Many Florida parents first hear about CARD from a pediatrician or a teacher, often right after a diagnosis. CARD is one of the few autism resources in the state that serves every age, from toddlers to adults, and costs nothing. It is also often misunderstood: it is not a therapy clinic and it does not diagnose. This guide explains what CARD does, what it does not do, who can register and how to get the most from it.
Facts are from section 1004.55, Florida Statutes (2026), and the seven CARD centers' own websites as of October 2026.
What is CARD?
CARD stands for Center for Autism and Related Disabilities. Florida law establishes seven regional centers "to provide nonresidential resource and training services for persons of all ages and of all levels of intellectual functioning" who have autism, a pervasive developmental disorder, an autistic-like disability, a dual sensory impairment, or a sensory impairment with other disabling conditions.
Each center is based at a university and serves a set group of counties:
- Florida State University College of Medicine (Panhandle and Big Bend)
- University of Florida, Gainesville (north central Florida)
- University of Florida Health Science Center at Jacksonville (northeast Florida, including Duval)
- University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute (Tampa Bay and southwest Florida, including Hillsborough, Polk, Charlotte and Highlands)
- University of Miami, run with Nova Southeastern University (Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe)
- University of Central Florida (Orlando area)
- Florida Atlantic University (Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast, including St. Lucie)
Use our county table in which CARD center serves my county to find yours, with phone numbers.
What does CARD do for families?
Section 1004.55(4) says each center must provide:
- staff with expertise in autism and sensory impairments;
- individual and direct family assistance in the home, community and school;
- technical assistance and consultation, including help for a specific client, the family and the school district;
- professional training for people who work with autistic children and adults;
- public education about autism and related disabilities;
- coordination of local and regional resource information; and
- support to state agencies in training early child care providers and educators.
In practice, centers describe this as consultation by phone, email or video and, when appropriate, short-term help at home, in the community or at school; workshops and parent trainings; support and social groups; resource referrals; and help for schools working with your child. UF CARD, for example, lists a visual supports lab for making schedules and communication boards. Services differ from center to center, so ask yours what it offers.
Does CARD cost anything?
CARD centers describe their services as free. CARD-USF says its services "are delivered at no cost" and that it is funded by the Florida Department of Education through an annual grant. FAU CARD says it provides support "at no charge," UF CARD says all its services are "FREE of charge," UF Health Jacksonville says services are "provided free of charge," UCF CARD says "there is no charge for our services," and UM-NSU CARD lists its programs as available "at no cost." FSU CARD describes itself as a state-funded agency. CARD also receives a share of Florida's "Support Autism Programs" license plate proceeds.
What does CARD not do?
CARD is a resource and training center, not a treatment provider. UF CARD states plainly that CARD does not provide diagnosis, therapy (for example ABA, occupational or physical therapy), ongoing behavioral interventions, respite care, or medical care. FSU CARD says the same about evaluations, diagnoses, therapies and respite. Section 1004.55 adds that a center's help "should not supplant" other agencies, and that your school district remains responsible for your child's education.
So CARD will not replace your child's ABA program, IEP or Early Steps services. It can help you understand them, prepare for meetings and find providers. For how CARD and an ABA provider divide the work, see CARD vs an ABA provider.
Who can register with CARD?
Anyone in the center's service area who has autism or a related disability, of any age, plus their family and the professionals who work with them. Centers need documentation of a qualifying diagnosis, but the rules for young children vary:
- FSU CARD requires diagnosis documentation for people 9 and older or after second grade (whichever comes first). Younger children can be found eligible through a screening questionnaire, then need a formal diagnosis by 9 or the end of second grade to stay a client.
- UCF CARD asks for proof of diagnosis for people over age 8, and will recommend local evaluators if you are seeking a diagnosis.
- UF CARD accepts a documented diagnosis from a physician (such as a pediatrician, psychiatrist or neurologist) or licensed psychologist, or autism listed as an exceptionality on the student's IEP.
If your child is not yet diagnosed, call your center anyway. UF CARD and UCF CARD both say they can point families to diagnostic providers. Our guide on getting an autism diagnosis in Florida covers the process.
How do I register?
- Find your center by county. Your county of residence decides which center serves you, not the nearest university.
- Register online or by phone. Most centers have an online form, and several offer it in Spanish; UM-NSU CARD also has a Haitian Creole form. CARD-USF follows a self-referral policy: a case manager can help, but the family should register with full knowledge of the services.
- Send documents the center requests, such as a diagnostic report or IEP.
- Complete intake. UCF CARD, for example, sends a welcome packet with a virtual orientation, then schedules an initial consultation with an autism specialist by phone or secure video to build an action plan.
- Use it over time. Families can come back to CARD as needs change, for a new school, puberty, transition to adulthood or a move.
Is what I tell CARD confidential?
Yes, with limits set by law. Section 1004.55(6) makes CARD client and family records confidential and exempt from Florida's public records law. You (or your adult child, if competent) can get a copy of the record on request. A center may release records to physicians, attorneys or government agencies helping the client only with your authorization, in response to a subpoena or court order, or to state education boards in limited cases. One nuance: UF CARD notes that some of its other records, such as email addresses on mailing lists, can be public records.
When should we call CARD, and how does it fit with ABA?
Good times to call: right after a diagnosis, before an IEP meeting, when behavior at home or school changes, when you are choosing providers, and as your teen approaches adulthood. CARD can also train your child's teachers.
If your child needs ABA, CARD can explain your options; a provider delivers the therapy. Hope Center provides ABA in our centers, at home, at school, at daycare and in the community, with programs written by BCBAs, delivered by RBTs and reviewed by our clinical director, plus weekly parent training. We have no waitlist and work with several commercial plans and TRICARE East, with self-pay on a sliding scale. Contact us or call 561-337-8865 for a free consultation, or see where we provide ABA.