The number of children and youth identified with autism has grown exponentially over the past decade and a half. During 1992-93 (the first required reporting year for the category of autism) only 7,168 students with autism ages 6-21 were served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (U.S. Department of Education, 1994). This number grew to 193,637 students with autism ages 6-21 during the 2004-05 school year--more than 27 times the number first identified. Although some of this growth in numbers can be attributed to the fact that it often takes several years for state data systems to adapt, this certainly does not fully account for such extreme growth in numbers. In response to this growth, states have begun to institute specialized infrastructures and/or programs to serve children and youth with autism and other autism spectrum disorders. The purpose of this document is to describe state approaches to serving this growing population. (Contains 3 footnotes.)