Given these stretched finances and increasing levels of SEND need, it’s vital for local authorities and policy makers to proactively plan, and prioritise provision and support services for investment. The main driver of this growth is the increasing numbers of requests for EHCP assessments, particularly in the early years. There will be particularly large growth in the numbers of children with an EHCP needing support for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). The number of children with an EHCP with a primary need of ASD has doubled since 2019 and the growth is forecast to continue. The predicted rise in SLCN is a reflection of the profile of new EHCPs being far more likely to have SLCN recorded as their primary need than was the case even a few years ago.