In this exploratory case study, we examine the rise of autism on the policy agenda and the new generation of autism advocacy. We focus especially on interconnections between the rhetoric about autism in the media and the emergence and political effectiveness of Autism Speaks, the nation's largest autism advocacy group. We portray how influential social actors frame the story of autism and how they have secured policy victories for youth with autism and their families. Whether issue framing affects policy by motivating network collaboration, or whether collaboration affects how social actors frame issues to affect policy is of fundamental concern in our preliminary analyses. We conclude by discussing implications for new research on the framing of the issue and network development. (Contains 1 figure and 10 footnotes.)