Florida, program by program

Florida coverage routes have different age, financial and clinical conditions. This review covers the scoped September 12 items below. The ICMC section retains its August 17 source reading and unresolved slot-cap question.

Early Steps (birth to 36 months)

• Florida's early intervention system for infants and toddlers birth to 36 months who have or are at risk for developmental delays.
• A documented autism diagnosis is an established condition that can establish Early Steps eligibility for a child under 3. The local program confirms eligibility and required records. Source: Early Steps Policy Handbook section 3.1.2, rechecked September 12, 2026.
• Florida law created an Early Steps Extended Option for eligible children approaching age 3. State funding and program requirements apply. Confirm local availability before relying on it. Children cannot receive both this option and IDEA Part B services or a scholarship under section 1002.394. Source: Florida Statutes 391.3081, checked September 12, 2026. Current local implementation remains UNVERIFIED.
• For children roughly 3 to 5 who are not yet in school, the parallel free-screening door is FDLRS Child Find. See fdlrs-child-find-and-family-services.

Katie Beckett, the Model Waiver and TEFRA

DCF’s July 2025 fact sheet calls Florida’s Model Waiver the program formerly known as the Katie Beckett Waiver. It lists degenerative spinocerebellar disease, age under 21 and hospital-level care among its conditions. This is not a general autism coverage route. Source: DCF fact sheet, checked September 12, 2026.

UNVERIFIED: this review did not establish Florida’s current status for the separate TEFRA state-plan option from a current primary source. Confirm the exact program name and eligibility with Florida Medicaid. The historical claim that Florida has never adopted TEFRA is not treated as a freshly verified fact.

iBudget is a separate home and community-based services waiver. Parental deeming does not apply, but the applicant’s own financial and other eligibility requirements still do. Application and pre-enrollment are separate from receiving waiver services. See ibudget-waiver-application-and-priority-categories.

SSI and income "deeming"

• SSI (Supplemental Security Income) is the other main door to Medicaid for a disabled child, because SSI recipients generally get Medicaid.
• For a child under 18 living at home, SSA may count part of the parents’ income. Exceptions and household circumstances matter.
• Older note (kept visible): a rough ~$43,000 a year "family of 4" figure was used as an approximation. That number is not the 2026 SSA guideline and should not be treated as a cutoff.
• SSA's 2026 Deeming Eligibility Chart for Children (federal guidelines only; SSA says amounts are general guidelines) lists the highest gross monthly income at which a child may still qualify when all parental income is earned or all is unearned, and other chart conditions are met. Examples from that 2026 chart: two parents and no ineligible children, all earned, $5,095 per month; two parents and one ineligible child, all earned, $5,592 per month (that household is four people: two parents, one eligible child, one sibling). Those monthly figures are $61,140 and $67,104 on an annualized basis. The chart does not apply when parents have mixed earned and unearned income, the child has income, more than one child is eligible, or other listed exceptions. Source: SSA, SSI for Children, 2026 edition, checked August 17, 2026.
• Florida is on SSA's list of states that administer their own state supplement for children. SSA says to contact the State for deeming information in those states. Confirm with SSA and DCF before relying on the federal chart.
• Parental deeming stops the month after the 18th birthday. Adult disability and financial rules still apply; shelter support and applicable spouse or sponsor deeming can affect SSI. A new adult application may be appropriate after a child denial based on parental income.

IDD / ICMC program (CS/HB 1103)

• AHCA's 2025 ICMC Status Report and s. 409.9855, F.S., describe what was the IDD Pilot and is now the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Comprehensive Managed Care (ICMC) Program. Enrollment began October 1, 2024 in SMMC Regions D (Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Polk) and I (Miami-Dade and Monroe) for people 18 or older. Source: AHCA 2025 ICMC Status Report; checked August 17, 2026.
• House Bill 1103 (2025) amended s. 409.9855 to expand eligibility: effective October 1, 2025, any iBudget pre-enrollment category, statewide; effective July 1, 2026, people enrolled in the iBudget Waiver or the LTC Waiver. Participation is voluntary. Enrollment is limited to the maximum number specified in the General Appropriations Act. Source: s. 409.9855(2); AHCA 2025 ICMC Status Report.
• UNVERIFIED: the current-year slot cap printed in the General Appropriations Act was not confirmed in this pass. Do not treat ICMC as an open door for a young child. The statute's age rule is 18 or older.

How the pathways connect

1. Under 3 with a delay or autism: Early Steps (the local program confirms eligibility).
2. Ask DCF or KidCare to identify the coverage route. KidCare child coverage generally ends at the 19th birthday; Medicaid age rules vary by category. CMS has separate Medicaid and KidCare routes. See childrens-medical-services-cms-health-plan.
3. Income above a subsidized coverage limit does not end every option. MediKids and Healthy Kids offer full-pay options. SSI and iBudget have separate eligibility rules; iBudget disregards parental deeming but still considers the applicant’s own financial and other requirements.

Florida Medicaid behavior analysis services require medical necessity and authorization. Coverage, authorization and an available provider appointment are separate steps.

Published coverage rules

AHCA’s December 2024 Behavior Analysis Services Coverage Policy provides up to 40 hours weekly of BA intervention services. For eligible members under 21, medically necessary services beyond the policy’s coverage may be approved through EPSDT provisions. The policy does not establish that every requested hour must be approved.

Source: AHCA coverage policy, sections 4.2 and 4.3, checked September 12, 2026. See federal/medicaid-epsdt-aba-coverage for the federal framework.

The managed care change

Since February 1, 2025, behavior analysis claims for members enrolled in SMMC go through their managed care plan. Members outside SMMC continue through fee-for-service Medicaid. Source: AHCA Behavior Analysis Services Information, checked September 12, 2026.

Ask the plan which provider can submit the service request and what clinical records it requires. Ask for the written decision, approved services, dates and renewal process. A previous authorization does not establish approval for the next period.

Before choosing a provider

• Confirm that the provider accepts the exact plan and service requested.
• Ask for the next available evaluation and treatment appointments separately.
• Ask who submits the authorization request and who follows up on missing records.
• Keep the decision notice and ask the plan to identify the appeal process and deadline if care is denied or reduced.

UNVERIFIED: current county-by-county plan networks, provider openings and individual approval terms. Confirm them directly. This review does not establish a current adult benefit; before age 21, ask about each service’s adult coverage and eligibility rules.

Policy work to watch

AHCA has an ABA Task Force reviewing service delivery. Its recommendations are due December 31, 2026. Recommendations do not themselves change an individual authorization. Source: AHCA ABA Task Force page, checked September 12, 2026 in the earlier source review.

CMS has a Medicaid plan for eligible members under 21 and a separate KidCare plan for eligible children under 19. Both have special-healthcare-needs requirements. Sunshine Health operates these plans.

Eligibility has two parts

Financial and age requirements depend on the coverage route. The CMS provider manual identifies DCF or SSA for Medicaid (Title XIX) eligibility and KidCare for the Title XXI route. A KidCare application is not the single eligibility process for every CMS member.

Clinical eligibility is separate. The clinical help line is 855-901-5390, TTY 711, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Families can request rescreening at any time.

The Florida Department of Health says enrollment in the CMS managed care plan transferred to AHCA on July 1, 2025. Older descriptions saying DOH runs the health plan should not guide a current application.

Autism and coverage questions

UNVERIFIED: whether the current CMS attestation condition list establishes clinical eligibility for a particular autism diagnosis. The current attestation form was not obtained in this review. Ask the clinical eligibility team which records and screening are needed.

Ask the plan about care coordination, the actual provider network, service authorization and available appointments. This review does not establish better specialist access than another plan. Medicaid behavior analysis services have medical-necessity and authorization conditions; see medicaid-managed-care-and-aba-access.

Where to start

Use Sunshine’s separate Medicaid and KidCare CMS pages to identify the right plan. Ask DCF or KidCare which financial eligibility route applies. Clinical eligibility help does not replace a coverage determination.

Current published count

APD reported 14,634 people in pre-enrollment on September 11, 2026, including 7,843 in Category 7. Source: APD county and priority-category report, checked September 12, 2026. All 67 county totals in the stored official PDF were summed and matched the reported total. A fresh live download was not obtained in the September 12 review. This measures people, not families, and does not predict an individual waiting time.

The earlier figures below are historical source readings. Do not calculate queue movement between the undated application-page estimate and this dated report.

The iBudget waiver is Florida's main long-term home and community-based services program for people with developmental disabilities. It is run by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD). The Applying for Services page still said, as of a 2026-08-17 re-fetch, "There are more than 23,000 individuals waiting for Waiver services in Florida." Source: APD Applying for Services page.

APD’s FY 2025-26 Q3 Table 4 reports 16,285 people in pre-enrollment, including 5,996 (36.8 percent) with a recorded duration over 10 years. The table measures length of time as of April 1, 2026; its database extract is dated May 1, 2026. It includes 1,590 people who declined enrollment offers. Recorded duration therefore does not mean every person lacked an offer for that entire period. Source: APD FY 2025-26 Q3 report, printed page 10, checked September 12, 2026.

Step 1: Establish eligibility with APD

To get iBudget, a person must first be found eligible for APD services. Requirements from the APD Applying for Services page:

• A developmental disability that began before age 18 and is a substantial, lasting handicap. Qualifying conditions include severe forms of autism, intellectual disability (full-scale IQ 70 or below), cerebral palsy, spina bifida cystica or myelomeningocele, Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and Phelan-McDermid syndrome.
• A separate eligibility route covers children ages 3-5 at high risk of a developmental disability. Ask APD which records establish that route.
• Florida residency (domicile).
• At least 3 years old. Children under 3 with delays are served by Early Steps, not APD.

APD asks for proof of the diagnosis. School records, testing, or medical records can all count. APD can help arrange a full assessment if needed.

Step 2: Submit the application

Download the Application for Services (available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole) from the APD site and mail or hand-deliver it to the APD regional office for your county. Faxed applications are returned because APD needs an original signature. For a child under 18, the parent or legal guardian signs.

Step 3: You are placed in pre-enrollment by priority category

Being found eligible does not mean services start. Applicants awaiting waiver enrollment are placed in pre-enrollment and sorted into one of seven priority categories, set by section 393.065(5), Florida Statutes. Category 1 is highest priority; Category 7 is lowest.

What this means for a young autistic child

Category 7 applies to people under 21 who do not meet Categories 1-4. A child can meet a higher category without meeting the crisis definition. APD determines the category from the documented conditions. Two practical steps:

• If circumstances change (a caregiver becomes seriously ill, the child develops dangerous behaviors, the family faces homelessness), contact the APD regional office right away and ask to be reviewed for a higher category. Documentation drives the change.
• The crisis pathway (Category 1) exists precisely for emergencies. A regional office may provide short-term services and decide whether a crisis waiver enrollment is warranted.

What iBudget covers once enrolled

Services are grouped into 8 families. They include life skills and adult day training, supplies and equipment, personal supports, residential habilitation, support coordination, therapies, and more. Respite Care is a covered service for individuals under 21 living in the family home, authorized according to assessed needs when the caregiver has a brief planned or emergency absence, or a temporary physical inability to provide care. Enrollment alone does not guarantee respite. Source: APD iBudget Services page. See respite-care-options.

While you wait

APD publishes a resources flyer for people on pre-enrollment and for those who do not qualify. Under-21 applicants may also qualify for services through the Medicaid State Plan (including behavior analysis / ABA) while on the iBudget waitlist. See medicaid-managed-care-and-aba-access.

FES-UA (Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities) is Florida's disability scholarship. Autism is a qualifying diagnosis. Other eligibility rules apply. Unlike the general scholarships, the FES-UA award amount is not one flat number. It is set by the child's "matrix of services" level, assigned by the school district.

These figures were first verified for the 2025-26 award table. The 2026-27 official Step Up PDF and WEB handbook were re-fetched August 18, 2026. Always confirm the current-year number for the child's own county before budgeting. If a county is not in the extract we have, point the parent to the PDF. Do not invent a separate 3- or 4-year-old PK dollar column. The 2026-27 PDF has no CPI footnote.

Award tiers by matrix level (2026-27 official PDF)

Across published district rows on the 2026-27 Unique Abilities award-amounts PDF:

Source: Step Up For Students, 2026-27 Unique Abilities Scholarship (FES-UA) by District PDF, checked August 18, 2026. The 251-253 base band is up versus 2025-26. Levels 254 and 255 fell in many counties. Miami-Dade example, 2025-26 to 2026-27: $10,697 / $10,100 / $9,945 / $22,405 / $35,973 became $10,909 / $10,304 / $10,106 / $22,361 / $35,884. Do not say 254/255 always go up.

Award tiers by matrix level (2025-26, kept)

Most children start at 251-253 unless a district matrix documents a higher level of need. The jump to 254 and 255 is large, which is why the matrix request rights below matter so much.

Matrix request rights

• A family without an IEP or matrix can request an evaluation at any time. An existing matrix can be re-evaluated once every 3 years, or sooner to correct an error. Source: 2026-27 handbook, Matrix Level of Services; this point rechecked September 12, 2026.
• The school district must complete the matrix within 30 days after receiving the request.
• The matrix is re-evaluated every 3 years, or sooner if there was an error.
• Families whose children are in private school request the matrix through the district's Parentally Placed Private School office (not the private school itself).
• Step Up For Students administers the scholarship money but cannot change a child's matrix level. Only the school district sets the matrix.
• For a FES-UA matrix request, the district must complete the IEP and matrix within 30 days after receiving the request. Within 10 calendar days after completion, the district notifies the parent and Florida DOE. The statute then gives DOE 10 days after district notification to notify the parent and scholarship organization of the award. These notice deadlines do not guarantee a deposit date. Source: Florida Statutes, section 1002.394(7)(b), checked September 12, 2026. The handbook omission does not remove the statutory DOE notice deadline.

Funding lock, attestation, and the $50,000 cap

• The 2026-27 amount locks at the first FLDOE assignment in the school year. A later grade or county change does not change the dollars. District equals county on the 2026-27 application.
• Diagnosis from an authorized licensed medical professional funds at the 251-253 district band.
• 2020-21 Gardiner or McKay hold-harmless still pays the greater of the current calc or the 2020-21 amount.
• Beginning 2026-27, complete a Public School Attestation in EMA before each quarterly distribution. Windows: Q1 renewal August 15 / new September 15 (if both students, both by August 15); Q2 November 15; Q3 February 15; Q4 April 15. Q1 public-school withdrawal by July 31, 2026. The 2025-26 100 percent / 50 percent proration is deleted.
• As of August 18, 2026, the SUFS site banner still said Q1 attestation was open for August and September funded students.
• Unspent funds roll over if the student stays eligible. Florida law still bars a deposit that would push the FES-UA balance over $50,000. The deadline FAQ also says the UA balance must be $50,000 or less by each attestation date or the next quarter can be blocked.
• As of August 18, 2026, the official UA resources page still says EMA displays 2025-26 scholarship amounts while systems update. Do not invent whether it has flipped.

Eligibility and testing (2026-27 WEB handbook)

• Age: 3 by December 31 of the application year OR eligible for a Florida public school; younger than 22 on or before September 1. Use handbook 22, not a leftover FAQ 21.
• "Students can enroll in kindergarten at any age." Source: 2026-27 Summary of Changes.
• Diagnosis validators: Florida physician, out-of-state US physician, Florida-licensed PA legally authorized to sign for a Florida physician, Florida autonomous APRN, Florida psychologist. Autism still qualifies.
• High-risk diagnosis expires if the child turns 6 on or before September 1 of the upcoming year.
• First-time applicants who are six on September 1 no longer must upload a birth certificate or passport.
• Foster docs dated within the last two calendar years.
• Capacity cap exists. A capacity exemption does not extend UA deadlines.
• Testing: UA students in grades 3-10 at an eligible private school using scholarship funds take a DOE-approved standardized assessment unless standardized testing is not appropriate.

Keep UNVERIFIED (conflicting official pages)

• Seat cap: FLDOE FAQ about 70k / +3 percent versus SUFS FAQ +5 percent. No 2026-27 headcount on the pages we fetched.
• Military: FLDOE active-duty only versus SUFS handbook includes Reserve and National Guard.
• Leftover October 31 reimbursement FAQ.
• Leftover age-21 FAQ.

Why this matters

The difference between a level 253 and a level 254 can be more than $10,000 a year in an ESA. If a child's needs are underdocumented, ask the district about the evaluation or re-evaluation rules above. The 30-day deadline is a hard rule the district owes the family.

Related

• scholarship-comparison-fes-ua-fes-eo-ftc-pep for how FES-UA compares to the general scholarships and PEP.
• [FES-UA reimbursement pack](/playbooks/reimbursement-pack) for handbook invoice fields and the 60-day review window (not a guaranteed deposit date).
• [Florida IEP playbook](/playbooks/florida-iep) for the public IEP versus parentally placed services plan, including the FES-UA matrix/IEP request path.
• [FACTS invoices](/playbooks/facts-invoices) when the school uses FACTS for tuition billing.

September 12, 2026 source check

The current web handbook is labeled 2026-27 and shows Last Modified August 12, 2026. Its matrix re-evaluation limits remain in place. The public UA resources page still warns that EMA can display 2025-26 amounts during system updates; individual accounts were not inspected. The official 2026-27 award PDF was downloaded and visually checked.

For September-funded students, the Quarter 1 attestation deadline is September 15, 2026. Attestation is required for consideration, not a funding guarantee. Step Up says an earlier response may be reset and need resubmission. Source: quarterly-attestation FAQ. New applications close November 15, 2026; accept or decline by December 15, 2026. Capacity can close applications earlier. Source: application page.

This is a check of the specified claims, not a re-verification of every statement above.

Florida runs several K-12 scholarships. Most are administered by Step Up For Students. Families of autistic children usually choose between FES-UA (the disability scholarship, the highest value) and one of the general scholarships. A child can only be on one scholarship at a time.

The four programs at a glance

How to choose

• If the child has a disability and you want the most funding and the most flexible spending (therapies, curriculum, tutoring, tech), FES-UA is almost always the right pick. It is the only one of the four keyed to disability and the only one whose amount rises with need level.
• If the child has a disability but you specifically want full-time private school and FES-UA has a waitlist or you do not yet have a matrix, FES-EO or FTC funds private tuition for any student now.
• PEP is the homeschool ESA. Use it when the child is learning at home or part time rather than enrolled full time in a school.

Key rules families miss

• One scholarship per child. You cannot stack FES-UA with FES-EO, FTC, or PEP.
• FES-UA and PEP are ESA-style: money goes into an account you spend on approved items through the EMA marketplace, and unused funds can roll over year to year.
• FES-EO and FTC are tuition scholarships: the money follows the child to a participating private school.
• The 2026-27 cycle opens February 1. UA renewals close April 30, 2026 (accept by May 31, 2026). New UA apply February 1 to November 15, 2026 (accept by December 15, 2026). Beginning 2026-27, a renewal student is one funded for Quarter 4 on the same scholarship and not revoked. Miss a deadline, including accept after May 31, and they are treated as new. Deadline exceptions to April 15, 2027 are Private School and PEP, not FES-UA. Source: Step Up 2026-27 deadlines FAQ, checked August 18, 2026.
• Full-year switch: handbook prints renewal June 15 / new July 15. Mid-year switch is October 2 through the last business day of October (50 percent). THIS YEAR ONLY, Private School Q1 EMA enrollment dates were extended to June 26 / July 24. The handbook still prints June 15 / July 15. State both, dated.
• For PEP, all applications (new and renewing) must be in by April 30, after which PEP closes for that year. Source: Step Up PEP page.

FES-UA specifics for autism

Autism is a listed qualifying disability. FES-UA does not require an IEP; a diagnosis or eligibility determination is the path. The award amount is set by the school district's "matrix of services" level. Families keep the right to request or update that matrix. See fes-ua-award-tiers-and-matrix for tiers, matrix request rights, and the 30-day district deadline.

Always check the current Step Up award-amounts PDF for the child's own county before planning a budget. The 2026-27 official FES-UA PDF was re-fetched August 18, 2026. The FTC/FES-EO/PEP PDF was not re-fetched on that date; do not invent those dollars. Amounts are set annually by the Legislature.

Ask the plan administrator to identify the plan type before relying on this law. An insurance-company logo does not establish who funds or regulates a plan.

Plans and people covered

Florida’s mandate reaches specified state-regulated large-group insurance and HMO coverage, plus the state employee program. It excludes individual and small-employer plans from this particular mandate. Other coverage laws can still apply.

The person must be under 18, or 18 or older and in high school, and have been diagnosed with a developmental disability at age 8 or younger. The diagnosis-age condition applies to both age groups. The statute requires screening and prescribed speech, occupational, physical and ABA therapies, subject to its conditions.

Source: Florida Statutes section 627.6686 and Florida Department of Financial Services guidance, checked September 12, 2026.

Dollar amounts need a year and a plan check

The statute lists base limits of $36,000 annually and $200,000 lifetime and requires adjustment of the maximum benefits. Those base figures are not a verified 2026 quote.

UNVERIFIED: current adjusted amounts and the limits applicable to an individual plan. Ask for the plan’s current written figures and the legal basis for any limit before budgeting. This review does not establish that every plan may apply those limits.

Self-funded plans follow a separate route

Private-employer self-funded plans generally fall under ERISA and are outside Florida’s autism mandate. Government employer plans follow a different regulatory route. Ask the administrator for the benefit document, the responsible regulator and any applicable federal parity protections. Plan type alone does not determine whether ABA is covered.

Medicaid is a separate program with its own eligibility, medical-necessity and authorization requirements. See medicaid-managed-care-and-aba-access.

What to ask

1. Is this fully insured coverage or a self-funded plan?
2. Which autism services does the benefit document cover?
3. What eligibility and authorization conditions apply?
4. Where are the current limits and appeal instructions in writing?

The 7 CARD centers

Florida's Centers for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) are 7 university-based, nonresidential resource centers created by the Florida Legislature. Together they cover all 67 Florida counties, and their services are free to families. Source: card.ufl.edu Find Your CARD.

CARD helps with consultation, training, navigation of services, and support for families and schools. Important limits to set expectations: CARD does not itself diagnose autism and does not provide ABA therapy. It is a free support-and-navigation resource, not a clinic. Sources: statewide brochure and UF CARD services, checked September 12, 2026.

Source: card.ufl.edu Find Your CARD table (reviewed June 2026). Find contact details for every center at florida-card.org.

Current diagnostic appointment availability

UNVERIFIED: current clinic wait times in Miami, Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa. The previous numeric ranges did not have supporting clinic receipts and have been removed.

Contact each clinic for its next diagnostic appointment, cancellation-list process and required records. Public early intervention or school evaluation requests can proceed in parallel with clinical care. CARD can help identify resources; it does not provide the diagnostic evaluation.

Related

• regional-resources-miami-dade-broward
• regional-resources-orlando-tampa-jacksonville
• medicaid-managed-care-and-aba-access for the therapy path after diagnosis.

FDLRS (the Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System) is a free, statewide network that helps families of children with disabilities and supports the schools that serve them. It is funded through the federal IDEA law and run by the Florida Department of Education's Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services (BEESS). It works through "Associate Centers" that cover every Florida school district. Source: fdlrs.org About page.

Why parents care: free developmental screening

FDLRS is one of the main doors to getting a young child evaluated before kindergarten, at no cost and with no insurance needed.

• FDLRS Child Find identifies young children (34 months through age 5) who are not already in Head Start or public school and who may need extra help with learning, development, or behavior.
• It offers free developmental screenings and connects families to early intervention services, training, and guidance.
• "Insurance is never needed for these services." Source: fdlrs.org About page.

For children under 3, the parallel program is Early Steps (birth to 36 months), where a documented autism diagnosis is an established condition. The local program confirms eligibility and required records. See the Early Steps parent handbook, pages 3-4, checked September 12, 2026. FDLRS Child Find picks up the older toddler-to-preschool band. Use whichever matches the child's age.

The four FDLRS service areas

From the FDLRS About page, each Associate Center works in four areas:

1. Child Find. Free screenings and referral for young children who may need support.
2. Parent and Family Services. Information, training, and ongoing support so parents can be active partners in their child's education, and stronger school-home partnerships.
3. Human Resource Development (HRD). Professional learning for school staff on topics like specially designed instruction, accommodations, executive functioning, and Universal Design for Learning.
4. Technology. Help for families and educators choosing and using instructional and assistive technology and accessible educational materials.

How to use FDLRS as a parent

• If you suspect a delay in a child roughly 3 to 5 years old who is not yet in public school, contact your local FDLRS Associate Center (find it through fdlrs.org) and ask for a free developmental screening.
• A screen is not a diagnosis, but it is a free step that can lead to evaluation and service referrals. It does not guarantee eligibility or a shorter wait.
• FDLRS also runs the BEESS Portal to Professional Learning Alternatives, free online courses, useful if a parent wants to understand ESE topics themselves.

Related

• Early Steps for birth to 36 months.
• vpk-specialized-instructional-services for preschoolers with an IEP heading into VPK.

VPK SIS lets an eligible Florida family use VPK funding for specialized instruction from an approved provider. Services can be individual or small-group. The funding may purchase fewer hours than classroom VPK.

Who qualifies

A child qualifies for VPK SIS if:

• The child is a Florida resident, AND
• The child is age-eligible for VPK (generally turned 4 by September 1), AND
• The child has a current district Individual Educational Plan (IEP) calling for specialized services.

Source: FDOE VPK SIS fact sheet, checked September 12, 2026. Ask the Early Learning Coalition to confirm the child’s eligibility.

What it is and why it matters

Standard VPK is a group preschool classroom. For a child with significant needs, that setting may not fit. VPK SIS instead delivers the instruction through a Department of Education-approved SIS provider whose services meet statutory standards. The Department maintains the approved-provider list and notifies each school district and early learning coalition. Source: vpkhelp.org.

This gives families of children with an IEP a more individualized way to use the same free VPK benefit. It does not pair freely with FES-UA.

The 2026-27 FES-UA Family Handbook (WEB) says students may not use FES-UA funds while participating in VPK Specialized Instructional Services (VPK-SIS). Public school VPK or School Readiness offered by a public school is also not allowed unless the family is registered as private-pay. Private VPK at an eligible private school, and VPK or School Readiness at an approved private early learning provider, can be used at the same time as FES-UA. Source: 2026-27 FES-UA Family Handbook (WEB), Voluntary Prekindergarten Enrollment, verified August 18, 2026.

How to access it

• Contact the local Early Learning Coalition, which administers VPK enrollment for the county.
• Statewide parent help: FDOE at 1-866-357-3239, TTY 711. Source: current FDOE VPK parent page, checked September 12, 2026.
• Have the child's current IEP ready; it is the qualifying document.

Related

• fdlrs-child-find-and-family-services for free screening for children not yet in school.
• The school district ESE office is where the IEP itself is written; the IEP is the key that unlocks VPK SIS.

Respite is short-term care that gives a parent or primary caregiver a planned or emergency break. Program eligibility, service authorization and provider availability determine which options a family can use.

Early Steps policy notice checked September 12, 2026

Florida Early Steps posts an approved removal of respite from its covered services and handbook section 6.7, effective "9/28" in its FY26-27 notice. The notice does not repeat the year beside that date. Confirm the effective date and a transition plan with your service coordinator. This notice concerns Early Steps; it does not establish a change to iBudget respite. Source: Early Steps policies and guidance.

1. iBudget waiver respite (the main formal path)

The APD iBudget waiver covers Respite Care as a named service. It provides supportive care and supervision to individuals under age 21 living in the family home when the primary caregiver is briefly away (planned or emergency) or has a temporary physical inability to provide care. Authorization depends on assessed needs. Source: APD iBudget Services page.

The child must be enrolled in iBudget. Enrollment alone does not guarantee respite authorization or an available provider. Pre-enrollment counts do not predict an individual wait. See ibudget-waiver-application-and-priority-categories.

2. Crisis and short-term APD supports

If a family reaches a crisis (caregiver can no longer provide care, danger to self or others, homelessness), the APD regional office can sometimes provide short-term services and review whether a crisis waiver enrollment is warranted. Contact the regional office directly. Source: APD Applying for Services page. This is the emergency lever, not routine respite.

3. Medicaid and health-plan paths

• Children on Medicaid may have respite-type supports available through certain managed care plan care-coordination benefits or through the Children's Medical Services plan for children with special health care needs. UNVERIFIED: respite as a standing Medicaid State Plan benefit for children is limited; confirm with the specific managed care plan. See childrens-medical-services-cms-health-plan and medicaid-managed-care-and-aba-access.

4. Community and nonprofit respite

Outside the government programs, families commonly use:

• Local Arc chapters and disability nonprofits that run respite nights or camps.
• Parent-to-parent and faith-based respite programs.
• United Way 211 (dial 211) to find respite providers by county.

UNVERIFIED: specific nonprofit respite programs vary by county and change often; verify availability locally before relying on any one program.

Practical takeaway

Ask APD whether the child meets waiver and respite requirements. Ask the health plan and local resource organizations about other options. Current plan and nonprofit availability remains UNVERIFIED until the organization confirms it.

South Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe) is served by one autism resource center and shares the statewide programs described elsewhere in this vault.

CARD center for this region

• UM-NSU CARD (the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, a partnership of the University of Miami and Nova Southeastern University) serves Broward, Miami-Dade (Dade), and Monroe counties. Source: card.ufl.edu Find Your CARD table; card.miami.edu.
• CARD services are free and available to families in all 67 Florida counties through the 7 regional centers. UM-NSU CARD is the one assigned to this region.
• What CARD provides: consultation, training, help navigating services, and support for families and schools. CARD does not itself provide ABA therapy or a medical diagnosis; it is a support-and-navigation center.

Diagnosis wait times

Miami metro has among the longest diagnostic evaluation waits in the state, roughly 10 to 14 months. Plan early: get on evaluation waitlists as soon as a concern appears, and pursue more than one evaluation route (developmental pediatrician, psychologist, and public school/Early Steps or FDLRS screening) at the same time.

Statewide programs, applied locally

• APD / iBudget: apply through the APD regional office serving Miami-Dade and Broward (Southeast/Southern region). See ibudget-waiver-application-and-priority-categories.
• Medicaid ABA: choose a managed care plan whose network includes a real provider slot in the metro. See medicaid-managed-care-and-aba-access.
• School and preschool: district ESE offices for IEPs, vpk-specialized-instructional-services for preschoolers, and fdlrs-child-find-and-family-services for free screening.
• Scholarships: scholarship-comparison-fes-ua-fes-eo-ftc-pep and fes-ua-award-tiers-and-matrix.

County-level money and free programs (Miami-Dade)

• The Children's Trust: Miami-Dade's dedicated children's services taxing district (voter-approved property tax). It does not hand families cash; it FUNDS free or subsidized programs families enroll in: after-school and summer camps (including special-populations programs), Thrive by 5 early learning, free monthly Book Club (birth to 4.5), Parent Club workshops in English/Spanish/Creole, and benefits-enrollment help. Program directory at thechildrenstrust.org/find-a-program with a Special Populations filter. Verified 2026-07-18 (thechildrenstrust.org).
• Practical read for a family paying out of pocket: Trust-funded special-needs summer camps and after-school seats replace real dollars a family would otherwise spend, even though no check is written to the parent.
• National family grants that Miami-Dade families can apply to for therapy, equipment, and supplies (Autism Speaks maintains the list at autismspeaks.org/autism-grants-families): ACT Today (act-today.org grant applications), UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation medical grants, Small Steps in Speech (speech therapy), MyGOAL grants. Each has its own income rules and cycles; verify current windows at application time.
• UNVERIFIED (promising, confirm before citing to families): Parent to Parent of Miami (family support and trainings), Miami-Dade Parks disability/therapeutic recreation programs and fee waivers, City of Miami parks inclusion programs, Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade child-care subsidies for special needs.

UNVERIFIED: specific local clinic names, ABA provider capacity, and current office addresses change frequently; confirm current contacts through UM-NSU CARD (card.miami.edu) and the county APD and Early Learning Coalition offices.

Each of Florida's other major metros is served by its own university-based CARD center. All CARD services are free.

Orlando and Central Florida

• CARD center: UCF CARD (University of Central Florida) serves Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties. Source: card.ufl.edu Find Your CARD table.
• Diagnosis wait: roughly 8 to 12 months in the Orlando metro. Start evaluation waitlists early and pursue more than one route.

Tampa Bay and Southwest Florida

• CARD center: USF CARD (University of South Florida) serves a large region including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, and Lee counties. Source: card.ufl.edu Find Your CARD table; usf.edu/autism.
• Diagnosis wait: roughly 6 to 10 months in the Tampa metro, the shortest of the big five metros in this vault, though still long.

Jacksonville and Northeast Florida

• CARD center: UF Health Jacksonville CARD serves Baker, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, and St. Johns counties. Source: card.ufl.edu Find Your CARD table.
• Diagnosis wait: roughly 9 to 12 months in the Jacksonville metro.

Statewide programs, applied locally

The same programs apply in every metro:

• APD / iBudget waiver: apply through the APD regional office for the county. See ibudget-waiver-application-and-priority-categories.
• Medicaid ABA: pick a managed care plan with a real in-network provider slot. See medicaid-managed-care-and-aba-access.
• Preschool and school: vpk-specialized-instructional-services, fdlrs-child-find-and-family-services, and the district ESE office for IEPs.
• Scholarships: scholarship-comparison-fes-ua-fes-eo-ftc-pep and fes-ua-award-tiers-and-matrix.
• Special-needs medical coverage: childrens-medical-services-cms-health-plan.

UNVERIFIED: local clinic names, provider capacity, and current office addresses change often; confirm through the region's CARD center and the county APD and Early Learning Coalition offices.