Pembroke Pines and Miramar sit side by side in southwest Broward County. Families here use Broward's public autism offices, which are different from the ones that serve Palm Beach County to the north. The biggest choices most parents face are which office to call first, how therapy fits around school and work, and whether care can happen in the language the family speaks at home. This guide compares those options and lists the offices Pembroke Pines and Miramar families use, with contact details from each agency's own page in October 2026. Confirm before you visit. For the full county directory, see our Broward County autism resources guide.
Who do I call first: Early Steps, Child Find or CARD?
Each office does a different job, and many families use more than one at the same time.
| Office | Who it serves | What it does | How to reach it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broward Early Steps (Children's Diagnostic & Treatment Center, Broward Health) | Children from birth to 36 months | Early intervention evaluation and a family support plan if the child qualifies | Refer through Child Find, 754-321-7200, or the Children's Diagnostic & Treatment Center, 954-728-1083; statewide line 1-800-218-0001 |
| Broward County Public Schools Child Find | Children 3 to 5 who may have special needs | Free screening and preschool evaluation | 754-321-7200 or the district's online referral form |
| UM-NSU CARD | Autistic people of all ages and their families | Free consultation, school support, IEP help, support groups and recreation | 954-262-7111 or card@nova.edu |
| APD, Fort Lauderdale office | People whose developmental disability began before 18 | Eligibility, support coordination and waiver services | (954) 467-4218 |
In Broward, parents can request an Early Steps evaluation themselves, and doctors, child care staff and social workers can refer too. After a referral, a service coordinator contacts the family. Preschool evaluations through Child Find take place at Wingate Oaks Center, 1211 NW 33rd Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311. The district's family brochure, "The Road Through Child Find", is offered in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian Creole. See our Early Steps guide and FDLRS and Child Find.
A diagnosis is a separate step. Ask your child's pediatrician for a referral for an autism diagnostic evaluation, since insurers usually want one before they pay for ABA. See how to get an autism diagnosis in Florida.
Is there a CARD office in Miramar?
Yes. Florida law (s. 1004.55) assigns Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties to the CARD based at the University of Miami, which works with Nova Southeastern University (UM-NSU CARD). The City of Miramar lists a CARD Miramar office at the Miramar Branch Library & Education Center, 2050 Civic Center Place, 3rd Floor, Miramar, FL 33025. To register, Broward families call 954-262-7111 or email card@nova.edu. CARD's registration page is offered in English, Spanish (Regístrese con CARD) and Haitian Creole (Enskri ak CARD).
CARD lists individual consultations, school observations and recommendations, help with the IEP process, support groups for parents, grandparents, teens and siblings, and recreational activities. You will need documentation of an eligible diagnosis to register. CARD is not a therapy provider, so it works alongside your child's ABA team and school. See which CARD serves my county.
What does "autism-friendly city" mean in Miramar?
The City of Miramar says UM-NSU CARD designated it an Autism-Friendly City, celebrated on May 19, 2025. The city lists communication boards in its parks, including Miramar Regional Park, Fairway Park and H.D. Perry Park, to help children who are nonspeaking or have speech and language differences. It also lists sensory bags at the Miramar Cultural Center, a sensory-friendly waiting room for passport services, and autism awareness training for city staff. These are useful for planning a first outing: a park with a communication board can be a good place to practice choices and waiting.
Which is better here: ABA at home, at school or at daycare?
There is no single right answer. For many southwest Broward families the deciding factors are traffic, work schedules and where the hardest moments of the day happen.
| Setting | Often a good fit when | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Home | Goals are about routines such as sleep, meals, bathing, siblings and safety at doors; parent training is a priority | An adult 18 or older must be home; a quiet space helps |
| School | The main concerns are in class: transitions, following directions, behavior that interrupts learning | Needs the teacher and principal to agree on time and place (s. 1003.572); paperwork takes time |
| Daycare | A young child spends most of the day there | The director must agree; daycare rules vary |
| Community | You want help with stores, parks, haircuts or doctor visits | Usually one part of a wider plan, and insurer rules on settings vary |
Many plans combine settings, for example home sessions after school plus some school time. Read center vs in-home ABA for a fuller comparison.
How do Broward schools handle evaluations and private ABA?
Pembroke Pines and Miramar public schools are part of Broward County Public Schools. For a child already in school, put your request for an initial evaluation in writing to the school and ask for the ESE (exceptional student education) contact. Under Rule 6A-6.0331, the district has 30 days to ask for your consent or explain in writing why it refuses, and once you consent, the evaluation must be finished within 60 calendar days, not counting some school breaks. FDLRS Reach, the state-funded resource center for Broward, is at 7601 N University Drive, Tamarac, FL 33321, phone 754-321-3466.
If your child has private ABA, Florida law (s. 1003.572) lets the BCBA or RBT work with your child at school when the teacher and principal agree. Read private ABA in Broward County schools. If you need an interpreter for an IEP meeting, see interpreters at IEP meetings.
What about the FES-UA scholarship?
The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA), run by Step Up For Students, can pay for approved therapies including ABA. Step Up's 2026-27 table lists $10,658 for a Broward student at matrix levels 1 to 3 in ages 3 and 4 or grades K to 3, with other amounts for older grades and higher levels. New 2026-27 applications are accepted until November 15, 2026. While a student uses the scholarship, the district is not required to provide a free appropriate public education, so read our FES-UA explainer first. 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 sign up for a police or shelter registry?
- Pembroke Pines Police Special Needs Database. The city describes a voluntary database for residents of any age with a disability, impairment or cognitive delay, so officers know how to approach them. Apply online; the city says it may take up to two weeks before the information is available to officers. Questions go to the Community Affairs Unit, 954-436-3274 (Monday to Thursday), or cau@ppines.com.
- Miramar Police Autism Registry. The Miramar Police Department lists an Autism Registry, with an online form, on its Community Programs page. For questions, call the city's customer service line, 954-602-4357.
- 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 caregivers may shelter with the person they care for. Broward residents can sign up through the statewide Florida Special Needs Registry. Autism alone may not qualify, and registering does not guarantee a space. See how to register for a special needs shelter.
Questions to ask any ABA provider in southwest Broward
Use this checklist on each call, so you can compare answers side by side:
- Can you staff my address in Pembroke Pines or Miramar on the days and times I need, and how soon?
- Which settings can you cover: home, school, daycare, community?
- Who speaks my family's language, and in which role: intake, RBT, BCBA or parent training? If no one does, how do you use interpreters?
- How often does the BCBA supervise, and how often is parent training?
- Will you work with my child's school team and attend IEP meetings if allowed?
- What will I pay after insurance, and can I see that in writing before we start?
Can Hope Center provide ABA in Pembroke Pines and Miramar?
Yes. Hope Center for Behavior Change provides ABA to Pembroke Pines and Miramar families at home, at school (when the school agrees), at daycare and in the community. We do not have an office in Broward County; these services are run from our West Palm Beach office at 750 S Military Trail, Suite D-E, West Palm Beach, FL 33415. Tell us your address and the session 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.
Our team speaks English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Bengali and Russian. When you call, tell us your family's language and ask which team members can work with you in it. 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. Where allowed, our staff can join IEP meetings and doctor visits.
We have no waitlist. After intake, we check your benefits for free and explain your costs before you start. Once your insurer approves the assessment, a BCBA assesses your child for 2 to 4 hours, in one or two sessions; the plan takes up to two weeks to write, you sign it, and it goes to your insurer. 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. See where we provide ABA, bilingual ABA therapy and in-home ABA, then request a free consultation and benefits check or call 561-337-8865.