If you have looked into help for an autistic child in Florida, you have probably heard of "the waiver" or "iBudget." It is the largest source of long-term disability services in the state, and also the one with the longest wait. This guide explains what iBudget is, what it can pay for, the rules that apply to children living at home, and how the waitlist works, so you can decide when to apply and what to use in the meantime.
Facts below are from sections 393.0662, 393.065 and 393.066, Florida Statutes (2026), and Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) pages and reports as of October 2026.
What is the iBudget waiver?
iBudget Florida is APD's Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver, a federally approved Medicaid program that lets people who would qualify for an intermediate care facility receive services at home, in a family home or in a community residence instead. "Waiver" means certain usual Medicaid rules are waived so services can be delivered in the community.
Each enrolled person gets an individual budget, the "iBudget." Under s. 393.0662, APD sets the amount using an allocation formula together with an assessment, the Questionnaire for Situational Information (QSI). Services are chosen within that budget, and a person's annual waiver spending may not exceed it. APD can approve extra funding for "significant additional needs" only after other resources have been documented and ruled out.
Inside iBudget, Consumer-Directed Care Plus (CDC+) is a self-directed option that lets participants manage their own services, including hiring their own providers. See CDC+ explained.
Who can enroll in iBudget?
Section 393.065(8) lists what a person needs to receive waiver services:
- APD eligibility: a developmental disability such as autism (as Florida law defines it), Florida domicile and the other rules covered in who qualifies for APD.
- Medicaid or SSI eligibility: the person must meet Florida Medicaid or SSI eligibility rules. APD's monthly report notes that a person who is not already approved must apply through the Department of Children and Families (Medicaid) or Social Security (SSI) and be approved before services start.
- Level of care: the person must meet the level of care for an intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IID). APD's report says the person or legal representative signs a choice of community services over institutional placement.
- Available funding: there must be money available under s. 393.0662 or a legislative appropriation. This is the reason for the waitlist.
- Federal waiver rules: the person must meet the requirements of the approved federal waiver.
Until funding is available, eligible people wait in APD's pre-enrollment categories. Crisis applicants (homelessness, life-threatening behavior, or a caregiver who can no longer provide care) can be enrolled faster; see APD crisis enrollment.
What services can iBudget pay for?
APD groups iBudget services into eight families. Services are authorized based on need and coverage criteria, so no one receives everything on the list.
| Group | Examples | Notes for families of children |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Life skills development | Companion, supported employment, adult day training, prevocational | Mostly for adults and teens moving into work |
| 2. Supplies and equipment | Consumable medical supplies, durable medical equipment, home accessibility adaptations, personal emergency response systems | Covers items not otherwise available through Medicaid state plan |
| 3. Personal supports | Personal supports, respite care | Respite is for people under 21 living in the family home when the caregiver is briefly away or unable to provide care; personal supports is listed for adults |
| 4. Residential services | Residential habilitation (including behavior-focused levels), specialized medical home care, supported living coaching | For people living in licensed residences or their own homes |
| 5. Support coordination | Limited, full and enhanced support coordination | Under 18 in the family home: limited support coordination only |
| 6. Therapeutic supports and wellness | Behavior analysis services, behavior assistant services, speech, occupational and physical therapy, nursing, dietician services, specialized mental health counseling | Behavior assistant services train paid or unpaid supports under a behavior analyst's supervision |
| 7. Transportation | Rides to waiver service providers | Only when natural (unpaid) supports cannot provide them |
| 8. Dental | Adult dental services | Adults only |
The underlying statute, s. 393.066(3), also lists parent training, recreation, family care and "training, including behavioral analysis services" among APD community services, "to the extent of available resources."
What limits apply to children living at home?
- Support coordination: s. 393.0662(8)(b) says limited support coordination is the only support coordination that may be provided to people under 18 who live in the family home.
- Payer of last resort: under s. 393.0662(3), APD must certify in each cost plan that the person has used all available Medicaid state plan services, school-based services, private insurance and other benefits before iBudget funds are used. For a child, that usually means ABA comes first from private insurance or Medicaid state plan coverage, and therapy at school comes from the IEP. See iBudget or insurance: what pays first.
- Adult-focused services: several service families (personal supports, adult day training, adult dental) are written for adults, so not every service family applies to a child.
Once your child is enrolled, APD must give you, within 5 days, a written list of the qualified support coordination organizations in your region. Choosing a good coordinator matters; see how to choose an APD support coordinator.
How long is the iBudget waitlist?
APD's August 2026 enrollment report (data as of August 3, 2026) shows 37,812 people enrolled in the iBudget waiver and 15,401 people in pre-enrollment categories, including 7,891 under age 21. APD's county report dated October 20, 2026 shows 14,097 people waiting statewide.
The waits are long. Of the waiver offers APD made in fiscal year 2025-26, 6,248 went to people who had been in a pre-enrollment category for more than 10 years. The Legislature provided $10 million in recurring funds for fiscal year 2026-27 to move people from pre-enrollment to the waiver. Children under 21 who do not meet the crisis, child welfare, intensive needs or older caregiver criteria are placed in Category 7, where priority follows the date of eligibility. That is why applying early, and keeping your contact information current with APD, matters. Details and county numbers are in APD's waitlist categories explained.
When an offer comes, APD's report says three things must happen before services start: Medicaid or SSI approval if the person does not already have it, a signed choice of community services over institutional care, and an individualized needs assessment.
What can we use while we wait?
- Insurance or Medicaid for ABA: private insurance (under Florida's autism mandate for many plans), TRICARE for military families, or Medicaid for children under 21.
- School: the IEP, and for preschoolers Child Find. APD's report says it presumes children in Category 7 can receive school-based services; that is APD's view of what is available, not a guarantee of any particular service.
- CARD: free consultation and training at any age. See CARD Florida.
- Money and savings: SSI, FES-UA and an ABLE United account. See benefits for an autistic child in Florida.
- Respite: options outside the waiver vary by area. See respite care in Florida.
How does Hope Center fit in?
You do not need iBudget to start ABA. Hope Center has no waitlist and works with Blue Cross Blue Shield (Florida Blue), Aetna, Cigna (Evernorth), UMR, Personify Health and TRICARE East, with self-pay for all services on a sliding scale. 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. Every program is written by a BCBA, delivered by RBTs, reviewed by our clinical director and paired with weekly parent training. If you are applying to APD, our reports and treatment plans can be part of your records. Contact us or call 561-337-8865 for a free consultation, and see what to expect as a new family.