EHCP Help / Advice & next steps
Social anxiety and confidence
You do not need to know the right support type yet. Start with the area affecting daily life most.
Quick answer
Explore emotional and communication support routes. Start with the main difficulty and compare free and professional support routes carefully.
What this means
Explore emotional and communication support routes. This is general information and does not replace medical, clinical, legal, school or local authority advice.
Different support types help with different needs. It can help to clarify the concern, where it happens and the outcome you want to improve.
Free school, NHS, SENDIASS, Local Offer and community routes may be useful before paid support.
What to do next
Things to check
Questions to ask
Local Northamptonshire route
Check the Northamptonshire Local Offer and relevant local SENDIASS route for free information.
Free support and useful links
External free resource
West Northamptonshire SENDIASS
Free, impartial SEND information, advice and support for families in West Northamptonshire.
External free resource
North Northamptonshire SENDIASS
Free, impartial SEND information, advice and support for families in North Northamptonshire.
External free resource
Northamptonshire Local Offer
Local SEND information, services and support routes for children and young people.
External free resource
GOV.UK SEND information
Official information about special educational needs, EHC plans and support.
External free resource
IPSEA
Free SEND law information and resources for parents and carers.
External free resource
Council for Disabled Children
National resources and information about SEND support and policy.
Professional help is available if you need it
Therapy or professional help is optional and should match the need and outcome you want to address.
What happens next?
Try one manageable step, review what helps and decide whether further advice or assessment is needed.
Support that may help
School SENCO · SENDIASS · Speech and language therapist · Occupational therapist · Educational psychologist · Wellbeing or family support
Helpful free resources
SEND Compass provides general information to help families understand possible next steps. It does not replace legal, medical or local authority advice.
Independent guidance for families
SEND Lantern is an independent guidance platform operated by Send Lantern Ltd. We help families explore special educational needs and disabilities support, possible next steps and relevant services. SEND Lantern is not part of the NHS, a local authority, a school or any individual service provider. Information on this website is general guidance and should not be treated as medical, legal or educational advice.