If you think your child may be autistic, Jacksonville has several doors you can knock on, and they do different jobs. Some offer free screening or early intervention, some decide whether your child qualifies for help at school, and only some make a medical diagnosis that a health plan will accept for ABA. Knowing which is which can save you months. This guide lays out the routes for Duval County families by your child's age, compares them side by side, and explains which reports each program accepts.
What is the difference between screening, school eligibility and a diagnosis?
- Screening is a short check, often a parent questionnaire, that shows whether a closer look is needed. It does not diagnose. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends autism-specific screening at the 18- and 24-month well-child visits, according to the CDC.
- School eligibility is the school district's decision that a child qualifies for exceptional student education (ESE) under Florida's autism rule (Rule 6A-6.03023). It opens school services but is not a medical diagnosis.
- A diagnosis is a clinical judgment, using DSM-5 criteria, made by a qualified professional such as a licensed psychologist or a developmental-behavioral pediatrician. This is what health plans, TRICARE and most programs ask for before they pay for ABA.
BCBAs and RBTs do not diagnose autism. A BCBA's assessment measures skills and behavior to build an ABA plan once a diagnosis is in place. See who can diagnose autism in Florida.
Which route fits my child's age?
| Age | Free public route | What it gives you | Medical diagnosis route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 3 | Northeastern Early Steps, (904) 427-7600, or the statewide line 1-800-218-0001 | Evaluation for early intervention services under an IFSP; no family fees | Pediatrician screening, then referral to a psychologist or developmental pediatrician |
| 3 to 5 | FDLRS Crown Child Find, 904-346-4601, and Duval County Public Schools | Developmental screening and a school evaluation for pre-K ESE services | Same as above |
| School age | Written evaluation request to your child's Duval public or charter school | A school evaluation and, if eligible, an IEP | Psychologist, developmental pediatrician, child psychiatrist or pediatric neurologist |
| Teens | Same school route, if still enrolled | ESE eligibility and transition planning | Psychologist or psychiatrist experienced with teens; see teen autism evaluations |
You can run the free public route and the medical route at the same time. A school evaluation does not replace a diagnosis, and a diagnosis does not automatically make a child eligible for ESE.
Where do Jacksonville families under 3 start?
Northeastern Early Steps is run by the University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville, at 910 North Jefferson Street, Jacksonville, FL 32209. The state's Early Steps directory lists its phone as (904) 427-7600. It serves Duval, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Nassau and St. Johns counties. Anyone, including a parent, can refer, and no doctor's referral is needed.
- Timeline: Florida law and the Early Steps Policy Handbook require the evaluation and the first IFSP within 45 calendar days of the referral.
- Cost: Early Steps charges families no fees and has no income limit. With your consent it bills insurance, but your child gets services even if you say no.
- Autism and eligibility: autism spectrum disorder is an established condition in Early Steps policy, so a toddler who is already diagnosed qualifies without separate delay testing. A child without a diagnosis can qualify through measured developmental delays.
Early Steps eligibility is not itself an autism diagnosis. If you want ABA through insurance, you will still need a diagnostic evaluation. See our Early Steps guide and early intervention ABA in Jacksonville.
What about ages 3 to 5 and school-age children?
For preschoolers, FDLRS Crown, 1531 Winthrop St., Jacksonville, FL 32206 (904-346-4601), handles Child Find developmental screening for Duval, Clay and Nassau counties. If a screening suggests a disability, Florida's evaluation rule (Rule 6A-6.0331) requires the district to seek your consent to evaluate.
For any child from age 3 through grade 12, you can ask the district for an evaluation in writing. Within 30 days the district must either ask for your consent or explain in writing why it refuses. Once you consent, the evaluation must be finished within 60 calendar days, not counting school holidays, breaks and summer. Our Duval County IEP and ESE guide explains each step, and our letter template helps you write the request.
The school's evaluation looks at whether your child meets Florida's ESE criteria and needs special education. It is useful and free, but some health plans will not accept it for ABA. UMR, for example, says IEPs and school evaluations are not acceptable as the only proof of an autism diagnosis.
Who makes a medical diagnosis in Jacksonville?
Start with your child's pediatrician. Share what you have noticed, ask for screening if it has not been done, and ask for a referral for a diagnostic evaluation. Your plan may require a referral or prior authorization for testing, so call member services before booking.
Options in the Jacksonville area include:
- Licensed psychologists in private practice or hospital systems, who often use standardized autism tools.
- Developmental-behavioral or neurodevelopmental pediatricians. For example, the University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville lists a Division of Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics at 6271 St. Augustine Road, Suite 1, Jacksonville, FL 32217 ((904) 633-4293), whose page lists "autism spectrum disorder assessment and support services" for infants, children and adolescents. Ask your pediatrician whether a referral is needed.
- Child psychiatrists and pediatric neurologists, especially when other conditions are part of the picture.
Wait times vary by provider and change often, so call several offices and ask to be put on cancellation lists. The UF Jacksonville CARD ((904) 633-0760) offers free support to families of people with autism and related disabilities. It is not a diagnostic clinic, and its services need documentation of a qualifying diagnosis or condition, so call to ask what help is available while you wait.
Whose diagnosis will each program accept?
If you have a choice of evaluators, choose one whose report will work everywhere your child may need it.
| Program | What it accepts |
|---|---|
| Florida APD (developmental disability services) | A Florida-licensed psychiatrist or psychologist, or a board-certified pediatric neurologist or developmental pediatrician, with autism experience (Rule 65G-4.017) |
| TRICARE Autism Care Demonstration | TRICARE-approved primary care providers (such as pediatricians) or specialists, including doctoral clinical psychologists and developmental pediatricians |
| UMR self-funded plans | Proof of diagnosis; IEPs and school evaluations alone are not enough; reports over 4 years old need current documentation |
| Duval ESE eligibility | The district's own evaluation; it must consider a private evaluation you share |
A full written report from a Florida-licensed psychologist or a board-certified developmental pediatrician meets the rules of every program above, and of most commercial plans. Ask the evaluator's office whether the report will include the DSM-5 diagnosis and code, the date, the tools used and the evaluator's license number.
What should military families know?
TRICARE requires an autism diagnosis from a TRICARE-approved provider before ABA under the Autism Care Demonstration, and a new referral from the diagnosing provider every two years. Active duty families must also enroll in their service branch's Exceptional Family Member Program. Base contacts are in our NAS Jacksonville and Mayport guide.
Does insurance pay for an autism evaluation?
Often, at least in part. Coverage for screening at well-child visits and for the full diagnostic evaluation depends on your plan, its network and any prior authorization rules. If you pay yourself, ask for a Good Faith Estimate first. See what an autism evaluation costs in Florida.
Can Hope Center help with an evaluation in Jacksonville?
Hope Center offers diagnostic evaluations through our clinical director, Aisha Albright-Jourdan, MSW, LCSW, BCBA, working with a supervising licensed psychologist. Parents complete online questionnaires as part of the process, and the report is usually ready within about a week once all questionnaires are finished. Call to ask about evaluation scheduling for Jacksonville families and how each part of the evaluation is billed.
If your child already has a diagnosis, we can move straight to the ABA intake: a free benefits check, an initial assessment by a BCBA (2 to 4 hours, in one or two sessions) once your insurer approves it, and a treatment plan reviewed by our clinical director. In Jacksonville, sessions take place at home, school, daycare and in the community across Duval County, coordinated from our office at 7751 Belfort Parkway, Suite 200. Learn more about our assessments, see local help in the Duval County autism resources guide, visit our Jacksonville ABA page, or contact us at 561-337-8865.