Autism in Colorado — Why It Matters
Autism spectrum disorder, commonly referred to as ASD, is a developmental disability that affects how a person communicates, interacts socially, and processes the world around them. The term "spectrum" reflects the wide range of challenges and strengths that autistic individuals possess — no two people experience autism in exactly the same way. Some individuals require significant daily support, while others live and work independently with minimal assistance. Regardless of where a person falls on the spectrum, early identification, quality services, and community acceptance are essential to helping them lead fulfilling lives.
Colorado has emerged as one of the most proactive and supportive states in the country when it comes to autism services, research, and advocacy. Families from across the United States have relocated to the Centennial State specifically because of its robust network of therapy providers, strong insurance mandates, and an engaged community of nonprofits and advocates. Yet, despite these strengths, Colorado still faces significant challenges — particularly in rural areas and in the transition from child services to adult supports. Understanding the full picture of autism in Colorado requires looking at its history, its numbers, and the forces shaping its future.
The History of Autism Advocacy in Colorado
The story of autism advocacy in Colorado begins in 1970, when a group of determined parents came together to fight for something that seems almost unthinkable by modern standards: the right for their autistic children to attend public schools. At that time, children with developmental disabilities were routinely excluded from classrooms and often institutionalized. These Colorado parents, drawing strength from one another, formed what would become the Autism Society of Colorado (ASC), an affiliate of the national Autism Society of America, which had been founded just five years earlier, in 1965, by Dr. Bernard Rimland and Dr. Ruth C. Sullivan.
The early work of the Autism Society of Colorado was grassroots in every sense of the word. Volunteers produced newsletters, organized community meetings, lobbied state legislators, and provided information and referrals to families who had nowhere else to turn. Their most significant early victory came not at the state level but at the federal one: the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975. IDEA guaranteed all children with disabilities the right to a free and appropriate public education, a legal framework that set the stage for Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and Section 504 accommodations that millions of students depend on today.
In the decades that followed, the Autism Society of Colorado grew from a volunteer-run parent group into a professional organization with full-time staff serving autistic individuals, families, providers, educators, employers, and policymakers across the entire state. The organization was formally incorporated with the IRS under its current tax identification in 1986, and it is headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado. Today, ASC's mission is to "create connections, empowering everyone in the Autism community with the resources needed to live fully." Its programs include information and referral services, autistic adult support groups, employment assistance, legislative advocacy, and community awareness campaigns.
The national Autism Society of America is founded by Dr. Bernard Rimland and Dr. Ruth C. Sullivan, creating a framework for state-level chapters across the country.
Colorado parents of autistic children band together to advocate for public school access, forming the group that will become the Autism Society of Colorado.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is signed into federal law, guaranteeing children with disabilities — including autism — the right to a free and appropriate public education. This marks a landmark victory for Colorado's parent advocates.
The Autism Society of Colorado is formally incorporated as a nonprofit organization and registered with the IRS, transitioning from a volunteer network to a structured advocacy entity.
Colorado enacts Senate Bill 09-244, a landmark autism insurance mandate requiring state-regulated health insurance plans to cover the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of autism spectrum disorder, including applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy.
Colorado Medicaid begins consistently covering ABA therapy, and the state's network of developmental pediatricians, behavioral health specialists, and community organizations continues to expand along the Front Range and beyond.
One of the most consequential moments in Colorado's autism history came in 2009, when the state legislature passed Senate Bill 09-244. This law required state-regulated health insurance plans to provide meaningful coverage for the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of autism spectrum disorder. The mandate placed Colorado among the leading states for insurance coverage of ABA therapy and other evidence-based treatments. According to the Autism Society of Colorado's executive director, "Colorado does have an insurance mandate requiring insurers to cover autism treatment at a higher level than many other states." That mandate, combined with Colorado's Medicaid waiver programs — including the Children's Extensive Support waiver, the Developmental Disabilities waiver, and the Supported Living Services waiver — has made the state a magnet for families seeking comprehensive autism care.
Autism Prevalence — Colorado vs. the Nation
Understanding how common autism is in Colorado requires looking at the data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through its Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. The ADDM Network is the gold standard for autism surveillance in the United States. It operates by reviewing the health and special education records of eight-year-old children in selected communities across the country, providing consistent prevalence estimates that can be compared across sites and over time.
Colorado has participated in the ADDM Network through its Colorado ADDM Project, administered by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The project monitored autism prevalence among eight-year-old children in a seven-county Denver metropolitan area that includes Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson counties. Based on 2014 surveillance data published by the CDC, the average prevalence of ASD in the monitored Denver-metro counties was approximately 1 in 50 children, or roughly 20 per 1,000 eight-year-olds. This figure placed Colorado close to the national average at the time, which was approximately 1 in 59 children based on the same ADDM reporting cycle.
However, autism prevalence nationally has continued to climb steadily. In April 2025, the CDC published its most recent ADDM data, based on the 2022 surveillance year. The headline figure was striking: approximately 1 in 31 children aged eight years — or 3.2 percent — had been identified with ASD across the 16 ADDM Network sites. This represents a significant increase from the 1 in 36 (2.7 percent) estimate based on 2020 data, and a dramatic rise from the 1 in 150 estimate that the CDC first reported based on year-2000 data.
Key national prevalence milestones (CDC ADDM Network): The estimated prevalence among eight-year-old children has risen from 1 in 150 (year 2000) to 1 in 110 (2006), to 1 in 68 (2012), to 1 in 44 (2018), to 1 in 36 (2020), and most recently to 1 in 31 (2022). Each of these estimates reflects improvements in awareness, screening practices, and diagnostic criteria alongside any potential changes in actual incidence.
Colorado's own prevalence data from the ADDM Network has not been updated as frequently as some other states, since the Colorado ADDM site has operated inconsistently over the years. However, broader data sources — including the National Survey of Children's Health, Medicaid administrative data, and special education child counts — help fill in the picture. According to aggregated state-level estimates, Colorado's autism prevalence is approximately 1.11 percent of the total population, which is in line with the national average and comparable to states like Iowa, Kansas, and Massachusetts. For children specifically, the rate is higher. One analysis estimates that approximately 1 in 58 children in Colorado have been identified with ASD, which is slightly below the latest national figure of 1 in 31 but reflects differences in data collection timing and methodology rather than a meaningful gap in actual prevalence.
State-by-State Comparison
Autism prevalence varies considerably from state to state, driven largely by differences in diagnostic infrastructure, access to healthcare, screening practices, and how aggressively states identify and count autistic individuals. The following table illustrates how Colorado compares to a selection of other states based on available data.
| State | Estimated Child ASD Prevalence | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | ~1 in 33 (3.0%) | Consistently among the highest in the nation; strong diagnostic infrastructure |
| California | ~1 in 26 (3.9%) — ADDM site | Large population; significant investment in screening programs |
| Massachusetts | ~1 in 35 (2.9%) | High awareness and access to specialty providers |
| Colorado | ~1 in 50–58 (1.7–2.0%) | Close to national average; ADDM data collection has been inconsistent |
| Texas | ~1 in 62 (1.6%) | Large state with wide variation between urban and rural areas |
| National Average | ~1 in 31 (3.2%) — 2022 ADDM | Based on 16 ADDM sites; highest estimate to date |
It is important to note that a lower reported prevalence in a given state does not necessarily mean that fewer people there have autism. It often reflects gaps in screening and diagnostic services, particularly in rural or underserved communities. Colorado's somewhat lower reported rate compared to states like New Jersey and California likely reflects, in part, the inconsistent operation of its ADDM surveillance site rather than a genuinely lower rate of autism in the population. As Colorado's diagnostic infrastructure continues to improve and data collection becomes more systematic, the reported prevalence is expected to rise closer to the national figure.
Trends — The Good and the Concerning
Positive Trends
There are several genuinely encouraging trends shaping the autism landscape in Colorado. Perhaps the most significant is the state's national reputation for quality services. Colorado has been ranked as the most supportive state in the country for raising a child with autism by Autism Parenting Magazine, and researchers at Stanford University have found that Colorado is tied for the third-greatest number of autism resources per capita among all fifty states. Families from Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia, and California have relocated to Colorado specifically for its autism services — a powerful endorsement that reflects the depth of the state's therapy network, its strong insurance mandates, and the welcoming culture of its communities.
Another positive trend is the improving equity of autism diagnosis across racial and ethnic groups. For many years, White children were diagnosed with ASD at significantly higher rates than children from minority backgrounds — not because White children were more likely to have autism, but because minority communities faced greater barriers to screening and diagnosis. The CDC's most recent data, based on the 2022 surveillance year, shows that this gap has closed dramatically. For the first time, the percentage of Asian or Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Black children identified with ASD was equal to or higher than that of White children. This shift reflects targeted outreach efforts, improved screening in underserved communities, and greater cultural awareness of autism — all trends that are visible in Colorado's diverse Front Range communities.
Colorado has also made important strides in early identification. The state's Early Intervention (EI) Colorado program, administered through the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, provides services to infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities from birth through age two. Research consistently shows that early intervention leads to better long-term outcomes in communication, social skills, and adaptive behavior. Colorado's investment in this pipeline — combined with universal screening recommendations and a growing number of developmental pediatricians along the Front Range — means that more children are being identified and connected with support at younger ages than ever before.
Concerning Trends
Despite Colorado's many strengths, there are serious gaps that need to be addressed. The most frequently cited concern is the stark disparity between urban and rural services. The Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs metropolitan areas are, as one advocacy leader put it, "flooded with all different kinds of resources" — developmental pediatricians, ABA therapy providers, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and specialty programs like hippotherapy. But rural Colorado and mountain communities have far fewer options. The Autism Society of Colorado has stated plainly that "rural Colorado and our mountain towns have very few resources for autism services and support," and the organization encourages out-of-state families considering a move to settle along the Front Range, where waitlists may exist but providers are plentiful.
The second major concern is the cliff that autistic individuals face when they transition from childhood services to adulthood. While Colorado offers extensive support for children — through insurance-mandated therapies, Medicaid waivers, early intervention, and special education — adults on the spectrum frequently find that services evaporate when they turn eighteen or twenty-one. Tracy Bules, a Colorado mother of two deaf sons with autism, captured the frustration of many families when she told Colorado Newsline: "There's literally nothing for my kid, now that he's 21. There's just nothing." This is not a problem unique to Colorado — it is a nationwide crisis — but it is felt acutely in a state that has set such a high bar for children's services. The gap between what Colorado offers autistic children and what it offers autistic adults remains one of the most urgent challenges facing the community.
A third area of concern involves funding stability. Colorado's early intervention programs, Medicaid waivers, and special education services depend on a mix of federal and state dollars. Budget pressures at both levels of government can create uncertainty. In early 2025, for example, reporting by Colorado Public Radio highlighted an $87 million early intervention program facing potential budget shortfalls, raising concerns about the continuity of services for developmentally delayed infants and toddlers. Sustained advocacy will be essential to protect the funding streams that underpin Colorado's reputation as a leader in autism support.
Finally, the overall rise in autism prevalence — from 1 in 150 in 2000 to 1 in 31 in 2022 — poses its own challenge regardless of how much of the increase reflects genuine changes in incidence versus improvements in identification. More diagnosed individuals means greater demand for therapists, classroom aides, residential programs, and employment supports. Colorado's service infrastructure must continue to grow to keep pace with rising numbers, or wait times and access gaps will worsen.
Services, Insurance, and Support in Colorado
One of the pillars of Colorado's standing as a top state for autism support is its insurance mandate. Senate Bill 09-244, enacted in 2009, requires state-regulated health insurance plans to cover the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of ASD. This includes coverage for applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy, the most widely studied and evidence-based behavioral intervention for autism. Colorado's mandate covers children up to age twenty-one who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and treated by licensed providers. This places Colorado ahead of many states in terms of the breadth and accessibility of insured treatment options.
Beyond private insurance, Colorado's Medicaid program provides critical support through several waiver programs. The Children's Extensive Support (CES) waiver assists families of children with intensive needs, covering services like respite care, specialized therapies, and case management. The Developmental Disabilities (DD) waiver provides access to full-time supervision and support for individuals eighteen and older who live in group homes, their own homes, or with family members. The Supported Living Services (SLS) waiver helps adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities remain in their homes and communities. Funding for these waivers is split evenly between the state and federal government, and they represent a lifeline for families who cannot afford to pay for intensive support out of pocket.
Colorado's therapy landscape is particularly robust along the Front Range. Families have access to developmental pediatricians, ABA therapy centers, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and specialized programs like hippotherapy — therapeutic activities performed on horseback by licensed therapists. Colorado Springs and the greater Denver metro area are home to dozens of ABA providers, and many private preschools and schools specialize in serving autistic children. Sharon Starkey, co-founder and president of Autism Vision of Colorado, has described the Front Range as having "tons of ABA services, speech-language, occupational therapy, physical therapy, neurofeedback, hippotherapy, just all kinds of services that aren't available in a lot of other places."
The state's education system also plays a vital role. Under IDEA, Colorado public schools are required to provide a free and appropriate public education to all students with disabilities, including those with autism. This includes access to Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), Section 504 accommodations, and, in many districts, specialized autism classrooms or programs. The Colorado Department of Education has been working to expand early childhood special education resources and improve the identification of young children who may benefit from support services.
Demographics of Autism in Colorado
Gender Disparities
Across the United States — and in Colorado specifically — boys are diagnosed with autism at significantly higher rates than girls. National data from the CDC consistently shows that boys are approximately four times more likely to be identified with ASD than girls. Based on the most recent 2022 ADDM data, approximately 1 in 20 boys and 1 in 70 girls aged eight were identified with autism. While some of this disparity reflects genuine differences in prevalence, researchers increasingly believe that autism in girls is underdiagnosed because it often presents differently. Girls may be more adept at "masking" social difficulties, and the diagnostic criteria historically reflected symptoms more commonly observed in boys. As awareness of how autism presents in girls grows, the gender gap in diagnosis may narrow — a trend worth watching in Colorado and nationwide.
Racial and Ethnic Equity
As noted in the trends section, one of the most important recent developments in autism data is the closing of the racial and ethnic diagnosis gap. In Colorado's diverse metro areas — where Hispanic, Black, Asian, and multiracial families make up a growing share of the population — this trend has real implications for equity in access to services. When minority children are identified earlier and more reliably, they gain access to early intervention, school-based supports, and insurance-covered therapies that can meaningfully improve their developmental trajectories. Continued investment in culturally competent screening and outreach in Colorado's diverse communities will be essential to sustaining this progress.
County-Level Variation
Even within Colorado, autism prevalence varies by county. The CDC's ADDM data for the Denver metro area showed differences across the seven monitored counties: Denver County had the highest reported prevalence at approximately 20.2 per 1,000 children, while Broomfield County had the lowest at 14.6 per 1,000. Arapahoe, Adams, Jefferson, Douglas, and Boulder counties fell in between. These differences likely reflect variations in the availability of diagnostic services, the demographics of each county's population, and how effectively local healthcare systems identify children with autism. Outside the seven-county metro area, prevalence data is much harder to come by, underscoring the need for expanded surveillance in rural and western Colorado.
Authoritative Resources on Autism
Navigating the world of autism can be overwhelming, especially for families who are newly receiving a diagnosis. Fortunately, there are several highly trusted, evidence-based organizations that provide reliable information, support, and advocacy. The following resources are recommended for anyone seeking to learn more about autism in Colorado and beyond.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Autism Data and Research page is the definitive source for autism prevalence statistics in the United States. The CDC publishes data from its ADDM Network, the National Survey of Children's Health, and other surveillance systems, providing the most up-to-date estimates of how many children and adults are living with autism. Their website also includes information on signs and symptoms, screening recommendations, and research initiatives. For anyone who wants to understand the numbers behind autism in Colorado or any other state, the CDC is the essential starting point.
The Autism Society of America is the nation's oldest grassroots autism organization, founded in 1965. It operates through a network of state and local affiliates — including the Autism Society of Colorado — and provides information, advocacy, and community support to autistic individuals and families across the country. The national organization's website offers a wealth of resources on topics ranging from navigating a new diagnosis to employment and housing for autistic adults, legislative advocacy, and research updates. Their affiliate network ensures that the support they provide is tailored to the specific laws, services, and communities of each state.
Autism Speaks is another major national organization that provides state-by-state summaries of autism laws, services, and outcomes. Their website includes an interactive tool that allows users to explore how autism policies and prevalence vary across all fifty states and Washington, D.C. Autism Speaks also funds research, provides toolkits for families and educators, and advocates for policy changes at the federal and state levels. Their state summary for Colorado offers a useful snapshot of the legal and service landscape in the Centennial State.
The Connection is You
The Autism Society of Colorado's tagline captures the essence of what makes the autism community in this state so strong. It is not any single law, program, or provider that makes Colorado a leader — it is the web of connections between families, advocates, educators, therapists, employers, and policymakers who show up for autistic individuals every day. Whether you are a parent seeking a diagnosis for your child, an autistic adult looking for community, or a professional wanting to make a difference, the connection starts with you.
Looking Ahead — The Future of Autism in Colorado
Colorado stands at an important crossroads. The state has built a national reputation as one of the best places in the country for autism services, driven by decades of advocacy, a strong insurance mandate, robust Medicaid waiver programs, and a culture of acceptance that draws families from across the nation. These are genuine and hard-won achievements that deserve to be recognized and protected.
But the work is far from finished. The rising prevalence of autism — now 1 in 31 children nationally, with Colorado's numbers likely to track similarly as data collection improves — means that demand for services will only grow. Closing the rural-urban gap in service availability, building a meaningful support infrastructure for autistic adults, securing stable funding for early intervention and Medicaid programs, and continuing to improve diagnostic equity across racial and ethnic groups are all critical priorities for the years ahead.
The Autism Society of Colorado, which began more than five decades ago as a small group of parents fighting for their children's right to go to school, has grown into a statewide force for connection and empowerment. Their journey mirrors the broader arc of autism advocacy in America — from exclusion and misunderstanding to recognition, inclusion, and an ever-expanding commitment to ensuring that every autistic person can live a full, self-determined life. Colorado's story is not just about prevalence rates and policy mandates. It is about people, and the connections between them, that make this state a place where autistic individuals and their families can thrive.
If you or someone you know is navigating an autism diagnosis in Colorado, you are not alone. The resources, organizations, and communities described on this page exist to help you find your path. Reach out, ask questions, and connect — because in Colorado, the autism community is strong, and it is growing stronger every day.
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