Direct replies to the questions SEND parents actually Google. Every answer cites the statute or the source and is reviewed for UK accuracy.
The literal first step, the statute that gives you the right to make the request, and the two statutory windows the council has to work to.
The statutory deadline, the real-world figure from DfE 2025, and the three escalation steps when your council misses it.
The 2-month appeal deadline, the mediation-certificate procedural trap, and why the 95%+ parent-success rate makes the appeal the right route.
The legal test is in s.20, not in a diagnostic manual. What evidence works without a diagnosis, and how to push back when the school says otherwise.
Why "the school won't apply" doesn't block you, and how the parental-direct route bypasses school agreement entirely.
Why Section F is the only fully enforceable section, the specific-and-quantified standard, and the weasel words to challenge in your draft.
What the annual review actually decides, the three things to do in the two weeks before, and what to land at the meeting itself.
The legal right to a preference, the two grounds the council can refuse on, and the rule that's different for unlisted independent special schools.
When to use the annual review vs the early review, what evidence actually moves the council, and how to write the amendment so it's enforceable.
The five conditions a lawful reduced timetable has to meet, what improper use looks like, and the route to challenge one your child shouldn't be on.
Schools can exclude SEND children, but the heightened duties under the Equality Act make many disability-linked exclusions unlawful and challengeable at the SEND Tribunal.
The little-known LA duty that kicks in for any child who can't attend school by reason of illness, exclusion or otherwise — and what "otherwise" actually covers.
The literal first step (GP), the route through Community Paediatrics or CAMHS, the realistic wait, and what to do in the meantime.
The realistic 2026 wait by region, the NHS target you'll be told about, and what to do while you wait.
The current price range, what moves it, and what NHS-vs-private actually changes for EHCP and DLA decisions downstream.
The NHS Constitution right that lets adults shortcut local waiting lists, who can use it, and how it interacts with EHCP / DLA decisions.
The literal first step, the route by age, what NICE NG87 expects, and the Right to Choose shortcut for adults.
The routes in (GP, school, self-referral), the high CAMHS threshold, and what to do when a referral is declined.
Why the research consistently supports earlier rather than later, how to frame the conversation, and what late-diagnosed autistic women say about being told.
The biology (delayed melatonin, sensory dysregulation), the practical wind-down toolkit, and when to ask your GP about melatonin.
Why the school keeps saying she's fine and the front door keeps hearing otherwise. What's actually happening and what helps in the 30-minute window after school.
What the hitting is actually communicating, the in-the-moment safety move, and the longer-term work that brings the threshold up.
The three drivers (sensory, fear, low interest), why "just try a bite" misfires clinically, and the medical-escalation flags that mean GP today.
The sensory triggers (foam, mint, vibration) that make brushing genuinely intolerable, and the toolkit of swaps that gets it done most nights.
Why the school polo and the new socks are real distress, not stubbornness, and the wardrobe-of-five strategy most autistic-child parents end up with.
Why the magical-Christmas version is the wrong target, and the smaller-is-kinder version that gets your autistic child to Boxing Day in one piece.
The three-phase shape of a meltdown (rumbling, peak, recovery), the realistic timings, and when frequency or duration means it's time to escalate.
The driver distinction (goal-directed vs nervous-system) that decides whether a behaviour chart helps or actively misfires.
Why the girl who breezed through primary hits a wall at secondary, what masking and burnout look like at this stage, and the diagnostic and school routes worth pursuing in parallel.
The legal frame (Equality Act disability harassment), the written letter that triggers the school's duty, and the escalation route if the school doesn't act.
The JCQ Access Arrangements route, the evidence and assessor's report you need, and the deadlines that catch parents out.
Where 1:1 funding actually comes from, why "1:1" doesn't always mean dedicated, and how to get hours specified in Section F.
The written-decision request that triggers the school's duty, and the parallel parental-direct route that bypasses school agreement.
The decision factors (attendance, mental health, learning), what specialist schools actually offer that mainstream often can't, and how to test the question by visiting.
The call-the-DWP-first move that backdates your award, how to write the form so it actually reflects your child's needs, and what to do when it's refused.
The 2025-26 rates, what triggers each rate, and why the autism diagnosis itself isn't what the DWP is assessing.
The non-visible-disabilities criteria most people don't realise apply, the evidence the council wants, and what to do if you're refused.
The full benefits stack for SEND families and the gateway rules between them — most parents miss two or three of these.
The statutory walking-distance thresholds, the SEND-specific test, and how to apply (and challenge a refusal).
The DLA-gateway rule, the earnings limit, and the interactions with Universal Credit and the State Pension most parents trip over.
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