Special Education: Children With Autism

According to the Autism Society of America, about 1.5 million Americans are currently living with some form of autism. This figure includes over 100,000 school-aged children diagnosed with autism served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the primary federal legislation that addresses the educational needs of children with disabilities. As the number of children diagnosed with autism has increased, interest in understanding how children diagnosed with autism are being served under IDEA has grown. In this report we are describing the tend in the number of children diagnosed with autism served under IDEA, the services provided to these children, the estimated per pupil expenditures for educating children with autism, and approaches to their education.