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Worried? Start here.
Contact your child’s doctor about developmental concerns. You can also ask the public early intervention program or school district about an evaluation. You do not need to finish an online screening before seeking help.
You can raise concerns now
If you are concerned about your child's development, contact your child's doctor promptly. Tell them about any words or other skills your child has lost. Ask about screening and whether an evaluation is needed. You do not need to finish the M-CHAT before making that call.
VerifiedSource: CDC, 18-month milestones and acting on concerns · How we verify
CDC guidance on clinician and public evaluation routes. Concern guidance and evaluation timelines checked September 12, 2026. Other facts retain their own dates.
A worry is enough
You do not need to match your child against a checklist before raising a concern. Explain what you have noticed to your child’s doctor. Ask about screening and whether an evaluation is needed.
The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that all children be screened for autism at their 18-month and 24-month well-child visits, whether or not anyone is worried.
VerifiedSource: CDC and AAP developmental screening guidance · How we verify
The screening you can take tonight
The M-CHAT-R/F is a two-stage autism screening tool. Parents complete the 20-question checklist. Some scores need the structured Follow-Up interview. It does not diagnose autism, and a low score does not dismiss a parent's or clinician's concern.
The M-CHAT-R/F is a two-stage autism screening tool. Parents complete the 20-question checklist. Some scores need the structured Follow-Up interview. It does not diagnose autism, and a low score does not dismiss a parent's or clinician's concern.
VerifiedOur full walkthrough of the M-CHAT, what your score means, and the exact next step lives at the M-CHAT explainer.
Lost skills need prompt attention
Tell your child’s doctor promptly about lost words or other skills. Concerns about delayed development also deserve discussion. Do not wait for the next routine checkup or a screening result before making contact.
CDC, 18-month milestones and acting on concerns. Checked September 12, 2026.
The free call, by age
Under 3: call Early Steps yourself
Early Steps is Florida’s free early intervention program for children under 36 months. Call 1-800-218-0001 (statewide) and say you want to refer your own child. No doctor’s referral, no diagnosis, and the evaluation is free.
VerifiedSource: Florida Early Steps (floridaearlysteps.com) · How we verify
3 and up: request a school evaluation
A parent may request an initial special education evaluation. IDEA generally requires completion within 60 days after the agency receives parental consent, unless the state sets a different timeframe. Specific exceptions apply. This is an educational eligibility evaluation, not a medical autism diagnosis.
VerifiedSource: IDEA, 34 CFR 300.301 · How we verify
Florida generally uses 60 calendar days after the district receives parental consent, with exclusions for specified school holidays and breaks, summer vacation, certain absences and qualifying disaster closures. Limited exceptions and written extensions can apply. Ask the district for the consent date and its deadline calculation. A request can lead to consent or a written refusal when an evaluation is not warranted.
Florida sources: 2025 adopted rule amendments, rule amendment text, evaluation-request guidance, written-extension memorandum, and rule development text with the unchanged school-break exclusions. Checked September 12, 2026.
If the pediatrician says wait and see
You can hear that advice and still act. In Florida the self-referral right means the free evaluation does not depend on the pediatrician agreeing with you, and the time before age 3 is when early help matters most. We wrote a script for that exact appointment: the wait-and-see pushback card.
How long a full evaluation takes
You can request a public evaluation while waiting for a diagnostic appointment. These evaluations serve different purposes. A public referral does not guarantee a shorter wait for a medical diagnosis.
Current clinic appointment availability has not been confirmed for this update. Ask each provider for its current estimate and cancellation-list process. You can ask public programs about an evaluation while waiting for a private appointment.
Not yet verified as of . Treat this as unconfirmed. What this meansSource: Local appointment availability remains unconfirmed · How we verify