As Florida’s legislative session gains momentum, I’m thinking about a simple truth I’ve seen over the past four decades: when families get timely, practical guidance and schools and community providers have access to evidence-based training, children and adults with autism experience stronger educational, health, and life outcomes. And when they thrive, so does Florida.
That is the promise of Florida’s Centers for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD): a nationally-recognized, statewide, university-based network created by the Legislature in 1993 to ensure no family navigates autism alone, and no community reinvents the wheel to serve people with autism and related disabilities. CARD is not a treatment clinic. We are a support and technical assistance program that helps families, educators, clinicians, employers, and communities put proven strategies into practice across the lifespan, from toddlers to seniors.
This session, Florida has an opportunity to build on what it already did right.
Florida is facing a new reality. Autism prevalence continues to rise, with current estimates placing it at one in 31. That growth is reflected in CARD’s registry. As of Sept. 30, 2025, more than 85,759 Floridians have voluntarily registered with CARD, spanning all 67 counties. Since CARD’s last funding increase in 2022, CARD has seen a 40% increase in clients served. We know that the number of our clients will continue increasing year over year.
Continued investment in CARD matters now more than ever because this moment presents both urgency and opportunity.
The statewide CARD network is requesting $4 million in additional state funding to keep pace with demand and sustain the capacity that families, schools, and communities rely on – from the Panhandle to the Keys, from rural counties to our most densely populated regions. This amounts to less than $50 per client, and the return on investment is significant and proven.
Early, coordinated intervention and strong systems of care improve lives and communities while reducing long-term costs for families and taxpayers. Decades of evidence and lived experience show this. When families get guidance earlier, when educators have better tools, and when transitions to adulthood are better supported, Florida builds stronger communities while preventing more costly challenges later.
Additional funding will drive measurable positive outcomes across education, health care, and workforce participation. This is a fact.
In the most recent fiscal year, CARD documented this work statewide: 76,496 client and family assistance contacts, 28,245 professional and programmatic assistance contacts, and 1,454 trainings delivered. That is statewide infrastructure at work, consistently and collaboratively strengthening Florida’s capacity in education, workforce readiness, public safety, and community engagement.
Behind the numbers are real people and real turning points: a parent navigating a new autism diagnosis; a teacher building a classroom where a student can effectively communicate and learn; a high school student preparing for employment or higher education; an adult seeking more independence; a law enforcement officer learning how to safely and respectfully interact with someone on the spectrum.
Florida led the nation by creating CARD. With continued and increased support, Florida can lead the nation in what’s next: a stronger, more coordinated, more accessible system that helps people with autism and related disabilities optimize their potential both personally and professionally and helps our communities thrive alongside them.
Dr. Michael Alessandri is Clinical Professor of Psychology and Pediatrics at the University of Miami and Executive Director of the University of Miami’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD).