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Help from mummy and Ruby, London (2026)

Supporting families with SEND, DLA, EHCPs
And much more

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Giving families confidence that safeguarding and confidentiality are at the heart of my work.

10/10/2026

🚨 DLA ➡️ PIP SERIES — DAY 12

👥 ENGAGING WITH OTHER PEOPLE FACE TO FACE

this one is NOT:

“ARE THEY SHY?”

or

“DO THEY LACK CONFIDENCE?”

PIP is looking at whether a mental-health condition, learning disability, cognitive impairment or similar difficulty affects their ability to engage with other people face to face.

DWP looks at whether they can:

👀 interact in a socially appropriate way
🧠 understand body language
🤝 establish relationships
❤️ cope with the interaction
⚠️ engage without creating serious risk to themselves or someone else

And importantly…

IT HAS TO BE BECAUSE OF THEIR IMPAIRMENT — NOT JUST PERSONAL PREFERENCE.

🟢 0 POINTS — CAN ENGAGE UNAIDED

They can engage with other people without:

🗣️ prompting

🤝 social support

❤️ another person helping them manage the interaction

🟡 2 POINTS — NEEDS PROMPTING

Prompting means:

🗣️ reminding
❤️ encouraging
🧠 explaining

For example:

😟 needing reassurance before speaking to someone

🗣️ needing encouragement to engage

❤️ needing somebody to calm them enough to take part

But this is not just:

“She’s shy so Mum comes with her.”

The prompting has to be needed because of the impairment.

🟠 4 POINTS — NEEDS SOCIAL SUPPORT

This is more than ordinary reassurance.

Social support has to come from somebody who is:

➡️ trained or experienced in helping people engage socially

OR

➡️ directly experienced in supporting YOUR young person.

That could be:

👩‍👧 parent

🤝 PA

🏫 school/college support worker

🧠 mentor

🏡 respite worker

❤️ another familiar person who genuinely knows how to support them

A parent can count — but simply being comforting is not enough.

The person’s experience of supporting that young person has to be what makes the engagement possible.

👀 WHAT MIGHT SOCIAL SUPPORT LOOK LIKE?

Maybe another person has to:

🧠 explain body language

😕 explain that somebody is joking

🗣️ tell them when it is their turn to speak

❤️ calm them when they become overwhelmed

🤝 help them understand somebody’s intentions

🚨 intervene because they are vulnerable to manipulation

👩‍👧 explain afterwards what actually happened socially

🧩 help repair an interaction when they misunderstand someone

That is much more useful than simply writing:

“NEEDS DAD WITH THEM.”

Explain what Dad actually DOES.

🧩 AUTISM / LEARNING DISABILITY — WHAT MIGHT BE RELEVANT?

Diagnosis alone does NOT mean points.

But the functional effect might.

For example:

👀 cannot read facial expressions

😕 takes things literally

🗣️ cannot judge turn-taking

🧠 misunderstands somebody’s intentions

❤️ believes people are friends when they are not

🚨 cannot recognise manipulation

🤝 needs another person to explain social situations

😟 becomes overwhelmed by interaction

Again:

WHAT SUPPORT IS NEEDED BECAUSE OF IT?

🚨 VULNERABILITY IS REALLY IMPORTANT HERE

DWP specifically says vulnerability to manipulation or abuse can be relevant where someone has cognitive or learning difficulties and reduced risk awareness.

Think:

⚠️ trusts strangers too easily

💷 gives money/items away

📱 shares personal details

❤️ thinks someone is a friend when they are exploiting them

🚗 agrees to go places with people they barely know

🗣️ does not recognise threatening/manipulative behaviour

👩‍👧 needs another person to judge whether somebody is safe

If this has actually happened…

don’t just write:

“He is vulnerable.”

Explain what happened.

📂 AND THIS IS WHERE EVIDENCE CAN BE REALLY STRONG

Think about evidence that shows the social difficulty itself.

Could you have:

🏫 school/college reports about bullying

🚨 safeguarding records

📋 vulnerability/risk assessments

👩‍🏫 evidence they need adult mediation with peers

❤️ mentor support

🍽️ supported lunch/break arrangements

🤝 TA/PA/support-worker statements

🧠 autism/SALT/social-communication assessments

📧 emails about repeated friendship breakdowns

🚓 police records where exploitation/vulnerability is relevant

📋 records of inappropriate approaches to strangers

🎯 clubs/groups repeatedly attempted but not sustained because of social difficulty/distress

If school has spent YEARS supporting social vulnerability…

that evidence may be very useful.

🚓 WHAT ABOUT POLICE REPORTS?

Potentially useful — if they show:

🚨 being manipulated by others

🚨 going off with unsafe people

🚨 repeatedly sharing personal information

🚨 exploitation

🚨 vulnerability because they cannot judge somebody’s intentions

That could support the picture.

But:

It needs to show a disability-related difficulty with engaging socially.

🏫 LOOK BACK AT SCHOOL/COLLEGE SUPPORT

A lot of parents may have evidence here without realising it.

Did your young person need:

👩‍🏫 adult support at break/lunch?

🤝 friendship groups?

🧠 social-skills work?

🗣️ staff mediation after peer misunderstandings?

🚨 safeguarding support?

❤️ a mentor?

📋 vulnerability plans?

🏫 smaller teaching groups?

👥 support entering group activities?

If yes…

ask:

WHY WAS THAT SUPPORT NEEDED?

That reason may be very relevant.

🎯 WHAT IF THEY KEEP TRYING GROUPS OR CLUBS BUT STOP GOING?

This can be useful evidence too.

For example:

⚽ joins football but leaves after 2 weeks

🎨 starts a club but cannot cope with peers

🎮 attends youth group once or twice then refuses to return

🏫 starts a college group but cannot manage the social environment

This isn’t about not liking groups

Think about why

“He has attempted three different groups but has been unable to sustain attendance because he becomes overwhelmed by social interaction, misunderstands peers and needs adult support to manage the environment.”

Explain the pattern.

👥 WHAT IF THEY CAN COPE IN SMALL GROUPS BUT NOT BUSY ONES?

That does NOT automatically contradict the claim.

Someone may manage:

👤 one familiar person

or

👥 two familiar friends

…but not:

🍽️ a noisy canteen

🎉 a party

🏫 a busy classroom

🎯 an unfamiliar club

👥 a large group of peers

Why?

It might be because:

🔊 sensory overload

😟 severe anxiety

🧠 difficulty tracking several conversations

👀 difficulty reading multiple people socially

🗣️ becoming overwhelmed by unpredictable interaction

Explain WHY the environment changes their ability to engage.

DWP considers engagement with people generally, not just familiar people they know well.

🎮 “BUT THEY TALK TO PEOPLE ONLINE ALL NIGHT…”

This is a really important one.

A young person may:

🎮 talk to friends while gaming

💬 use Discord

📱 message on WhatsApp

📝 use Messenger

☎️ speak on the phone

…and still struggle enormously with face-to-face interaction.

This PIP activity is specifically:

ENGAGING WITH OTHER PEOPLE FACE TO FACE

Online communication removes some of the things this activity is assessing, such as:

👀 body language

😕 facial expressions

🤝 being physically present with another person

🧠 managing real-time social interaction

So:

“He chats online every evening.”

does NOT automatically mean:

“He can engage face to face independently.”

📞 WHAT ABOUT PHONE CALLS?

Phone calls are NOT face-to-face interaction.

They may still be useful background evidence about communication generally…

but being able to talk on the phone does not automatically prove somebody can manage face-to-face social engagement.

And the opposite is true too.

Some people find phone calls much harder than being physically present.

Explain the actual difficulty.

💬 WHAT ABOUT WHATSAPP / MESSENGER / TEXT?

Again…

that is NOT face to face.

Messaging gives someone:

⏰ time to think

📝 time to rewrite

🚫 no facial expressions to interpret

🚫 no immediate body language

🧠 more control over when/how they respond

So someone being very sociable through messages does not automatically mean they can engage socially in person.

💻 WHAT ABOUT ZOOM / VIDEO CALLS?

This is a bit more nuanced.

A video call includes:

👀 facial expressions

🗣️ real-time conversation

…but it is still not the same as ordinary in-person face-to-face interaction.

Explain whether actual in-person contact creates different problems.

🛏️ WHAT IF THEY HARDLY LEAVE THEIR BEDROOM BUT HAVE LOTS OF ONLINE FRIENDS?

Again…

Ask:

Can they actually meet those people?

Can they engage with strangers?

Can they attend groups?

Can they cope with appointments?

Can they manage social situations outside their bedroom?

Do they rely on online communication because face-to-face interaction is too difficult?

The online friendships may be VERY real.

But PIP is assessing the face-to-face ability here.

😟 WHAT ABOUT SOCIAL ANXIETY?

This can be relevant — but not simply because somebody feels nervous.

The question is whether the anxiety is part of a health condition and means they actually need:

🗣️ prompting

🤝 social support

❤️ another person to help them engage

or whether face-to-face interaction causes overwhelming psychological distress.

DWP defines overwhelming psychological distress as severe distress associated with a mental-health, intellectual or cognitive impairment where the person becomes unable to function.

So:

“She feels nervous meeting new people.”

is very different from:

“She becomes so distressed around unfamiliar people that she cannot speak, engage or remain in the situation without experienced support.”

🔴 8 POINTS — CANNOT ENGAGE

The highest descriptor applies where face-to-face engagement causes either:

❤️ overwhelming psychological distress

OR

🚨 behaviour that would create a substantial risk of harm to themselves or somebody else.

This is a HIGH threshold.

And the risk behaviour must arise from the underlying condition and the person’s inability to control it.

🎭 WHAT ABOUT MASKING?

Another one to explain properly.

A young person may appear:

🙂 polite

🗣️ chatty

🏫 “fine at college”

👀 socially capable

…but internally they may be working incredibly hard.

Maybe afterwards they:

💥 completely crash

😭 become distressed

🛏️ need hours to recover

🧠 replay every conversation

🚫 cannot do another social activity

Masking itself does not automatically mean PIP points.

But if they cannot engage reliably without significant support or severe consequences, explain the full picture.

🤝 GET STATEMENTS FROM PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY SUPPORT THEM

A:

👩‍🏫 teacher

🧠 mentor

🤝 PA

🏡 respite worker

🎯 club worker

👩‍👧 family member

could explain:

➡️ what social situations cause difficulty

➡️ what support they give

➡️ whether they explain social cues

➡️ whether they have to mediate with peers

➡️ whether they prevent exploitation

➡️ what happens without them

For example:

“When X interacts with unfamiliar people I frequently have to explain what the other person means, help X understand their intentions and intervene when X does not recognise that somebody is behaving inappropriately towards them.”

That is meaningful evidence.

📓 KEEP REAL EXAMPLES

For example:

MONDAY
Peer made a joke. He took it literally, became distressed and needed staff to explain the interaction.

WEDNESDAY
Started telling an unfamiliar adult personal information. Support worker intervened because he did not recognise the risk.

FRIDAY
Tried youth group again but left after 20 minutes because the number of people and unpredictable interaction became overwhelming.

Real examples tell the story.

🚨 WATCH FOR CONTRADICTIONS

Another BIG one.

If you write:

“SHE CANNOT ENGAGE WITH OTHER PEOPLE.”

but elsewhere say:

👭 meets friends alone

🎯 attends clubs independently

🛍️ chats to strangers

🏫 manages college socially without support

DWP may question it.

That does NOT automatically mean the claim is wrong.

Maybe:

❤️ those are long-term familiar friends

👥 the group is tiny

🤝 support is quietly happening

🧠 the interaction is highly rehearsed

😟 she masks then crashes afterwards

But explain WHY.

DON’T HIDE WHAT THEY CAN DO.

Explain why one situation is manageable and another isn’t.

🚨 AND DON’T MIX THIS UP WITH COMMUNICATION

Remember:

🗣️ COMMUNICATING VERBALLY

= Can they understand and express spoken information?

👥 ENGAGING WITH PEOPLE

= Can they interact socially, understand body language and establish relationships?

Somebody may have fantastic vocabulary…

and still have a huge social-engagement difficulty.

Both activities can potentially be relevant separately

📌 QUICK DESCRIPTOR GUIDE

🟢 0 points — can engage unaided

🟡 2 points — needs prompting

🟠 4 points — needs social support

🔴 8 points — cannot engage because of overwhelming psychological distress OR behaviour creating substantial risk of harm

⚠️ ONE DESCRIPTOR ONLY.

You do NOT add them together.

❤️ THE BIG QUESTION FOR PARENTS

Don’t ask only:

“CAN THEY TALK TO PEOPLE?”

Ask:

Can they understand social cues?

Can they judge whether somebody is safe?

Can they engage with unfamiliar people?

Do they need somebody experienced with them?

Can they manage face-to-face interaction outside the home?

Can they sustain groups/activities?

Does the environment completely change their ability?

What happens if nobody supports them?

Because:

“THEY CHAT ONLINE EVERY NIGHT.”

and

“THEY CAN ENGAGE WITH OTHER PEOPLE FACE TO FACE INDEPENDENTLY.”

are two VERY different things. ❤️

📌 SAVE THIS POST

📲 SHARE IT with another parent moving from DLA ➡️ PIP

👇 NEXT: MAKING BUDGETING DECISIONS

09/10/2026

🚨 DLA ➡️ PIP SERIES — DAY 11

📖 READING & UNDERSTANDING SIGNS, SYMBOLS & WORDS

Parents… this one is NOT simply:

“CAN YOUR CHILD READ?”

Because someone can read every word aloud…

…and still not understand what the information actually means.

And somebody else may understand simple signs and symbols but struggle with longer written information.

So let’s break down what PIP is actually looking at. ❤️

🧠 WHAT DOES THIS ACTIVITY COVER?

PIP looks at whether your young person can read AND understand written or printed information.

That includes:

🟢 BASIC WRITTEN INFORMATION

Things like:

🚪 EXIT signs
⛔ NO ENTRY
⚠️ warning symbols
📅 dates
🚻 simple public signs

DWP’s own example is a green EXIT sign on a door.

So ask:

CAN THEY ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SIGN MEANS?

Not just recognise the colour or shape.

🔵 COMPLEX WRITTEN INFORMATION

This means more than one sentence of ordinary written or printed text.

Think:

📄 letters
📋 instructions
📝 forms
📬 official correspondence
🏫 college emails
💷 bills/statements
📱 written information online

The question is not just:

“Can they read the words?”

It is:

“CAN THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY HAVE READ?”

🟢 0 POINTS

They can read AND understand basic and complex written information independently.

🟡 2 POINTS — NEEDS AN AID OR APPLIANCE

This may apply where someone needs an aid other than normal glasses/contact lenses to access written information.

For example:

🔍 magnification equipment
🖥️ specialist visual aids
📱 technology that is genuinely needed because of an impairment

But don’t just say:

“Uses a tablet.”

Explain WHY.

📱 WHAT IF THEY CAN READ ON A TABLET BUT NOT PAPER?

This can be really relevant.

Ask what the tablet is doing that ordinary print is not.

Do they need:

🔍 enlarged text?

🎧 text-to-speech?

🌓 different contrast?

📏 larger spacing?

✂️ text broken into smaller chunks?

🖥️ a different display format?

If the device is compensating for an impairment, explain that.

Being able to read something on a tablet does NOT automatically mean they can read ordinary printed information unaided.

🟡 2 POINTS — NEEDS PROMPTING TO READ OR UNDERSTAND COMPLEX WRITTEN INFORMATION

This can be relevant for young people with:

🧠 learning disability

🧩 autism

📖 dyslexia

🧠 cognitive difficulties

🗣️ language-processing difficulties

For example, they may physically read a letter but then need another person to explain:

➡️ what it means
➡️ what they are being asked to do
➡️ which bit is important
➡️ what happens next

🚨 READING WORDS IS NOT THE SAME AS UNDERSTANDING THEM

For example:

A letter says:

“Please return the enclosed form within 14 days. Failure to do so may result in your application being closed.”

Your young person might read every word.

But then ask:

“What does that mean?”

If another person has to explain the information because they cannot understand it independently…

that is very different from:

“THEY CAN READ.”

🟠 4 POINTS — NEEDS PROMPTING TO READ OR UNDERSTAND BASIC WRITTEN INFORMATION

This is a higher level of difficulty.

It means another person needs to remind, encourage or explain even basic information such as:

🚪 EXIT

⛔ NO ENTRY

⚠️ warning signs

📅 dates

simple symbols

evidence around safety signage can be really useful.

🚨FIRE SAFETY / ESCAPE PLANS

Does school or college have a:

🔥 PEEP / personal emergency evacuation plan

📋 risk assessment

🚪 record that your young person cannot recognise or understand EXIT/fire-safety signs

👩‍🏫 requirement for an adult to direct them during evacuation

If yes, READ what it actually says.

if your young person cannot recognise or understand that kind of sign without another person explaining or directing them, a school/college risk assessment or evacuation plan could be really useful evidence. ❤️

BUT:

A PEEP by itself does not automatically prove this descriptor.

It might exist because of:

🚶 mobility
👂 hearing
🧠 cognition
😟 anxiety
🧩 sensory needs

The useful bit is where it actually shows:

THEY CANNOT UNDERSTAND THE SIGN OR NEED ANOTHER PERSON TO INTERPRET/DIRECT THEM.

🔴 8 POINTS — CANNOT READ OR UNDERSTAND SIGNS, SYMBOLS OR WORDS AT ALL

This is the highest descriptor.

It is a high threshold.

The important thing is whether they can read or understand written information at all, even with support.

🤐 WHAT IF THEY ARE NON-SPEAKING?

Non-speaking does NOT automatically mean:

“CAN’T READ.”

Some non-speaking young people can read and understand very well.

Others cannot.

And some may understand far more than they can demonstrate verbally.

So look at HOW they show understanding.

Can they:

👉 point to the correct answer?

📱 use AAC?

✍️ type/write?

🖼️ select a symbol?

✅ follow a written instruction?

👀 respond appropriately to a sign?

If you genuinely do not know how much written information they understand…

say that.

Explain what you observe.

Do not assume either way.

🧩 WHAT ABOUT VISUALS, SYMBOLS OR EASY READ?

This can be useful evidence.

Does your young person need:

🖼️ symbols alongside words?

📸 pictures?

📋 Easy Read?

✂️ information broken into smaller pieces?

🗣️ another person explaining each section?

📱 simplified digital information?

Again, don’t just write:

“Uses visuals.”

Explain WHY.

For example:

“She cannot understand ordinary written instructions. They have to be reduced to one short sentence with a picture/symbol before she can understand what is expected.”

🌍 WHAT IF ENGLISH IS NOT THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE?

PIP assesses this activity in the person’s native language.

So difficulty reading English because English is not someone’s first language does NOT mean they score.

The difficulty needs to come from the health condition or impairment, not simply from not knowing English.

📚 WHAT ABOUT DYSLEXIA?

Dyslexia does NOT automatically mean PIP points.

The question is what the young person can actually do.

Can they:

📖 read ordinary text?

🧠 understand what they have read?

📋 understand more than one sentence?

🗣️ need another person to explain written information?

⏰ take much longer because of their impairment?

If they can read and understand complex information independently, dyslexia itself does not automatically score.

But if they need another person to explain complex written information…

that can be relevant.

🗣️ WHAT IF THEY HAVE A READER AT SCHOOL?

This is useful evidence to explore.

Ask WHY they have one.

Is it because:

📖 they cannot physically read the text?

🧠 they can read words but cannot understand them?

⏰ reading takes them far too long?

🗣️ they need someone to explain what the written question actually means?

👀 they have a visual impairment?

The reason matters.

📝 WHAT ABOUT A SCRIBE?

A scribe is usually about writing, not reading.

So having a scribe does not automatically mean difficulty under Activity 8.

But the paperwork around exam access arrangements may still contain really useful evidence about:

🧠 comprehension

📖 reading

🗣️ processing written questions

📋 understanding instructions

Look at WHY the support was awarded.

🧠 WHAT ABOUT MEMORY?

Be careful here.

DWP specifically says remembering and retaining information is NOT part of this activity.

So:

“She reads it, understands it, but forgets it later.”

is different from:

“She cannot understand what it means when she reads it.”

The second is relevant to Activity 8.

The first is not

⏳ WHAT ABOUT PROCESSING TIME?

This can matter under the reliability rules.

If understanding written information takes far longer because of the impairment…

say how long.

Not:

“It takes ages.”

But:

“A short two-paragraph letter can take 20–30 minutes to understand and still needs another person to explain parts of it.”

Specific examples are much more useful.

🏫 SCHOOL / COLLEGE EVIDENCE CAN BE REALLY USEFUL

Look for:

📖 reading-age assessments

🧠 comprehension assessments

📝 exam access arrangements

👩‍🏫 teacher/SENCO reports

📋 EHCP needs/provision

🗣️ evidence they need written questions explained

📄 simplified worksheets

🖼️ symbol-supported information

📚 literacy intervention

🤝 TA support

🔥 PEEP / fire evacuation plans

📋 risk assessments around understanding safety signs

🚪 evidence they cannot recognise EXIT or warning signs independently

If school says:

“Can decode text but requires adult support to understand written instructions”

that can be really useful evidence.

🤝 ASK PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT THEM

Could a:

👩‍🏫 teacher

🤝 PA

🏡 support worker

🧠 mentor

👩‍👧 family member

write a short statement?

For example:

“X can read individual words but needs me to explain longer written information and break it into smaller sections before they understand what is required.”

Much stronger than:

“X struggles with reading.”

📓 KEEP REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES

Think about everyday situations.

Can they independently understand:

📬 a college letter?

🚌 a timetable?

📅 an appointment date?

🚪 an EXIT sign?

⚠️ a warning sign?

📋 written instructions?

📱 an online form?

🏫 a school email?

For example:

“College emailed to say his timetable had changed. He read the email but did not understand which lesson had moved and needed me to explain it sentence by sentence.”

Or:

“She can see the EXIT sign but does not understand that it identifies the emergency way out and needs an adult to direct her.”

Those examples tell DWP much more.

🚨 WATCH FOR CONTRADICTIONS

This is another activity where contradictions can cause problems if they are not explained.

If you write:

“HE CANNOT UNDERSTAND COMPLEX WRITTEN INFORMATION.”

but elsewhere say he:

📚 reads novels independently

📝 follows written recipes

🎮 follows detailed game instructions

📱 independently manages emails

📋 completes forms himself

DWP may question the difference.

That does NOT automatically mean your claim is wrong.

Maybe:

📚 fiction is familiar/preferred

🎮 the game uses pictures and repetition

📝 recipes are highly structured

📱 messages are short

❤️ Mum checks anything important

🖼️ information is visually supported

But explain WHY one situation is easier.

DON’T HIDE WHAT THEY CAN DO — EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE.

❤️ AND DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THEM EITHER

A young person might have:

📚 a good reading age

🔤 excellent spelling

📝 beautiful handwriting

and STILL struggle to understand complicated written information.

Reading ability and comprehension are not always the same thing.

📌 QUICK DESCRIPTOR GUIDE

🟢 0 points — can read and understand basic AND complex written information independently

🟡 2 points — needs an aid/appliance other than ordinary glasses/contact lenses

🟡 2 points — needs prompting to read or understand COMPLEX written information

🟠 4 points — needs prompting to read or understand BASIC written information

🔴 8 points — cannot read or understand signs, symbols or words at all

⚠️ ONE DESCRIPTOR ONLY.

You do NOT add them together.

📌 SAVE THIS POST

📲 SHARE IT with another parent moving from DLA ➡️ PIP

👇 NEXT: ENGAGING WITH OTHER PEOPLE FACE TO FACE

08/10/2026

🚨 EHCP PHASE TRANSFER — IS THIS YOU?

If your child has an EHCP and is due to move to a new stage of education in September 2027, this is the year their phase transfer happens.

That includes:

👶 early years → school
🏫 infant → junior
📚 primary → secondary
🎓 secondary → post-16 / college

📅 WHEN DOES THE REVIEW HAPPEN?

There is no single national date for the actual review meeting.

Some councils start phase-transfer reviews in the summer term before the final year, others during the autumn.

But the process must be finished by:

🏫 15 February 2027 for school phase transfers

🎓 31 March 2027 for secondary → post-16

So if your child is transferring next September and nobody has mentioned phase transfer yet, I would be asking:

“When is my child’s phase-transfer review?”

February/March is the deadline for the process to be finished — not started.

❤️ WHAT SHOULD PARENTS BE DOING NOW?

Keep it simple:

📄 read the current EHCP

🔍 check whether your child’s needs have changed

📝 check whether the support in Section F is still right

🏫 start looking at possible schools/colleges

📂 gather any new evidence

📧 make sure your preferred placement is clear

And remember — this is not just about choosing a school.

The EHCP itself needs to be right for the next stage too.

⚠️ WHAT IF THE WRONG SCHOOL IS NAMED?

If the final amended EHCP names a placement you disagree with, or the plan still does not properly describe your child’s needs/support, you have a right of appeal.

And this is why I always say:

Last year, every family I supported through phase transfer who needed to appeal is now in their preferred school. ❤️

That does NOT mean I can promise the same outcome for every family.

But it does show how important it is to get organised early, understand the evidence and know what to do if the LA decision is not right.

❤️ 1:1 PHASE TRANSFER SUPPORT

I have a very limited number of paid 1:1 phase-transfer support packages available this year.

I can help with things like:

📄 reviewing the current EHCP
📝 preparing for the phase-transfer review
🏫 preferred placement / school issues
📂 organising evidence
✉️ proposed amendments
⚖️ appeal preparation and full support through all stages if needed (I do not offer support at the actual hearing)

I keep my support as low-cost and accessible as I can, but spaces are limited because this work can take a lot of time and can go on for many months.

If your child is transferring in September 2027 and you think you’ll want support, please don’t leave it until the deadline is close.

📩 Message me

PHASE TRANSFER

and tell me your child’s current year group and what stage you’re at.

08/10/2026

🚨 DLA ➡️ PIP SERIES — DAY 10

🗣️ COMMUNICATING VERBALLY

PIP is NOT simply asking:

“CAN YOUR CHILD SPEAK?”

A young person might have lots of words…

but still need significant support to:

👂 understand what somebody is saying
🧠 process spoken information
🗣️ express themselves clearly
🔄 manage a back-and-forth exchange
🤝 use another person to interpret or simplify communication

And equally…

a young person may be non-speaking but communicate in lots of other ways.

So let’s break down what PIP is ACTUALLY looking at. ❤️

🧠 WHAT DOES THIS ACTIVITY COVER?

PIP looks at BOTH:

🗣️ EXPRESSING VERBAL INFORMATION

Can they convey information to another person?

AND

👂 UNDERSTANDING VERBAL INFORMATION

Can they receive and understand what another person says?

Both matter.

🚨 BASIC VS COMPLEX VERBAL INFORMATION

This distinction is REALLY important.

🟢 BASIC VERBAL INFORMATION

DWP defines this as information in a single simple sentence.

Examples include:

“Can I help you?”

“I would like tea please.”

“I came home today.”

“The time is 3 o’clock.”

🔵 COMPLEX VERBAL INFORMATION

This means:

➡️ more than one sentence

OR

➡️ one complicated sentence.

So someone might understand:

“Put your shoes on.”

but struggle badly with:

“Put your shoes on, get your bag and wait by the door because we’re leaving when your sister is ready.”

🟢 0 POINTS

They can express AND understand verbal information unaided.

🟡 2 POINTS — NEEDS AN AID/APPLIANCE TO SPEAK OR HEAR

Examples DWP gives include:

🦻 hearing aids

🗣️ an electrolarynx

This descriptor is about an aid needed to speak or hear to an acceptable standard.

🟠 4 POINTS — NEEDS COMMUNICATION SUPPORT FOR COMPLEX VERBAL INFORMATION

This can be relevant for some young people with:

🧩 autism

🧠 learning disability

🗣️ language disorder

👂 significant hearing impairment

🧠 cognitive difficulties

DWP defines communication support as help from another person who is:

➡️ trained or experienced in communicating with people with specific communication needs

OR

➡️ directly experienced in communicating with YOUR young person.

So that person could be:

👩‍👧 Mum or Dad

🤝 a carer

👩‍🏫 support worker

🗣️ communication professional

🤟 sign-language interpreter

A family member CAN potentially be the communication support if they are directly experienced in communicating with that person.

🔴 8 POINTS — NEEDS COMMUNICATION SUPPORT FOR BASIC VERBAL INFORMATION

This is a higher level of need.

It means another person is needed even for simple verbal information.

For example:

“Do you want a drink?”

“Where do you live?”

“Are you in pain?”

“Do you need help?”

If someone needs another person to interpret, simplify or support even basic spoken information…

this descriptor may be relevant.

🔴 12 POINTS — CANNOT EXPRESS OR UNDERSTAND VERBAL INFORMATION AT ALL EVEN WITH SUPPORT

This is the highest threshold.

It applies where the person cannot express or understand verbal information even with communication support.

🤟 WHAT ABOUT MAKATON, SIGN LANGUAGE, PECS, AAC OR WRITING?

YES — these can all be relevant.

DWP specifically recognises verbal information being interpreted into a non-verbal form and vice versa — for example through sign language.

That might involve:

🤟 Makaton / sign language

🖼️ PECS / symbols

📱 AAC

✍️ writing

👀 gestures

🔊 meaningful sounds/vocalisations

But don’t just write:

“Uses PECS.”

Explain:

➡️ what spoken information they understand without it
➡️ what has to be converted into pictures/signs/writing
➡️ whether another person has to interpret their communication
➡️ whether unfamiliar people understand them
➡️ what happens without that support

For example:

“She does not reliably understand spoken instructions alone. I use Makaton and visual symbols alongside speech, and I interpret her gestures and sounds back to other people.”

That tells DWP much more.

🤐 WHAT IF THEY ARE NON-SPEAKING?

Please don’t assume either:

❌ “NON-SPEAKING = UNDERSTANDS NOTHING”

or

❌ “THEY FOLLOW ROUTINES SO THEY MUST UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING.”

A non-speaking person may understand a huge amount.

Or they may understand much less than people assume.

The important thing is to look at what they can demonstrate in real life.

Can they understand a NEW simple spoken sentence?

Can they respond appropriately without:

👀 copying somebody else?

🧠 relying on the usual routine?

🖼️ seeing a visual?

🤟 Makaton?

👩‍👧 Mum interpreting?

If you genuinely don’t know how much spoken language they understand…

say that and explain what you observe.

Don’t guess.

🧠 ROUTINE IS NOT ALWAYS THE SAME AS UNDERSTANDING

A young person may appear to understand:

“Shoes on.”

every morning.

But every morning:

➡️ shoes always happen before leaving

➡️ everyone else is putting shoes on

➡️ Mum is standing at the door

➡️ the bag is already packed

So ask:

ARE THEY UNDERSTANDING THE WORDS… OR RECOGNISING THE ROUTINE?

Try thinking about how they respond when:

🔄 the order changes

❓ an unfamiliar instruction is given

🏠 the same words are used in a different setting

👩‍🏫 somebody unfamiliar says it

This can help show whether the difficulty is actually understanding spoken language.

🔁 WHAT ABOUT GESTALT LANGUAGE / ECHOLALIA?

This can be very relevant to the evidence.

Some autistic young people may:

🎬 repeat phrases from television

🗣️ use scripts

🔁 echo what another person has said

💬 use memorised chunks of language

They may sound VERY verbal.

But the amount of speech they produce does not automatically tell us how much novel verbal information they can understand or express.

So rather than:

“He talks constantly.”

you might need to explain:

“He uses lots of memorised phrases and scripts. When asked an unfamiliar question, he often repeats part of the question or uses a familiar phrase instead of giving an appropriate answer. I have to rephrase and interpret what he is trying to communicate.”

That paints a completely different picture.

🧠 WHAT IF THEY UNDERSTAND BUT CAN’T ACT ON IT?

If your young person understands:

“Put your coat on.”

but cannot actually do it because of:

🧠 executive dysfunction

😟 anxiety

🧩 demand avoidance

🦴 physical difficulty

…that does NOT automatically mean they have a verbal communication difficulty.

There is a difference between:

“HE UNDERSTOOD IT BUT COULDN’T ACT ON IT.”

and

“HE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS BEING SAID WITHOUT SUPPORT.”

Activity 7 is about understanding and expressing the information itself.

The difficulty carrying out the task may be relevant elsewhere.

🧠 MEMORY IS DIFFERENT TOO

DWP specifically says the ability to remember and retain information is NOT within the scope of this activity.

So:

“She understood what I said but forgot it 5 minutes later.”

is different from:

“She could not understand what I said in the first place.”

Focus on what happens at the point the information is given.

⏳ WHAT ABOUT PROCESSING TIME?

This can be very relevant.

Does your young person need:

⏳ long pauses before responding?

🔁 questions repeated?

✂️ information broken into one part at a time?

🗣️ different wording?

👩‍👧 another person checking what they have understood?

For example:

“If he is given more than one sentence of verbal information, he cannot reliably process it. I have to break it into one short sentence at a time and check his understanding before moving on.”

Much stronger than:

“He has slow processing.”

🧩 WHAT ABOUT AUTISTIC YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOTS OF SPEECH?

Being verbal does NOT automatically mean:

0 POINTS.

Some young people may happily talk for an hour about:

🎮 gaming

🚂 trains

📺 favourite programmes

🐴 horses

🦖 dinosaurs

…but struggle when:

❓ asked an unexpected question

🧠 given several pieces of information

🗣️ asked to explain something unfamiliar

📞 speaking to a professional

😟 overwhelmed

🔄 expected to process and respond quickly

Explain whether he can actually understand and express basic and complex verbal information reliably.

🏫 SCHOOL / COLLEGE EVIDENCE CAN BE REALLY USEFUL

Look for:

📋 EHCP communication needs

🗣️ SALT reports

👩‍🏫 TA/support-worker evidence

🧠 processing assessments

📧 emails describing misunderstandings

🤝 one-to-one support

🗣️ instructions given one step at a time

⏳ extra processing time

📖 visuals used alongside speech

🖼️ PECS / symbols

🤟 Makaton

📱 AAC

🤝 GET EVIDENCE FROM PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY COMMUNICATE WITH THEM

Could a:

👩‍🏫 teacher

🗣️ SALT

🤝 PA

🏡 respite worker

🧠 mentor

👩‍👧 family member

write a short statement?

Ask them to explain:

➡️ what type of verbal information the young person understands independently

➡️ when information needs simplifying

➡️ whether questions have to be rephrased

➡️ whether visuals/signs are needed

➡️ how much processing time is required

➡️ whether they can express an answer independently

➡️ what happens without communication support

📓 KEEP A SHORT COMMUNICATION DIARY

For example:

MONDAY
College gave three verbal instructions together. He completed the first but did not understand the others. Support worker repeated each one separately.

WEDNESDAY
GP asked a longer question. He became overwhelmed and looked to Mum. Mum rephrased it into two simple questions before he could answer.

FRIDAY
Unfamiliar person asked where he lived and why he was there. He repeated part of the question back and could not formulate an answer until Mum simplified it.

Specific examples show what the difficulty ACTUALLY looks like.

🚨 WATCH FOR CONTRADICTIONS

This is a BIG one in this activity.

You might write:

“HE CANNOT UNDERSTAND SIMPLE VERBAL INFORMATION.”

But elsewhere the evidence says:

🏫 he independently follows ordinary classroom instructions

📞 he makes phone calls

🚌 he independently asks strangers for directions

👥 he holds conversations with unfamiliar people

That does NOT automatically mean your claim is wrong.

There may be a perfectly good explanation.

For example:

🏫 school uses visual prompts

👩‍🏫 staff simplify language

🧠 familiar routines make things easier

📞 phone calls are scripted/rehearsed

❤️ communication is much easier with familiar people

😟 ability reduces dramatically when stressed

🖼️ visual information is being used alongside speech

But if you don’t EXPLAIN the difference…

it can look inconsistent.

DON’T HIDE WHAT THEY CAN DO.

Explain WHY they can do it in one situation but struggle in another.

🚨 AND WATCH FOR CONTRADICTIONS THE OTHER WAY TOO

Don’t write:

“He communicates fine.”

because he can:

🎮 talk endlessly about Minecraft

📺 repeat lines from programmes

🚂 discuss his special interest

❤️ chat happily with Mum

if he actually:

❓ cannot answer unfamiliar questions

🧠 cannot process more than one sentence

👩‍👧 needs Mum to interpret professionals

🔁 relies heavily on scripts

😶 freezes with unfamiliar people

PIP needs the WHOLE picture.

⚠️ DON’T MIX UP THE PIP ACTIVITIES

Three different activities can easily get muddled:

🗣️ ACTIVITY 7 — COMMUNICATING VERBALLY

Can they understand and express spoken information?

📖 ACTIVITY 8 — READING & UNDERSTANDING

Can they read and understand written information?

👥 ACTIVITY 9 — ENGAGING WITH OTHER PEOPLE

Can they socially engage appropriately with other people?

Things like:

😕 not understanding sarcasm

👀 difficulty reading facial expressions

🗣️ inappropriate social responses

😟 overwhelming social anxiety

may be more relevant to Engaging with Other People.

We will cover that separately. ❤️

📌 QUICK DESCRIPTOR GUIDE

🟢 0 points — can express and understand verbal information unaided

🟡 2 points — needs an aid/appliance to speak or hear

🟠 4 points — needs communication support for COMPLEX verbal information

🔴 8 points — needs communication support for BASIC verbal information

🔴 12 points — cannot express or understand verbal information at all, even with communication support

⚠️ ONE DESCRIPTOR ONLY.

You do NOT add them together. L

❤️ THE BIG QUESTION FOR PARENTS

Don’t just ask:

“CAN THEY TALK?”

Ask:

Can they actually understand what somebody is saying?

Can they express an appropriate response?

Can they manage more than one sentence of information?

Do I have to translate everyday language into language THEY understand?

Do they rely on routines, scripts, visuals or familiar people?

Would an unfamiliar person understand them without me?

What happens when I am NOT there to bridge that communication gap?

Because:

“MY CHILD HAS LOTS OF SPEECH.”

and

“MY CHILD CAN INDEPENDENTLY UNDERSTAND AND EXPRESS COMPLEX VERBAL INFORMATION.”

are NOT necessarily the same thing. ❤️

📌 SAVE THIS POST

📲 SHARE IT with another parent moving from DLA ➡️ PIP

👇 NEXT: READING & UNDERSTANDING SIGNS, SYMBOLS & WORDS

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