APD Services for Military Families Transferring to Florida

Florida's Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) serves people with developmental disabilities, including autism. Its main program, the iBudget waiver, pays for home and community-based services such as supports in the home, respite and behavior analysis. Most Florida families who qualify wait a long time for a waiver spot. Active duty military families who were already getting similar services in another state have a special route written into Florida law. This guide explains that route, the domicile rule that trips up many military families, and the steps to take before and after a PCS move. For the general application process, see how to apply for APD services.

What is the special APD route for military families?

Section 393.065(6), Florida Statutes, says: "The agency must allow an individual who meets the eligibility requirements of subsection (2) to receive home and community-based services in this state if the individual's parent or legal guardian is an active-duty military servicemember and if, at the time of the servicemember's transfer to this state, the individual was receiving home and community-based services in another state."

In plain terms: if your child was already receiving home and community-based services (HCBS) through another state's waiver when the service member was transferred to Florida, and your child meets APD's eligibility rules, APD must allow your child to receive HCBS here. APD's flyer on the law says the 2014 Florida Legislature created this route and it took effect July 1, 2014.

This matters because the regular route is slow. Families who qualify for APD but are not in crisis are placed in a pre-enrollment category. APD's August 2026 enrollment report counted 15,401 people in pre-enrollment, 7,891 of them under age 21, and said that of waiver offers made in fiscal year 2025-26, 6,248 went to people who had waited more than 10 years.

Who qualifies for APD in the first place?

The military route does not replace APD's basic eligibility rules. It applies to someone "who meets the eligibility requirements of subsection (2)." Subsection (2) requires that the agency find the applicant has a developmental disability and is "domiciled in this state."

• A developmental disability. Florida law lists autism among the conditions that count, when it begins before age 18 and is a substantial handicap expected to continue indefinitely (s. 393.063). The statute's definition of autism describes "severe learning, communication, and behavior disorders," so APD eligibility can be narrower than a diagnosis alone. See APD autism eligibility.
• Age 3 or older. APD's application page says applicants must be at least 3 years old. Younger children are served by Florida's Early Steps program.
• Florida domicile. See the next section.
• Proof of the diagnosis. APD's military flyer says documentation of autism must be made by a Florida-licensed psychiatrist or psychologist, a board-certified neurologist qualified to diagnose autism, or a board-certified developmental pediatrician. Ask APD whether an out-of-state diagnosis will be accepted or needs to be confirmed.

Why does domicile matter for military families?

Many service members keep a legal residence in another state while stationed in Florida. APD eligibility depends on Florida domicile. Florida law defines domicile as "the place where a client legally resides and which is his or her permanent home," and adds that a minor cannot establish Florida domicile without a parent or legal guardian domiciled in Florida (s. 393.063(14)).

APD's application page gives examples of documents that may show domicile: a Florida driver's license or ID card, Florida voter registration card, a Florida court-filed Declaration of Domicile, a homestead exemption filing, a mortgage or lease agreement, or employment or school records.

Changing your legal residence can affect taxes, voting and other military benefits. Talk with your installation's legal assistance office before you change it. APD's regional office can tell you which documents it will accept for your situation.

What should we do before the move?

APD's flyer for active duty families says that "an application can be submitted as soon as the parent or legal guardian receives the order to transfer and before moving to Florida," with a copy of the transfer order, and that the process is completed once the applicant has moved. The flyer is older, so confirm current steps with the APD regional office that will serve your new address.

The flyer lists these documents:

1. proof of identity for the applicant (for example, a Florida driver's license or ID card, U.S. passport, or military or government photo ID; a school photo ID only for people under 16);
2. the parent's or legal guardian's Uniformed Services ID card;
3. documentation of the developmental disability (for autism, from one of the providers listed above); and
4. documentation of the waiver services your child received in the previous state, and contact information for the case worker who helped your family there.

Before you leave your current state, ask your child's case manager for a letter or record showing the services, start dates and hours your child receives. That record is the key to the military route.

What happens after we apply?

Florida law sets decision deadlines after APD receives a complete application: 15 calendar days for crisis applications and 60 days for most others, and APD must explain any delay (s. 393.065(1)). The statute also requires APD to offer an online application with status tracking. If APD finds your child ineligible, you can appeal under chapter 120. APD's application page also says APD may help arrange a comprehensive assessment if one is needed to identify the condition.

To actually receive waiver services, the iBudget waiver has extra requirements. It is a Medicaid waiver, so the person must also meet the eligibility rules for Florida Medicaid or the Supplemental Security Income program, meet the required level of care, and funding must be available (s. 393.065(8)). APD's flyer says the person "must meet both APD eligibility and Medicaid eligibility requirements." Medicaid eligibility is decided by the Florida Department of Children and Families. After eligibility, families choose a waiver support coordinator, who helps put services in place. See the iBudget waiver.

What if my child was not on a waiver in our last state?

Then the special military route does not apply, and your child would go through the regular application and pre-enrollment categories like other Florida families. Category 7 is for people under 21 who do not meet the higher-priority criteria, and within categories 3 through 7 APD prioritizes by the date a person is found eligible (s. 393.065(5)). Applying early starts that date. See APD pre-enrollment categories. A family in crisis should contact the APD regional office directly.

Which APD office serves our area?

APD works through regional offices. For the areas around Hope Center's locations, APD's regional pages list:

Other counties are listed on APD's region page, apd.myflorida.com/region.

How does APD fit with TRICARE ABA?

APD and TRICARE are separate. TRICARE covers ABA through the Autism Care Demonstration. Florida law says APD must document that a client has used state Medicaid plan services, school-based services, private insurance and other benefits before iBudget funds pay for supports and services (s. 393.0662(3)). So for many children, TRICARE would remain the main payer for ABA, and the waiver would help with services TRICARE does not cover. See what pays first.

Active duty families can also use TRICARE's Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) for extra services such as respite. See TRICARE ECHO.

How Hope Center can help

While you work through APD, your child does not have to wait for ABA. Hope Center for Behavior Change is in network with TRICARE East (Humana Military) and has no waitlist. If your child has Medicaid, center policy does not allow self-pay at Hope Center; you can add marketplace or employer insurance, which we accept, and the sliding scale can help with your share. We serve families in homes, schools, daycares and our centers in West Palm Beach, Temple Terrace (Tampa), Jacksonville, Port Charlotte and Sebring. Learn more on our military families page and our PCS to Florida guide, request a free consultation or call 561-337-8865.