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Understanding autism
Understanding autism

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1.3 Education, Health and Care Plan

The new Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) introduced in England in 2014 covers the additional support needs for children and young people up to the age of 25. The EHCP can fund a placement at a specialist college (if available), and can offer a personal budget so that a young person or their designated carer can decide what support to buy. However, according to an NAS survey (Moore, 2016), a majority of parents remain dissatisfied with the new system, especially in relation to health and social care. It is unclear how effective the EHCP system has been in securing services for young adults.

At present the Coordinated Support Plan (CSP) used in Scotland, and statements of Special Educational Need (SEN) used in Northern Ireland and Wales do not provide the continuity into adulthood that the EHCP is designed to provide; families have to negotiate support after their children leave school.