Autism Resources in Manatee County, Florida
20 providers in Bradenton, Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, University Park and nearby, plus 12 national programs. Waitlists change often, so it’s worth calling a few.
0 providers in Manatee County. Filter by your child’s age — including 18+, which is the hardest to find anywhere.
Based in Manatee County
Diagnostic clinics
2 providersFormal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Blake Medical Center — Developmental Pediatric Referrals
Bradenton, FL
Manatee County's primary hospital in Bradenton offering developmental referrals and pediatric care. For comprehensive autism evaluations, families access Sarasota Memorial Hospital (20 min) or Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg (45 min). CARD at USF is accessible from Bradenton. Manatee County is one of Florida's fastest-growing Gulf Coast counties.
Sarasota Memorial (20 min) and Johns Hopkins All Children's (St. Pete, 45 min) are the recommended comprehensive evaluation centers for Manatee County families.
Easterseals Southwest Florida
Sarasota, FL · serves several counties
350 Braden Ave., Sarasota, FL 34243
A nonprofit that does the whole path in one place — comprehensive diagnostic evaluations by licensed clinical psychologists from age two through adulthood, ABA, the Play Project home-based intervention, speech, occupational, physical and music therapy, an inclusive preschool from six weeks, and Easterseals Academy, a K–12 school for students through age 22. If you do not have a diagnosis yet, this is the most efficient first call in the area: the same organization can carry you from evaluation into services without starting a new waitlist.
Early Intervention (0–3)
1 providerFree services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Early Steps — Suncoast Region (Manatee County)
Bradenton, FL · serves several counties
Florida's Early Steps program provides free in-home early intervention for children birth–3 in Manatee County. Speech, OT, PT, and developmental therapy under IDEA Part C. Manatee County's growth has brought more therapists to the area, though waitlists remain.
FREE if income-eligible. Self-referral accepted. Refer as soon as developmental concerns arise — do not wait for diagnosis.
Schools & educational programs
1 providerSpecialized schools and educational programs for autistic and neurodivergent students — private, therapeutic, and district-run.
Beyond the Spectrum Education & Therapy Center
Lakewood Ranch, FL · serves several counties
7333 International Place, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34240
A day school and ABA provider physically in Lakewood Ranch, serving individuals aged four and older with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Runs Peabody Academy along with early, advanced and H.I.V.E. learning programs, plus on-site private therapies and separate ABA clinics in Bradenton and Port Charlotte. School hours 8:30am–2:45pm; ABA clinics 8:30am–4:30pm.
ABA therapy
2 providersApplied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Cultivate Behavioral Health & Education — Bradenton
Bradenton, FL · serves several counties
522 9th St. W, Bradenton, FL 34205
ABA delivered three ways — in the clinic, in your home, or in school — targeting communication, social interaction and daily living skills. Open 7:30am to 6:30pm on weekdays, which is unusually wide for the area if you are working around a school day.
Medicaid is not listed among the accepted plans on their site — confirm directly if that is how you would pay. New-patient line: 855-444-5664.
Hopebridge Autism Therapy Center — Bradenton
Bradenton, FL · serves several counties
Center-based ABA, speech, and occupational therapy in Bradenton. Hopebridge's integrated model provides multiple therapies under one roof with BCBA oversight. Serving Manatee County's rapidly growing family population with evidence-based autism care.
Accepts Florida Medicaid and commercial insurance. Center-based model in Bradenton.
Parent & family support
1 providerParent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Manasota B.U.D.S.
Bradenton, FL · serves several counties
A long-running local forum for families affected by developmental disabilities to share experience and network, serving ages five and up across multiple locations in the Manatee and Sarasota area.
Activities, clubs & recreation
8 providersClubs, sports, camps, and social programs that welcome autistic children and teens — inclusive, adaptive, and special-needs specific.
Adaptive Kids Yoga
Bradenton, FL
Adaptive, trauma-informed yoga classes for kids and teens ages 3–17, including kids with autism, ADHD, sensory needs, anxiety, or mobility differences. Small-group classes run live on Zoom anywhere in the US (Eastern Time) and in person in Bradenton/Sarasota, FL, and private 1:1 and 1:2 sessions are available. Step Up For Students EMA provider for Florida families; private pay welcome everywhere.
All Friends Network
Sarasota, FL · serves several counties
A local network whose stated purpose is helping people with autism, cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities find friendship and companionship. Aimed squarely at the social side rather than at therapy.
Face Autism
Sarasota, FL · serves several counties
A local 501(c)(3) running enrichment classes for autistic children, mostly in partnership with established local studios: art, dance (with Dynasty Dance Clubs), social skills (with Children Therapy Associates), fitness with a personal trainer, yoga (with Soul to Soul Yoga), piano (with Nokomis Violin Studio) and music therapy. They also run sensory-friendly activities and support groups, and maintain a referral directory of local therapeutic providers. Somewhere to belong rather than another therapy appointment.
No phone number is published anywhere on their site — email info@face-autism.org or message them on Facebook (@faceautisminc), which for a small nonprofit is often the faster route. Ages, locations, schedules and costs are not listed publicly either, so ask.
Foundation for Dreams / Dream Oaks Camp
Bradenton, FL · serves several counties
Year-round therapeutic camping for children with disabilities and chronic illness, based in Bradenton. Camp formats often work well for children who find weekly clubs hard to sustain.
Manatee County Parks & Natural Resources — Adaptive Sports
Bradenton, FL
The county's own adaptive sports offering. Public programs tend to be cheaper and closer than private ones, and are frequently missed because families do not think to look at the parks department.
Miracle League of Manasota
University Park, FL · serves several counties
University Park Country Club, 7671 The Park Blvd, FL 34201
Baseball for differently-abled children and adults on a purpose-built accessible field at University Park Country Club, minutes from Lakewood Ranch. An affiliate of the national Miracle League Association, playing on a specially surfaced field.
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Special Olympics Florida — Manatee County
Bradenton, FL · serves several counties
3657 Cortez Rd W, Ste 120, Bradenton, FL 34210
Year-round sports training and competition at no cost to the athlete or family, for ages eight and up. Free is genuinely free here — no fees for the athlete or caregiver.
Eligibility centers on intellectual disability or a closely related developmental disability. Worth a direct conversation about fit if your child is autistic without an intellectual disability.
TOPSoccer — Braden River Soccer Club
Bradenton, FL
The US Youth Soccer Outreach Program for Soccer, run locally through Braden River Soccer Club: recreational soccer for children and adults with intellectual, emotional or physical disabilities, typically with buddy support on the pitch.
Also serving Manatee County
These 17 are based elsewhere, or operate nationally, and list Manatee County in the area they cover. Worth calling to confirm how far they actually travel, and whether telehealth or in-home visits are an option.
Early Intervention (0–3)
1 providerFree services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Early Steps — Heartland Region (Hardee County)
Wauchula, FL · serves several counties
Florida's Early Steps program provides free in-home early intervention for children birth–3 in Hardee County. Home-based speech, OT, and developmental therapy under IDEA Part C. Bilingual (English/Spanish) therapists available — important for Hardee County's large Spanish-speaking agricultural community.
FREE if income-eligible. Bilingual (English/Spanish) therapists available — ask specifically. Self-referral accepted.
Respite care
3 providersRespite care providers giving families a break — in-home, center-based, and overnight.
Florida ADRC network — respite through the Elder Helpline
Statewide, FL · serves several counties
Worth knowing before you start looking: Florida has NO state Lifespan Respite Care Program and no state respite voucher scheme, unlike many other states. What exists instead runs through eleven regional Aging and Disability Resource Centers and the National Family Caregiver Support Program, which does cover people caring for a child of any age with a disability. One call to the Elder Helpline screens you against several respite streams at once — the name is misleading, and it is still the right number.
Do not be put off by "Elder" — the helpline screens caregivers of children with disabilities too. Also ask your APD area office what the iBudget waiver funds for respite.
ARCH National Respite Locator
Searchable by state, FL
A free national directory of respite providers and programs, run by ARCH, the National Respite Network and Resource Center. ARCH says it is not a complete list, so it works best alongside…
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
ARCH's advice is to contact your State Respite Coalition or Lifespan Respite program first. Before you pay out of pocket, also check what your state's Medicaid waiver funds.
Your state's Lifespan Respite program
39 states and DC have been funded, FL
Lifespan Respite programs are federally funded, state-run programs that help family caregivers of children or adults, regardless of special need, find and pay for respite.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
ARCH lists every state's Lifespan Respite contact and respite coalition on this page. Ask specifically about voucher or stipend programs — that is the part families most often miss.
Advocacy & legal
2 providersLegal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
CARD at University of South Florida
Tampa, FL · serves several counties
Free state-funded Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at USF, serving 14 southwest Florida counties from Pasco and Polk down to Lee and Collier. Family consultation, school advocacy, community resources, and training for schools, professionals and businesses — at no cost.
FREE. State-funded. The CARD center for Tampa Bay and all of southwest Florida.
Family Network on Disabilities (FND)
Clearwater, FL · serves several counties
Florida's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center. Free help for families of children with disabilities with special education, IEPs and connecting with other families.
Activities, clubs & recreation
11 providersClubs, sports, camps, and social programs that welcome autistic children and teens — inclusive, adaptive, and special-needs specific.
Special Olympics Florida
Clermont, FL · serves several counties
1915 Don Wickham Drive, Clermont, FL 34711
Year-round sports training and competition at no cost to athletes or their families, organized by region across the state.
Eligibility centers on intellectual disability or a closely related developmental disability. Worth a direct conversation about fit if your family member is autistic without one.
ACEing Autism
227 programs in 32 states, FL
Tennis clinics for kids, teens and, in some locations, adults on the autism spectrum.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Cost varies by location and scholarships are available. Use the Find a Program search on their site with your zip code.
American Camp Association — camp finder
About 3,900 camps, FL
A free searchable directory of about 3,900 camps, with a filter for disabilities and other special needs alongside distance, activities, session length and cost. A good single starting…
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Choose day or overnight, then use the "Disabilities and Other Special Needs" filter. Specialized camps can fill early, so start looking in the winter before.
Best Buddies
All 50 states — find your local program, FL
One-to-one friendship matching between people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities, with programs from elementary school through college and adulthood, plus…
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
A national organization, not a local listing — use the finder on their site, or call 1-800-89-BUDDY, to locate your nearest program.
Easterseals — camps and recreation
Local Easterseals across the country, FL
Day and residential camps for children and adults with disabilities, plus sports, social activities and community outings run by local Easterseals.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Programs vary a great deal between locations — use the Find your Easterseals search on the page and check what yours actually runs.
iCan Shine (iCan Bike)
Camps hosted in different towns each year, FL
Teaches people with disabilities to ride a conventional two-wheeled bicycle over a five-day camp, 75 minutes a day. iCan Shine says about 80% of participants ride independently by the end…
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Check their Camp Locations page for dates — camps run in different towns each year, so somewhere near you may host this year and not next.
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KEEN (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now)
Six cities only: Chicago, DC–Baltimore, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, St. Louis, FL
Free, non-competitive, one-to-one recreation for youth ages 5 to 21 with physical or developmental disabilities, led by trained volunteer coaches.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Free to families. KEEN runs in six cities plus two university campus chapters (Vanderbilt and the University of Virginia) — outside those, it is not available yet.
Little League Challenger Division
Through local Little Leagues — use the League Finder, FL
Little League's adaptive baseball program for anyone with a physical or intellectual challenge.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Use the League Finder on their site to locate the nearest Challenger division, or ask about starting one. Little League's rule is that a player who can take part in regular Little League with reasonable accommodations should do so.
Miracle League
300 leagues — check for one near you, FL
Baseball for children and adults with physical or mental disabilities, played on custom-designed rubberized turf fields that accommodate wheelchairs and other assistive devices.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Use the Find a Miracle League page on their site — there are 300 leagues, so coverage is good but not universal.
Special Olympics
Nationwide — find your local program, FL
Year-round sports training and competition for children and adults.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Eligibility requires an intellectual disability, a cognitive delay measured by formal assessment, or significant learning or vocational problems due to cognitive delay, identified by an agency or professional. If your child is autistic without a cognitive delay, have a direct conversation about fit before signing up rather than after. Ask your local program about any costs.
TOPSoccer (US Youth Soccer)
Through local soccer clubs, FL
The Outreach Program for Soccer — recreational soccer for children and adults with intellectual, emotional or physical disabilities, offered through local US Youth Soccer clubs.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Find your state association's TOPSoccer clubs through the link on their page, or ask your state association office directly — it is often not advertised on the club's own website.
Not sure which kind of therapy you need?
Start with our plain-language guide to ABA, speech and OT — what each one is, and questions to ask on the first call.
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About autism services in Manatee County
Manatee County (Bradenton, Palmetto) is on Tampa Bay's south shore. Manatee Memorial Hospital and Blake Medical Center provide services. Manatee County School District provides special education. Family Network on Disabilities (FL PTI) provides free statewide IEP advocacy. Families access the Tampa metro for specialized evaluations.
Helpful guides
Guides for Manatee County families
Step-by-step help on the topics that matter most.
School & IEP
Navigating the IEP process
Your rights under IDEA, how evaluations work, and what every IEP section means.
Finding help
ABA, OT, speech and waitlists
How to find qualified providers, navigate insurance, and get off waitlists faster.
Getting started
Where to start after diagnosis
A week-by-week checklist for the first 90 days — from evaluation to early intervention.
Benefits & money
SSI, Medicaid waivers, ABLE accounts
Federal benefits your child may qualify for and how to apply without losing your spot.
Mental health
Co-occurring conditions and support
Managing anxiety, ADHD, and depression alongside an autism diagnosis.
Daily life
Sensory processing and OT
Understanding sensory needs, sensory diets, and how occupational therapy helps.
Adulthood
Employment, housing, legal planning
Supported employment, housing options, guardianship alternatives, and ABLE accounts.
Communities served
Cities in Manatee County
Serving families across Manatee County including Bradenton, Palmetto, Ellenton, Parrish, Holmes Beach, Anna Maria, Longboat Key, Lakewood Ranch, Oneco and Cortez and more.
See all Florida resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Florida.
Florida state guide →Common questions
Answered from the providers currently listed for this county — these update as the directory does.
How many autism providers serve Manatee County, Florida?
We list 19 providers serving Manatee County, covering activities, clubs & recreation, schools & educational programs, diagnostic clinics, advocacy & legal and ABA therapy, plus 3 more. Some are based in the county and others serve it from nearby areas. Every listing is reviewed by a person before it is published.
Which autism providers in Manatee County accept Medicaid?
1 of the providers we list for Manatee County state that they accept Medicaid, including Hopebridge Autism Therapy Center — Bradenton. Coverage and plan participation change often, so confirm directly with the provider before your first appointment.
Where can I find ABA therapy in Manatee County?
ABA providers serving Manatee County are listed in the ABA therapy section of this page, with phone numbers and websites. Many deliver services in the family's home or at school as well as in a clinic. Ask about waitlists when you call — they vary widely and change month to month.
Can autism therapy happen at home in Manatee County?
3 providers serving Manatee County deliver services in the family's home. Many children do better in a familiar setting than in an unfamiliar clinic room, and in-home visits remove the travel burden.
Does Medicaid pay for autism services in Florida?
Florida families can apply to the iBudget Florida Waiver (APD), a Medicaid waiver that can fund respite, therapies and in-home support. The typical wait is Often 10+ years — one of the longest in the country, and your place is usually set by the date you apply — so applying early matters even if you are unsure what services you need. Many waivers also disregard parental income, so families who don't qualify for regular Medicaid often still qualify here.
What if I can't find an autism provider in Manatee County?
If none of the Manatee County providers is the right fit, these Florida counties currently have the most listed providers: Sarasota County (19), Leon County (18), Orange County (16), Alachua County (15). Many providers travel or offer telehealth, so it is worth calling even if they are not based nearby. You can also tell us about a provider we are missing.
Nearby counties in Florida
You know things we don’t
Still missing from Manatee County
These are the things no database has and every parent knows. If you can answer one of them, another family in Manatee Countygets an afternoon back. It takes about a minute and you don’t need to know the business details — a name and a rough location is enough for us to check.
- Which dentist here has managed a cleaning without it becoming a fight?
- Who cuts your child's hair without a meltdown?
- Is there a group here where your child has made a friend?
- Which pediatrician here actually listens, and doesn't rush the appointment?
We check everything before it goes up, and nobody pays to be listed. How we verify.
Get told when this page changes
New provider in Manatee County? We'll email you.
One email when we verify a new provider in Manatee County — no newsletter, no digest, nothing else. Some counties hear from us a few times a year and some stay quiet for months; we would rather send you nothing than send you filler.
We store your address and county, and nothing else. How we handle it.
See something that needs fixing?
Providers move, phone numbers change, and links break — it happens. If anything on this page is out of date, wrong, or no longer working, please tell us and we’ll fix it. Keeping this accurate for autism families is the whole reason we’re here.
Report a correction →Help the community
Know a great provider in Manatee County?
If a therapist, clinic, or specialist helped your family, tell us about them and we’ll add them to the directory so other families can find them too.
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