Autism Resources in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Fort Lauderdale sits at the center of Broward County and the greater Miami–Fort Lauderdale metro, one of Florida's deepest markets for autism services — a wide field of ABA and pediatric therapy providers, several children's hospitals for diagnosis, and autism-specific schools. The distinctive local asset is UM-NSU CARD (the University of Miami–Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities), a free, no-waitlist source of support, consultation, and navigation for families across Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties. This guide walks through what's available to Broward families: diagnosis, therapy, schools, community and sensory-friendly activities, and how Florida's funding programs — insurance, Medicaid, and the long APD waiver waitlist — actually work.