Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and SEN support

Practical legal support for families of children with autistic spectrum disorder, helping to identify appropriate educational provision and secure the support their child needs.

The right support starts with understanding a child’s individual needs.

Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how a child communicates, interacts socially and processes information. These differences can have a significant impact on a child’s experience of education and daily life.

At Boyes Turner, our SEN specialists support families navigating Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), including applications, reviews and appeals. This page explains what ASD is, how it can affect a child, and when an EHCP may be needed to support their education.

Trusted and nationally recognised special educational needs specialists with decades of experience.
Clear, practical support at every stage, helping families navigate complex SEN processes.

Extensive experience across all SEN appeals, including EHCPs, school placements, and SEND Tribunal proceedings.
Transparent and flexible fee structures, including capped fee options where appropriate.

Why might a child with Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) need an EHCP?

ASD often results in a child having special educational needs (SEN). However, the level of support required will depend on the individual child.

An EHCP may be necessary where:

A child is unable to access the curriculum without significant support
Difficulties with communication or interaction affect learning and progress
Behaviour or anxiety impacts attendance or engagement
A tailored, multi-disciplinary approach is required

In some cases, SEN support within school may be sufficient. In others, more formalised and legally enforceable provision through an EHCP is needed.

Support and benefits an EHCP can provide for children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD)

An EHCP sets out the support a child must receive and is legally enforceable. For children with ASD, this may include:

Specialist teaching strategies and structured interventions
Speech and language therapy or occupational therapy
One-to-one or small group support
Adaptations to the classroom environment
Support with social communication and emotional regulation

Provision should be tailored to the child’s individual needs and regularly reviewed.

Autistic spectrum disorder FAQs

What is autistic spectrum disorder (ASD)?

Autistic spectrum disorder primarily affects three main areas:

Social interaction
Social communication
Rigid or inflexible thinking

Each of these areas can present in varying degrees, meaning that every child with ASD will have a unique profile of strengths and needs.

ASD is a spectrum condition, and no two children will present in exactly the same way.

How does ASD affect a child’s behaviour?

ASD can cause significant difficulties in a child’s day-to-day interactions and behaviour. Children may:

Find it difficult to build and maintain friendships
Struggle to engage with teachers or support staff
Have difficulty seeking help when needed
Prefer routine and predictability, and find change challenging
Display rigid patterns of thinking or behaviour
Have specific interests that they focus on intensely

These challenges can affect participation in lessons, social development and emotional wellbeing.

What other needs do children with ASD have?

Children with ASD may also experience additional needs, including:

Speech and language difficulties
Anxiety or emotional regulation difficulties
Sensory processing differences
Attention or concentration difficulties
Learning differences, with strengths in some areas and challenges in others

Understanding the full range of a child’s needs is essential to putting the right support in place.

What are common local authority issues for children with ASD?

Local authorities may identify needs such as:

Support with social communication and interaction
Assistance with understanding and managing social situations
Strategies to support flexible thinking and behaviour
Emotional regulation and anxiety support
Sensory adjustments within the learning environment
Adaptations to teaching methods and curriculum delivery

Every child should receive an individualised assessment to identify their specific needs.

How to apply for an EHCP for a child with ASD

To begin the process, a request for an Education, Health and Care needs assessment can be made to the local authority by a parent, school or professional.

The local authority will consider evidence including:

Information from parents and carers
School reports and observations
Professional assessments, where available

They will then decide whether to carry out a full assessment and whether an EHCP should be issued.

What happens if my child with ASD doesn’t have an EHCP?

Without an EHCP, support is typically provided through school-based SEN support. While this may be appropriate for some children, others may require more structured provision.

Parents may find that without an EHCP:

Support is inconsistent or limited
A child struggles to make expected progress
Schools may not have the resources to provide specialist input
Difficulties in communication and interaction continue to impact learning

In these situations, an EHCP assessment may be appropriate.

What can I do if I’m unhappy with my child’s EHCP or the local authority’s decision?

You may be able to challenge decisions including:

Appeals are usually made to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability). Legal advice can help ensure challenges are properly prepared and focused on securing appropriate provision.

How can solicitors help families and children with Angelman syndrome?

Specialist SEN solicitors can assist families by:

Advising on EHCP eligibility and process
Supporting assessment requests and evidence gathering
Challenging unlawful or inadequate decisions
Negotiating EHCP content and provision
Representing families in Tribunal appeals

Our team has extensive experience supporting families of children with complex and lifelong special educational needs.

Why use our special educational needs solicitors?

Specialist experience in SEN law: Our solicitors have extensive experience advising families on the full range of special educational needs legal processes. Our expertise ensures you receive clear, accurate advice grounded in a detailed understanding of the law and how local authorities apply it in practice.

Focused, practical solutions: We take the time to understand your child’s individual needs and circumstances. Our advice is tailored to help you secure the right support, whether that means strengthening an EHCP, challenging inadequate provision, or appealing a local authority decision.

Supportive and collaborative approach: The SEN process can be overwhelming. We work closely with families, schools, professionals and other advisers to ensure all evidence and communication is aligned and coherent. This collaborative approach helps streamline the process and strengthens your case.

A leading full-service law firm: Boyes Turner is recognised by Chambers UK and The Legal 500 as a leading law firm. As a full-service firm, our specialist teams can support you with related legal needs where required, including Court of Protection, community care, medical negligence and private wealth, ensuring a cohesive and coordinated approach to your care.

Contact us

If you would like advice about a related matter, please complete the form and one of our SEN specialists will be in touch as soon as possible.

Please note we do not offer legal aid. Read about our fees.

Or give us a call:

0118 467 6547

Special educational needs insights

Our special educational needs solicitors

Our SEN case studies

What our clients say

Tribunal for placement

Laxmi helped with my son tribunal case in regard to section I of his EHCP. Our tribunal got brought forward by 6 months early, not giving us much time to get everything in place. Laxmi was great and said we can do it even with just little time left to get prepared and ready for the Tuesday. As a parent, I didn’t know what we needed to send or do, Laxmi took the time to explain everything to us and what we needed to do to prepare for the tribunal. Laxmi went above and beyond to help us and successfully won getting the school we needed for are son to start in September 2024. I would highly recommend Laxmi to take on the local authority in regard to any EHCP appeals. Thank you for everything you’ve done for us.

Natalie

What our clients say

We were immediately impressed

We were immediately impressed with James and our initial judgment proved correct as we went on to negotiate with Essex a care package for our daughter. Throughout the process, James supported us and was always on hand to give us excellent advice, source and guide an ISW in writing a report for us, and assist with crafting skilfully worded emails to the Authority. More importantly for us, James was always kind and understanding, and brought a wonderful sense of humour to our meetings. We feel most fortunate to have found him and would not hesitate to recommend him

Kitty Carrick

What our clients say

SEN Tribunal

Laxmi’s exceptional understanding in SEN law combined with her professional, honest and empathic approach gave us the assurance that we had a solicitor who was and would continually do her best on our behalf. We would highly recommend any one seeking a SEN solicitor to use Laxmi.

David Bernstein

What our clients say

Support with the EHCP appeal

We would like to thank the Boyes Turner team, especially Janata Ali, for the exceptional support throughout the process. Just over a year ago we were lost and scared for our child’s future. It is a completely different reality today. Our child is much happier in the new school, with all the support and the quality of teaching, mentoring that he is receiving. It was the right battle to fight. It would not have been possible without Janata’s help, guidance, experience and commitment to our case. We are endlessly grateful, as this means that our child can have a better quality of life now and better prospects in the future.

Boyes Turner Client

What our clients say

SEN support for EHCP

Janata Ali is an expert in n her field which resulted in us winning our case against the local authority to issue an EHCP for our son. Our son will hopefully now thrive and we will be forever grateful for her help and support with our case.

Boyes Turner Client

What our clients say

I would most definitely recommend

James, Laxmi and Daisy, worked so Patrick’s case, due to his very complex profile we had to go through three tribunals. They all worked so hard to secure our son’s placement. I would most definitely recommend James and Laxmi to anyone wishing to pursue the right provision for their young person.

Cath and Phil

What our clients say

I’m thankful

I’m thankful that we found James, without him my son would have been abandoned by his Local Authority. Moving on from college is a stressful process for all the family, & Local Authority knows this & uses this to try & push parents to the limit, by ignoring their responsibility hoping that you will give up . In came James, took pressure off me & onto them . Highly recommend. We won , my son now can start his transition to his next chapter. Thank you.

Rebecca Wallace

What our clients say

James was a pleasure to deal with

We contacted Boyes Turner earlier this year after we ran into a dispute with our local authority. This was about a social care matter and learning disability. The case was handled with professionalism and tact. James was a pleasure to deal with. Clear communication, humour and detailed knowledge of the law in this area.

Andrew

What our clients say

James was knowledgeable but at the same time very approachable

The help and support we received from James for our son’s EHC plan has been absolutely invaluable. With his help, we were able to secure an outcome that suits our child. James was knowledgeable but at the same time very approachable and made a very stressful process much more manageable.

Boyes Turner Client

What our clients say

Guiding us through EHCP and transition

James Pantling-Skeet helped us prepare my daughter’s EHCP to gain a good placement for the future. He was patient, extremely knowledgeable, had brilliant contacts, helped withe emotional upheaval and organised meetings with all parties to keep everything on track. We had the best outcome we could have had due to his professionalism. He was very caring too. He and his team worked tirelessly and answered our queries promptly. I would highly recommend their service.

Boyes Turner Client

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Boyes Turner is consistently ranked as a leading law firm by top legal directories Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500.

Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and SEN support

The right support starts with understanding a child’s individual needs.

Why might a child with Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) need an EHCP?

Support and benefits an EHCP can provide for children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD)

Autistic spectrum disorder FAQs

Why use our special educational needs solicitors?

Contact us

0118 467 6547

Special educational needs insights

Our special educational needs solicitors

Laxmi Patel

James Pantling-Skeet

Rachael Allison

Emma Trevett

Steven Baylis

Janata Ali

Lacie Smith

Rachel Baxter

Daisy Fox-Clarkin

Libby Buxton

Amber Puri

Our SEN case studies

What our clients say

Tribunal for placement

What our clients say

We were immediately impressed

What our clients say

SEN Tribunal

What our clients say

Support with the EHCP appeal

What our clients say

SEN support for EHCP

What our clients say

I would most definitely recommend

What our clients say

I’m thankful

What our clients say

James was a pleasure to deal with

What our clients say

James was knowledgeable but at the same time very approachable

What our clients say

Guiding us through EHCP and transition

Recognised leading UK law firm

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