical diagnoses (autism, ADHD, etc.), impact on functioning, and recommended support.
• Clinical Psychologist Report: For mental health difficulties, trauma, or complex emotional needs.

What Makes Professional Reports Strong

Strong Professional Reports Include:

• Standardized assessments: Not just observations, but formal testing with scores showing how far below expected levels your child is
• Functional impact analysis: How difficulties affect daily life and learning
• Specific, quantified recommendations: “30 minutes weekly 1:1 SALT” not “access to speech therapy”
• Comparison to developmental norms: Clear statements like “performing at the 2nd percentile for age”
• Evidence of longstanding need: Not a one-off assessment but patterns over time
• Clear prognosis: Statement that needs are likely to be ongoing and require sustained support

Important: If you commission private assessments, make sure the professional is well-credentialed and experienced in writing reports for EHCP purposes. Their credentials and registration (HCPC for therapists, BPS for psychologists) matter.

Evidence Category 2: School-Based Evidence

School evidence demonstrates the reality of your child’s needs in an educational setting. This should show what has been tried, what has and hasn’t worked, and why standard SEN support is insufficient.

Critical School Evidence

What to Request from School:

• SEN Support Plans / Individual Education Plans (IEPs): All historic and current plans showing interventions tried, outcomes, and progress (or lack thereof)
• Provision Map: Documentation of all support currently in place
• Progress Data: Academic attainment data across multiple terms/years showing the gap between your child and their peers
• Teacher Reports: Detailed reports from class teacher and SENCO describing needs, challenges, and what support is being provided
• Behavior Logs/Incident Reports: If relevant, documented evidence of behavioral difficulties, exclusions, or incidents
• Attendance Records: If school avoidance or persistent absence is an issue
• Work Samples: Examples showing the quality gap between your child’s work and age-appropriate expectations

The key is showing that despite targeted interventions, specialist support, and adapted teaching, your child is not making adequate progress or requires provision beyond what the school can reasonably provide through their SEN support budget.

Evidence Category 3: Parent Evidence and Home Observations

Never underestimate the power of parent evidence. You see your child in contexts professionals never do. You understand the cumulative impact of their needs on daily life. Your evidence provides essential context and demonstrates needs that may not be visible in formal assessments.

What Strong Parent Evidence Looks Like

Powerful Parent Evidence Includes:

• Daily/Weekly Tracking Data: Frequency of meltdowns, sleep difficulties, self-regulation challenges, anxiety episodes - tracked over weeks/months
• Impact on Daily Living: Concrete examples of how needs affect morning routines, mealtimes, bedtimes, social relationships, self-care
• After-School Regulation: Many children “hold it together” at school then fall apart at home. Document this pattern with specifics
• Comparison to Siblings/Peers: Evidence showing developmental gap (e.g., “their 6-year-old sibling can dress independently, but my 10-year-old cannot”)
• Exclusion from Activities: Specific examples of parties, clubs, or social events your child cannot attend due to their needs
• Family Impact: How supporting your child’s needs affects siblings, employment, family relationships (be honest but professional)
• Timeline of Concerns: When you first noticed difficulties, what you’ve tried, how needs have persisted or escalated

Transforming Descriptions into Data

Instead of:

“My child has frequent meltdowns that are very difficult.”

Say:

“Over the past 12 weeks, I have tracked an average of 5.2 dysregulation episodes per week. 68% occur between 3:30-6:00pm (post-school regulation collapse). Average duration is 35 minutes. Common triggers include transitions (42%), sensory overload (28%), and task demands (30%). Episodes require removal to a quiet space, deep pressure, and recovery time averaging 1 hour before child can engage with family activities. This means approximately 7.5 hours per week are consumed by dysregulation and recovery.”

This is where Tediverse becomes transformative. Our Daily Tracking Suite allows you to record specific data points daily, then generate reports showing patterns, frequencies, and trends over time. This data carries far more weight than descriptive statements alone.

Evidence Category 4: Progress Data and The “Gap” Analysis

One of the most compelling forms of evidence is demonstrating that despite interventions, your child is not making adequate progress and the gap between them and their peers is widening.

How to Present Progress Evidence

Effective Progress Evidence Shows:

• Academic Attainment Tracking: Reading ages, maths levels, writing assessments over time showing slower than expected progress
• Standardized Scores: Formal assessments (EP, SALT, OT) showing performance significantly below chronological age
• Comparison to National Expectations: Where your child is versus end-of-key-stage expectations for their year group
• Rate of Progress: Showing your child makes progress but at a significantly slower rate (e.g., 6 months progress in a 12-month period)
• Intervention Response: Evidence that targeted interventions have helped but are insufficient without ongoing specialist support
• Widening Gap: Data showing that the gap between your child and peers has increased over time despite support

Request all progress data from school going back as far as possible. Present it in tables or graphs if possible—visual representation of a widening gap is powerful evidence.

Evidence Category 5: Documentation of The Graduated Approach

Local authorities expect schools to have implemented the “graduated approach” (Assess-Plan-Do-Review) through SEN support before escalating to an EHCP request. Your evidence must demonstrate this has been done and has proven insufficient.

Evidence of Graduated Approach

• Cycle 1: Initial concerns identified → Assessment → Plan created → Interventions implemented → Reviewed → Some progress but needs remain
• Cycle 2: Continued concerns → Further assessment → Adapted plan with enhanced support → Implemented → Reviewed → Insufficient progress or needs increase
• Evidence of Specialist Involvement: School has sought advice from specialists (EP, SALT, OT) and implemented recommendations
• Adapted Teaching and Resources: Evidence of quality first teaching adaptations, differentiation, additional resources
• Increasing Provision: Documentation showing school has increased support over time but needs still exceed available provision
• Collaboration with Parents: Evidence of ongoing partnership between school and family

If the school has not implemented the graduated approach properly, this actually strengthens your case for an independent assessment, but you may need to request mediation or complain through formal channels.

Evidence Category 6: Financial and Resource Evidence

While LAs should never refuse an EHCP based on cost alone, demonstrating that your child’s needs exceed what can reasonably be provided from a school’s SEN support budget strengthens your case.

Resource-Related Evidence

• Current cost of provision being provided to your child (if available from school)
• Evidence that needs exceed the school’s SEN support notional budget (typically £6,000)
• Recommendations from professionals that require specialist services beyond school resources
• Need for specialist equipment or technology
• Evidence that current provision is unsustainable without additional funding

How to Organize and Present Your Evidence

Having strong evidence is only half the battle. You also need to organize and present it effectively so decision-makers can easily see the case you’re making.

Evidence Organization Best Practices

Create a Comprehensive Evidence Bundle:

• Cover Letter: Brief summary of your child’s needs and why you’re requesting an assessment
• Chronology: Timeline of key events, assessments, and interventions
• Index: Numbered list of all documents with page references
• Professional Reports: All assessments in date order, most recent first
• School Evidence: SEN plans, progress data, teacher reports
• Parent Evidence: Your parent statement plus tracking data/logs
• Correspondence: Key letters/emails showing attempts to address needs
• Summary Document: 2-3 page summary pulling together key points from all evidence

Number all pages continuously. Use dividers with tabs. Make it as easy as possible for the LA officer to navigate your evidence and find what they need.

Common Evidence Weaknesses to Avoid

Avoid These Evidence Mistakes:

• Out-of-date assessments: Reports older than 2 years carry less weight
• Generic school reports: “He tries hard” doesn’t demonstrate specific needs
• Purely descriptive parent statements: Without data or specific examples
• No evidence of intervention: Can’t show SEN support has failed if it hasn’t been tried
• Inconsistent evidence: Reports that contradict each other weaken your case
• Missing functional impact: Diagnosis alone without demonstrating educational impact
• Focusing only on behavior: Without linking to underlying needs and required provision

Special Situations: Evidence for Specific Needs

Autism Spectrum Condition

• Formal diagnosis from qualified professional (paediatrician, clinical psychologist)
• Evidence of social communication difficulties impacting learning and relationships
• Sensory profile showing sensory processing differences
• Evidence of need for predictability, visual supports, social skills intervention
• Impact on curriculum access and unstructured times (break, lunch)

ADHD

• Diagnosis from paediatrician or specialist ADHD clinic
• Evidence of impact across multiple settings (home, school, social)
• Tracking data showing frequency of attention difficulties, hyperactivity, impulsivity
• Evidence that standard behavior management strategies are insufficient
• Impact on learning despite medication (if relevant)

Specific Learning Difficulties (Dyslexia, Dyscalculia)

• Educational psychologist assessment with cognitive profile
• Significant discrepancy between ability and attainment
• Evidence of phonological processing difficulties (dyslexia) or number sense difficulties (dyscalculia)
• Response to specialist literacy/numeracy intervention showing need for ongoing specialist teaching
• Impact on accessing curriculum across subjects

The Timeline: When to Gather What Evidence

Evidence Gathering Timeline:

• 3-6 months before application: Start daily tracking, request all school documentation, identify gaps in professional assessments
• 2-3 months before: Commission any private assessments, begin drafting parent statement
• 1 month before: Organize all evidence into indexed bundle, write cover letter and summary
• At submission: Submit comprehensive evidence pack with EHCP request
• During assessment (weeks 1-6): Submit parent contribution, provide any additional evidence requested

Final Thoughts: Evidence That Changes Outcomes

The difference between a successful EHCP application and a rejected one often comes down to evidence. Not just the existence of needs, but comprehensive, well-organized, compelling evidence that makes it impossible for the local authority to refuse.

Strong evidence is:

• Specific: Precise details, not vague statements
• Quantified: Numbers, frequencies, durations, percentiles
• Consistent: Multiple sources telling the same story
• Current: Recent evidence showing ongoing needs
• Longitudinal: Patterns over time, not one-off snapshots
• Comprehensive: Covering all areas of need
• Linked to provision: Clear connection between needs and required support

With the right evidence, presented effectively, you give your child the best possible chance of receiving the EHCP and provision they need and deserve.

Related Resources

• EHCP Application Guide: Complete UK Process
• Building Your Appeal Case: Essential Evidence and Expert Reports
• SEN Support vs EHCP: Which Does Your Child Need?
• The Graduated Approach: Assess, Plan, Do, Review Explained