Autism Rates by State

How we built this

Identification rate = children ages 5–21 served under IDEA Part B's autism category (U.S. Dept. of Education, IDEA Section 618 child count, SY2023–24) divided by the state's resident population ages 5–21 (U.S. Census Bureau population estimates, 2023), per 1,000.

• Clinical prevalence comes from the CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network, surveillance year 2022 (published 2025), children aged 8 across 16 sites. National figure: 32.2 per 1,000 (1 in 31). For families comparing school identification with a clinical diagnosis, our explainer on what autism testing actually involves walks through the referral, screening, and evaluation steps.
• Why the two numbers differ: IDEA counts only children formally served under the IDEA autism eligibility category in public schools; many autistic children are served under other categories or a 504 plan, in general education, or privately. Families still deciding between placement models can also compare the main types of special-needs education programs.
• Provider options reflect how many special-needs providers a family will find in the Special Needs Care Network directory for that state, grouped into broad tiers. It is a guide to what's listed here, not a census of every provider in the market. Once you have a shortlist, our guides to choosing a special-needs school and choosing an autism therapy center cover what to ask on a visit or intake call.
• Related data reports: our companion analyses of autism and employment outcomes and restraint and seclusion of students with disabilities by state extend this identification data into adult outcomes and school-practice reporting.