Royal Palm Beach sits in the western suburbs of Palm Beach County, between Wellington and Loxahatchee. Families here use the same county and state offices as everyone in Palm Beach County, but daily life looks different: longer drives east, lots of parks and canals, and many families choosing between a center and therapy at home. This guide walks through what to do next, in order, with phone numbers taken from each agency's own page in October 2026. Offices move and numbers change, so confirm before you go. For the full county picture, see our Palm Beach County autism resources guide.
Is there a Hope Center office in Royal Palm Beach?
No. Hope Center does not have an office in Royal Palm Beach. Royal Palm Beach and Loxahatchee families are served from our West Palm Beach center at 750 S Military Trail, Suite D-E, West Palm Beach, FL 33415, which is east of the village. The center is open Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
If the drive does not work for your family, our team can also provide ABA in your home, at your child's school (where the school agrees) or at daycare, and out in the community. Whether we can staff a particular schedule depends on your location and the hours you need, so call 561-337-8865 to ask.
Center, home or school ABA: which fits a Royal Palm Beach family?
There is no single right setting. Many families use more than one. The table below lays out the trade-offs to talk through with your child's BCBA.
| Setting | Works well when | Things to weigh |
|---|---|---|
| West Palm Beach center | Your child benefits from a structured space, other children nearby, and fewer distractions than home | Drive time east at rush hour; fixed session times; Saturday morning hours can help working parents |
| In your home | Goals are about routines at home: sleep, meals, toileting, sibling play, getting ready in the morning | You need a parent or caregiver present and some space for sessions; staffing depends on your area |
| School or daycare | Goals involve the classroom: following directions, transitions, playground play | The teacher and principal must agree on time and place under Fla. Stat. 1003.572; some daycares have their own rules |
| Community | Your child is practicing skills like waiting in line, haircuts or a trip to a park or store | Usually part of a wider plan rather than the whole program |
Our guide to center versus in-home ABA goes deeper on the choice.
Who should I call first if I am worried about my child?
- Under 3: call Treasure Coast Early Steps, run by Easterseals Florida, at 561-882-6426. It serves Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties. The statewide Early Steps line is 1-800-218-0001. See our Early Steps guide.
- Ages 3 to 5, not yet in kindergarten: call FDLRS Alpha at 561-434-8975. It runs Child Find screening for Palm Beach County from 3300 Forest Hill Blvd., Suite A-203, West Palm Beach.
- Any age: ask your pediatrician for a referral for an autism evaluation. Our guide on getting an autism diagnosis in Florida explains who can diagnose.
You do not need a diagnosis to call Early Steps or FDLRS. A screening can be the first step.
What can FAU CARD and APD Southeast do for my family?
FAU CARD (Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at Florida Atlantic University) serves Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties. It offers consulting, training and support at no charge for autistic people of all ages and their families. Call 561-213-5751 or email card@fau.edu. Its offices are on FAU's Boca Raton campus (777 Glades Road) and Jupiter campus (5353 Parkside Dr.). CARD is not a therapy provider; it helps you find resources and can consult with your child's school.
APD (Agency for Persons with Disabilities) serves people with developmental disabilities, including autism. Palm Beach County residents use the Southeast Region office at 111 South Sapodilla Avenue, Suite 204, West Palm Beach, FL 33401, phone (561) 837-5564. Waiver funding often has a long wait, so many families apply early. See how to apply for APD services.
How do I get help from my child's school?
Royal Palm Beach students attend schools in the School District of Palm Beach County (3300 Forest Hill Boulevard, West Palm Beach; (561) 434-8000). The district's Child Find page says:
- for a student in a district or charter school, contact the school's ESE (exceptional student education) coordinator;
- for a home-education student, contact the ESE coordinator at your zoned school;
- for a student over 5 in a private school in the county, call 561-434-8287 or email ESEprivateschoolprogram@palmbeachschools.org.
Put your request for an evaluation in writing. Under Rule 6A-6.0331, the district then 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, with some school breaks not counted. If your child has private ABA, Fla. Stat. 1003.572 lets the BCBA or RBT observe and work with your child at school when the teacher and principal agree on the time and place. Our guide to private ABA in Palm Beach County schools covers how to ask.
What is there to do locally that suits autistic kids?
Royal Palm Beach does not list its own adaptive or sensory recreation program on the village website, so most local options come from the county library and county parks. Programs below were listed on official pages in October 2026; schedules change, so check before you go.
Royal Palm Beach Branch Library, 500 Civic Center Way, Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411, (561) 790-6030. Its fall 2026 calendar included a "Sense"-ational Storytime, described as an inclusive storytime with stories, songs and sensory-focused activities for ages 5 and up, a sensory-friendly movement session for ages 2 to 6, and a storytime with a sensory activity for babies. Ask staff which events repeat.
Library sensory-friendly hours. The Palm Beach County Library System holds a Sensory Friendly Browsing Hour at branches across the county, so disability and neurodiversity families can browse in a calm, judgment-free setting. It also offers social stories for members with autism or anxiety. Dates rotate by branch; check the library's events calendar or email dn-advocates@pbclibrary.org.
County adaptive recreation. Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation runs a Therapeutic Recreation section with adaptive recreation programs for people with disabilities and their families, based at 2728 Lake Worth Road, Lake Worth, FL 33461 (561-966-7015; pbcTherapeuticRec@pbc.gov; Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Its Recreation Connections social events and Sports in Motion programs are open to participants with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and some programs use a seasonal registration lottery, so ask early.
Wandering and safety. Royal Palm Beach is patrolled by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. PBSO's Missing Persons Unit page points families of autistic people to resources that include Project Lifesaver and SafetyNet tracking; its brochure is several years old, so call PBSO to ask what is active now. To report a missing person, call 911 or 561-688-3400. Check water first: canals and retention ponds are common in the western suburbs.
Library outings and adaptive programs are good places to practice ABA goals like waiting, taking turns and leaving when it is time. Ask your child's BCBA to build a community session around one.
Should we sign up for the special needs shelter?
Palm Beach County Emergency Management runs the county's Special Needs Shelter program. Its listed criteria are medical: people who depend on electrically powered life-support equipment, who need help transferring or a Hoyer lift, who receive help with activities of daily living and need to evacuate with their caregiver, or who have progressive Alzheimer's or dementia. Caregivers must come with the person, and space is limited. Autism alone is not on the list, so ask the county whether your child qualifies. You can apply online or mail the application to the Special Needs Coordinator, 20 South Military Trail, West Palm Beach, FL 33415; the county lists 561-712-6362 for updating or confirming registry entries. Do it before a storm is forecast. See how to register for a special needs shelter.
How do we start ABA with Hope Center?
- Call or send a form. Call 561-337-8865 or request a free consultation and benefits check. Tell us you are in Royal Palm Beach and whether you prefer the center, home or school.
- Send documents and complete intake. Insurance card, diagnosis report if you have one, and any school plans.
- Benefits check. We check your plan. 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.
- Assessment. A BCBA meets your child for 2 to 4 hours, in one or two sessions, at the center or at home.
- Plan and approval. Writing the plan can take up to two weeks. Our clinical director reviews every plan before it goes to your insurer.
- Start. We have no waitlist. Services usually begin 3 to 5 business days after insurance approves the plan. From first call to first session can be as little as three weeks; slow paperwork can stretch it to months.
Sessions are delivered by RBTs and supervised weekly by BCBAs, and parents get weekly training. Our team speaks English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Bengali and Russian. Read more on our West Palm Beach ABA page.