Martin County sits between Palm Beach County and St. Lucie County on Florida's Treasure Coast, and it includes Stuart, Jensen Beach, Palm City, Hobe Sound and Indiantown. Families here share several public autism offices with their neighbors, so the most useful thing to know is which office covers Martin and where it actually is. This guide lists each one, with contact details taken from each agency's own page in October 2026. Offices move and phone lines change, so call before you visit. If you live near the county line, see our Jupiter autism resources guide and our St. Lucie County guide as well.
Who do I call first if I think my child is autistic?
Your first call depends on your child's age.
- Under 3: Treasure Coast Early Steps, run by Easterseals Florida, serves Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties. To make a referral, call 561-882-6426. The statewide Early Steps line is 1-800-218-0001. Early Steps is Florida's early intervention program for babies and toddlers with delays or disabilities, and services are meant to happen in everyday settings such as your home. See our Early Steps guide.
- Ages 3 to 5, not yet in kindergarten: FDLRS Galaxy runs Child Find support for Indian River, St. Lucie, Okeechobee and Martin counties from 9461 Brandywine Ln., 2nd Floor, Port St. Lucie, FL 34986, phone 772-429-4600. Child Find screening is free. If the screening suggests a disability, the school district asks for your consent to evaluate. See FDLRS and Child Find.
- Any age: ask your child's pediatrician for a referral for an autism diagnostic evaluation. Insurers usually want a diagnosis before they pay for ABA. See how to get an autism diagnosis in Florida.
Martin families do not need to pick between these. A toddler can be in Early Steps while you wait for a diagnostic appointment, and a preschooler can go through Child Find while you also look at private therapy.
Which CARD center serves Martin County?
Florida law (s. 1004.55) sets up regional autism centers, called CARD (Center for Autism and Related Disabilities). Martin County is served by FAU CARD at Florida Atlantic University, which also covers Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties.
- Main line: 561-213-5751
- Email: card@fau.edu
- Closest office for most Martin families: the Jupiter campus, 5353 Parkside Dr., MC03, Student Resources Building, Suite 274A, Jupiter, FL 33458. FAU CARD also has an office on the Boca Raton campus at 777 Glades Road.
CARD helps families understand a diagnosis, find local services and work with schools. It does not deliver ABA therapy, so it works alongside your child's ABA provider rather than in place of one. Call before you go rather than walking in. See which CARD serves my county.
Where is the APD office for Martin County?
The Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) serves Floridians whose developmental disability, including autism, began before age 18. Services can include support coordination and, through the iBudget waiver, home and community services. Waiver funding can take years, so many families apply early, even when they do not need services yet. APD accepts an autism diagnosis for eligibility only from certain professionals, such as a Florida-licensed psychologist or psychiatrist or a board-certified developmental pediatrician, so keep a copy of the full evaluation report.
Martin County is in APD's Southeast Region. Its West Palm Beach office serves Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties:
- 111 South Sapodilla Avenue, Suite 204, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
- Phone: (561) 837-5564
See how to apply for APD services.
How do Martin County schools evaluate a child for autism?
Martin County public schools are run by the Martin County School District. For a child already in school, put your request for an initial evaluation in writing to the school and ask for the name of the school's ESE (exceptional student education) contact. Keep a dated copy.
Under Florida's evaluation rule (Rule 6A-6.0331), once you ask in writing the district has 30 days to either ask for your consent to evaluate or explain in writing why it will not. After you give consent, the evaluation must be finished within 60 calendar days, not counting some school breaks. A school's decision that a child is eligible for ESE under autism spectrum disorder is separate from a medical diagnosis, and you may need both: the school decision for an IEP, and a medical diagnosis for insurance-funded ABA.
If your child has private ABA, Florida law (s. 1003.572) lets the child's BCBA or RBT work with them at a public school, with the teacher and principal agreeing on the time and place. Read private ABA in Florida public schools and our school-based ABA page.
How much is the FES-UA scholarship for a Martin County student?
The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA), run by Step Up For Students, can pay for approved therapies including ABA, private school tuition and other approved costs. The amount depends on the student's county of residence, grade band and matrix level. Step Up's 2026-27 table lists these amounts for Martin County:
| Matrix level | Ages or grades | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Levels 1 to 3 (251 to 253) | Ages 3 and 4, grades K to 3 | $11,329 |
| Levels 1 to 3 | Grades 4 to 8 | $10,745 |
| Levels 1 to 3 | Grades 9 to 12 | $10,554 |
| Level 4 (254) | All | $22,306 |
| Level 5 (255) | All | $35,356 |
New 2026-27 applications are accepted until November 15, 2026. A full-time public school student cannot use FES-UA, and while a student uses the scholarship, the district is not required to provide a free appropriate public education. Weigh that trade-off before you apply; read our FES-UA explainer. Families can use FES-UA scholarship funds toward balances left after insurance at Hope Center, most often BCBA supervision and parent training. Call us to confirm for your child.
Should we register for Martin County's special needs shelter?
Florida law (s. 252.355) requires each county emergency management agency to keep a registry of residents with physical, mental, cognitive or sensory disabilities who would need help evacuating or sheltering, and it lets caregivers shelter with the person they care for. In Martin County, the program is run by Martin County Emergency Management:
- Phone: (772) 287-1652
- How to register: online through the Florida Special Needs Registry, linked from the county's special needs page, or by phone. Home health agencies can also register their clients.
- Renew every year. The county says registration is not permanent: you must pre-register and renew each year.
- A caregiver must come. The county says every special needs client must bring a caregiver who stays at the shelter.
The county lists who the program is for, such as residents who need help with mobility, oxygen, medication or health monitoring, people with a disability, and people without a vehicle who need transportation. A committee reviews each application, and special needs shelters cannot provide advanced medical care. Autism alone may or may not qualify, so call and describe your child's needs. Registering does not guarantee a space. See how to register for a special needs shelter.
Can a Martin County child get ABA from Hope Center?
Yes. Hope Center for Behavior Change provides ABA to Martin County families at home, at school (when the school agrees), at daycare and in the community. We do not have an office in Martin County. Our Martin County services are run from our West Palm Beach office at 750 S Military Trail, Suite D-E, West Palm Beach, FL 33415 (Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.). For most Martin families, sessions come to you rather than the other way around. Tell us your address and the days and times you need when you call, so we can plan staffing for your schedule.
For in-home sessions, a parent, guardian, aide or another responsible adult 18 or older needs to be home during the session. Programs are written by BCBAs and delivered by RBTs, BCBAs supervise RBTs weekly, our clinical director reviews every plan before it goes to insurance, and parents get weekly parent training. Our team speaks English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Bengali and Russian.
How do we start?
- Call 561-337-8865 or request a free consultation and benefits check.
- Return the intake documents. We check your benefits for free and explain your costs before you start.
- Once your insurer approves the assessment, a BCBA meets your child for 2 to 4 hours, in one or two sessions, at your home or at the center.
- The BCBA writes the plan (up to two weeks), our clinical director reviews it, you sign it and we submit it to your insurer.
- We have no waitlist; services usually begin 3 to 5 business days after approval.
We work with Blue Cross Blue Shield (Florida Blue), Aetna, Cigna (Evernorth), UMR, Personify Health and TRICARE East, and offer self-pay with a sliding scale; costs depend on your plan. See our insurance page, our West Palm Beach ABA page and in-home ABA therapy.