Moving to Florida with an autistic child means moving a whole support system: insurance, therapy, school services and state programs. Most of these do not transfer automatically. This checklist walks you through what to do before the move, during the first weeks and after you settle in, with the Florida rules that apply as of October 2026. Use it alongside our guide to transferring ABA services to Florida.
Step 1: What kind of health plan will you have in Florida?
This single question shapes ABA access more than anything else.
- Same employer plan, new state. Call member services and ask whether your plan has in-network ABA providers in your new ZIP code, and whether a new prior authorization is needed with a Florida provider. It almost always is.
- New employer plan. Ask HR whether it is fully insured or self-funded. Florida's autism insurance law (Fla. Stat. 627.6686) applies to large-group fully insured plans and group HMOs from Florida-licensed insurers, not to self-funded, small-group or individual plans. See fully insured vs self-funded.
- Marketplace plan. HealthCare.gov says moving to a new home in a new ZIP code or county may qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period. Florida Marketplace plans are not required to cover ABA, so check each plan's benefits in writing before you choose.
- TRICARE. Florida is in the East Region (Humana Military). See PCS to Florida with an autistic child.
Step 2: Gather records before you leave
Request copies now, while you still have relationships with your current providers:
- the full autism diagnostic evaluation report, with the diagnostician's name, credentials and date;
- your current ABA treatment plan, the most recent progress report and standardized assessment scores;
- any behavior intervention plan, safety plan or crisis plan;
- the current IEP or 504 plan, evaluations and the most recent progress reports from school;
- speech, OT and medical records, medication lists and a referral or prescription for ABA if your current doctor will write one;
- insurance cards and recent explanation-of-benefits statements.
Insurers look closely at diagnosis paperwork. For example, UMR's ABA requirements say an IEP or school evaluation is not acceptable as the only proof of diagnosis, and that a diagnostic report more than 4 years old needs current documentation too. Check your new plan's rules. See autism diagnosis paperwork for ABA.
Step 3: Line up ABA before you arrive
Starting with a Florida provider takes several steps: intake, a benefits check, an assessment, a written treatment plan and insurer approval. Florida's insurance law also says covered treatment must be prescribed by the child's treating physician in accordance with a treatment plan. Start calls four to eight weeks before your move if you can (an example timeline, not a promise). Ask each provider:
- Do you serve our new ZIP code, and in which settings?
- Are you in network with our plan?
- Is there a waitlist? How long from first call to first session?
- Can you start paperwork and the benefits check before we arrive?
Step 4: Plan the school transfer
Florida's rule for transferring students with disabilities is Rule 6A-6.0334, F.A.C. If your child had an IEP in another state and enrolls in a Florida school in the same school year, the district must provide a free appropriate public education "including services comparable to those described in the student's IEP from the previous school district," until it conducts any evaluation it decides is needed and develops a new Florida IEP. The new district must promptly request records, and the old district must promptly respond.
- Bring a paper copy of the IEP to enrollment; do not rely on records arriving on time.
- Ask the ESE office who coordinates transfer students and when the IEP team will meet.
- If you want private ABA staff to work with your child at school, ask about the district's process under Fla. Stat. 1003.572.
See keeping your child's IEP when you move.
Step 5: Apply for Florida programs after you become a resident
- Early Steps (under 3). Anyone can refer, and autism is an established condition. Call 1-800-218-0001 or use the online referral. Early Steps must evaluate and hold the first family plan meeting within 45 days of referral.
- APD. Autism can qualify for the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, but eligibility requires Florida domicile, and a minor's domicile depends on a parent domiciled in Florida. See APD and autism.
- FES-UA scholarship. The student must be a Florida resident (or a military family with PCS orders, among other routes) with an IEP or a qualifying diagnosis. The scholarship can pay for ABA from approved providers. For 2026-27, new applications are accepted until 15 November 2026. See our FES-UA guide.
- CARD. Contact the regional Center for Autism and Related Disabilities for your county for free consultation and local resources. See which CARD serves my county.
Step 6: Set up Florida safety basics in the first week
- Walk the neighborhood and note pools, canals and retention ponds. Add door alarms if your child wanders. See drowning prevention.
- Look up your evacuation zone on FloridaDisaster.org and register with your county's special needs registry if your child may need help in a storm. See special needs shelter registration.
- Find a pediatrician who is accepting new patients and can write ABA prescriptions or referrals.
Your moving checklist at a glance
| When | Task |
|---|---|
| 2 to 3 months before | Confirm health plan type and Florida ABA network; choose an area (see how to compare areas) |
| 1 to 2 months before | Collect records; call Florida ABA providers; request a benefits check |
| 2 to 4 weeks before | Ask the new school district about transfer enrollment; book a pediatrician |
| First week | Enroll in school with the IEP; safety walk; evacuation zone |
| First month | ABA assessment; Early Steps, CARD, APD and FES-UA applications as they apply |
How Hope Center can help with your move
If you are moving to an area we serve, we can start paperwork and a free benefits check before you arrive. Our intake steps are: documents and intake, benefits verification, an initial assessment once your insurer approves the assessment request (2 to 4 hours, in one or two sessions, at home or at a center), up to two weeks to write the plan, your signature, submission to your insurer, and approval. Services usually start 3 to 5 business days after approval, and the whole process can take as little as three weeks from your first call, though slow paperwork can stretch it to months. We have no waitlist.
We work with Florida Blue, Aetna, Cigna (Evernorth), UMR, Personify Health and TRICARE East, and offer self-pay with a sliding scale. Read our new families page, then contact us or call 561-337-8865 for a free consultation.