Autism and ABA Research in Florida
Plain-language data pages for Florida families, schools and reporters. Every figure names its source and its date, links to the original, and is free to download.
Autism and ABA Therapy in Florida: Statistics
71,688 students in Florida public schools had autism as their ESE eligibility in 2025-26, up 39% from 51,448 in 2021-22.
School counts from the Florida Department of Education, CDC autism prevalence, behavior analysts and technicians in Florida, TRICARE’s autism program, and Florida law, with every source linked.
Published November 11, 2026 · Figures checked November 11, 2026 · CSV
More pages are planned, including autism in Florida schools county by county.
How we work
- We use official, named sources: state agencies, CDC, the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and the Defense Health Agency. Each figure links to its source and gives its period.
- We re-check every figure against its source before we publish or update a page, and show the date we did.
- Our own calculations, such as a percentage change, are labeled as ours, with the inputs shown.
- These pages report counts, not outcomes. They make no claim about the results of any therapy for a particular child.
- Spotted an error? Email office@hopecenteraba.com and we will correct it and note the change on the page.
Using our data
Each page’s figures are free to download as a CSV and free to use with credit to Hope Center for Behavior Change and a link to the page (CC BY 4.0). Please cite the original sources as well.
Sources used so far
- Florida Department of Education, presentation to the Applied Behavior Analysis Task Force (August 31, 2026), slides 7 and 10
- CDC, Prevalence and Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 4 and 8 Years, ADDM Network, 16 Sites, United States, 2022 (MMWR Surveillance Summaries, April 2025)
- CDC, Data and Statistics on Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Behavior Analyst Certification Board, BACB Certificant Data
- Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Region-Specific Certificant Data
- Behavior Analyst Certification Board, US Licensure of Behavior Analysts
- Defense Health Agency, Annual Report on Autism Care Demonstration Program (report to Congress, April 2026)
- Florida Statutes, s. 627.6686, Coverage for individuals with autism spectrum disorder required (Steven A. Geller Autism Coverage Act)
- Agency for Health Care Administration, Applied Behavior Analysis Task Force page
- HB 5003-E (2026E Legislature), enrolled, Section 40
- Applied Behavior Analysis Task Force, Meeting 6 agenda, November 17, 2026
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At Hope Center for Behavior Change our ABA programs are developed by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and implemented by Registered Behavior Technicians.