Autism and ABA Resources in Wellington, FL

Wellington is a village in Palm Beach County, so Wellington families use the county's autism offices: FAU CARD, Treasure Coast Early Steps, FDLRS Alpha, APD's West Palm Beach office and the School District of Palm Beach County. Hope Center's West Palm Beach center on South Military Trail is the nearest of our centers. This guide turns those resources into a short action plan, with contact details checked on each agency's own page in October 2026. For the full county picture, see our Palm Beach County autism resources guide.

Step 1: Who do I call first in Wellington?

• Under 3: call Treasure Coast Early Steps, run by Easterseals Florida, at its Palm Beach intake line, 561-882-6426. No doctor's referral is needed and families pay no Early Steps fees. Early Steps must complete the evaluation and the first family service plan within 45 days of referral.
• Ages 3 to 5, not in kindergarten: call FDLRS Alpha, 3300 Forest Hill Blvd., Suite A-203, West Palm Beach, FL 33406, at 561-434-8975 for free Child Find screening.
• In a Wellington public or charter school: contact the school's ESE (exceptional student education) coordinator.
• Home education: contact the ESE coordinator at your zoned school.
• Over 5 in a private school in Palm Beach County: call the district's ESE private school program at 561-434-8287 or email ESEprivateschoolprogram@palmbeachschools.org.

Step 2: How do I ask the school for an evaluation?

Put your request in writing and keep a copy. Florida's evaluation rule gives the district 30 days to either ask for your consent or tell you in writing why it refuses. Once you sign consent, the evaluation must be completed within 60 calendar days, with some school breaks excluded. You can use a short letter like this one:

Dear ESE Coordinator: I am the parent of [child's name], in [grade] at [school]. I am concerned about [communication, social skills, behavior, learning]. I am requesting an initial evaluation for exceptional student education services, including an evaluation for autism spectrum disorder. Please send me the consent form. Thank you, [name, phone, date].

The School District of Palm Beach County's main office is at 3300 Forest Hill Boulevard, West Palm Beach, phone (561) 434-8000. The school's autism eligibility decision is separate from a medical diagnosis, so many families pursue both. Once your child has a team, Florida law (s. 1003.572) allows a private BCBA or RBT to work with them at school when the teacher and principal agree on time and place; see private ABA in Palm Beach County schools.

Step 3: Connect with FAU CARD and APD

FAU CARD, the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at Florida Atlantic University, serves Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties. Call 561-213-5751 or email card@fau.edu. Offices are on FAU's Jupiter and Boca Raton campuses. CARD offers family consultation, training and resource help; it does not provide ongoing therapy.

APD (Agency for Persons with Disabilities) serves people whose developmental disability, including autism, began before age 18. Wellington families are served by the Southeast Region's West Palm Beach office, 111 South Sapodilla Avenue, Suite 204, West Palm Beach, FL 33401, phone (561) 837-5564. Waiver funding often takes years, so apply early; see how to apply for APD services.

Step 4: Plan for hurricane season

Palm Beach County's Division of Emergency Management runs a Special Needs Shelter Program for residents with certain medical problems during a major emergency. The shelter has physicians and nurses on staff and backup power, but it is not a medical facility, it does not provide medication or oxygen, and space is limited and prioritized by need. Apply online through the county, or mail the application to the Special Needs Coordinator, 20 South Military Trail, West Palm Beach, FL 33415. Returning clients can call 561-712-6362 to confirm or update a registration. An autistic child without medical needs may be directed to a general shelter, so ask whether your child qualifies well before a storm. See how to register for a special needs shelter.

Where can we go for sensory-friendly outings near Wellington?

• Palm Beach County Library System: the library holds a Sensory Friendly Browsing Hour at locations around the county, a quiet hour when families can browse, use computers and get a library card without the usual crowds. It also offers social stories to help a child prepare for a visit. Check the library's events calendar for the Wellington branch, or email dn-advocates@pbclibrary.org.
• CMAA Therapeutic Recreation Complex: Palm Beach County Parks runs adaptive and therapeutic programs for people with disabilities at 2728 Lake Worth Road, Lake Worth, FL 33461 (561-966-7015).
• Village of Wellington Parks and Recreation: ask the village about accessible playgrounds and inclusive programs in its parks; we could not find an official village page describing them when this guide was checked.

Step 5: Start ABA with Hope Center

Hope Center for Behavior Change has a center in West Palm Beach at 750 S Military Trail, Suite D-E, West Palm Beach, FL 33415, open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. We also provide ABA in homes, schools, daycares and the community across Palm Beach County. We have no waitlist.

Here is how starting works:

1. Return the intake documents and complete intake.
2. We check your insurance benefits for free.
3. A BCBA completes the initial assessment, 2 to 4 hours over one or two sessions, at home or at the center.
4. We take up to two weeks to write the treatment plan, which the clinical director reviews; you sign it and we submit it to your insurer.
5. After approval, services usually begin within 3 to 5 business days.

Example only, not a promise: a family that returns paperwork quickly might go from first call to first session in about three weeks. Slow paperwork or insurer delays can stretch that to months. 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 West Palm Beach ABA page, then request a free consultation and benefits check or call 561-337-8865.