Take it step by step: keep the written evaluation report, ask the doctor for an ABA order if the report recommends it, check coverage with your plan, contact an ABA provider, and line up public support: Early Steps before age 3 or the school district from age 3. FAU CARD offers free help in Palm Beach County.
Week 1: the papers
- Ask for the written evaluation report and keep it. For ABA, Medicaid asks that it include findings and treatment recommendations, and the provider sends a copy with the request.
- If the report recommends ABA, ask the doctor for a written order for behavior analysis services. Our page on what Medicaid requires explains each paper.
Week 2: coverage and a provider
- Call your Medicaid plan. Since February 1, 2025, Medicaid plans pay for ABA, and yours can help you find providers in its network. Questions: Medicaid helpline, 1-877-254-1055.
- Choose an ABA provider; the provider sends your plan the prior authorization request.
- Ask about any other services the report recommends, such as speech or occupational therapy.
Week 3: help at no cost
- Under 3: call Early Steps, 1-800-218-0001.
- Age 3 or older: ask the school district for a special education evaluation. For preschoolers, the CDC suggests calling any local public elementary school; our Child Find page has the Palm Beach numbers.
- FAU CARD, the autism center at Florida Atlantic University, calls itself the first step after a diagnosis and offers consulting, training and support at no charge: (561) 213-5751.
Week 4: longer-term support
- From age 3, consider applying to Florida's Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD), which serves severe forms of autism, among other conditions. The application is available in Spanish and online.
- Ask Social Security about SSI: a child may qualify with a disability that severely limits daily activity, if the family has little income and few resources.
Take care of yourself too
A diagnosis is not a verdict on your parenting, and you do not have to solve everything in a month. Write down your questions for each visit, and ask FAU CARD what support it offers parents.
Where does Paramount Behavior fit?
We provide ABA therapy at home and at school across Palm Beach County, in English and Spanish, and serve Medicaid members of Molina Healthcare, Sunshine Health, Children's Medical Services Health Plan and Community Care Plan; call (561) 421-0047 to check your plan. We have no waitlist: we have openings, and we schedule the initial consultation as soon as you call. What usually sets the pace after that is the paperwork (the doctor's order, the diagnostic evaluation and the insurance or Medicaid authorization) and your family's schedule.
Do I need the diagnosis in writing for Medicaid ABA?
Yes. Medicaid asks for a doctor's written order and a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation by a qualified licensed practitioner, and the provider sends a copy with the prior authorization request.
Does FAU CARD cost anything?
No. FAU CARD offers consulting, training and support at no charge to people with autism and their families, and it serves Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties.
Until what age does Medicaid cover ABA?
Florida Medicaid covers behavior analysis for recipients under 21. For people 21 and older, AHCA points to the iBudget Waiver.
General information as of October 30, 2026, not medical or legal advice. If your child seriously hurts themselves or others, call their doctor, or 911 in an emergency.
Sources
- Behavior Analysis (BA) Services: Key Information. Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), accessed October 30, 2026.
- Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (Florida Atlantic CARD). Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, accessed October 30, 2026.
- Apply for Services. Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD), accessed October 30, 2026.
- Who can get SSI. U.S. Social Security Administration, accessed October 30, 2026.
- Intervención temprana (Early Intervention). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), accessed October 30, 2026.