County resource guide
Autism Resources in Pasco County, Florida
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Pasco County. Florida statewide resources also apply.
Pasco County (New Port Richey, Zephyrhills, Dade City) is north of Tampa. AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and Medical Center of Trinity provide services. Pasco County Schools provides special education. Family Network on Disabilities (FL PTI) provides free statewide IEP advocacy. Families access CARD at USF in Tampa.
Provider directory
Local Providers31 providers in Pasco County
About our listings
Provider listings on Autism Parent Club are submitted by practices or researched from public sources. All listings are reviewed by a person before publication, and no provider has paid to appear here. Read how we verify listings, or use the “Suggest a correction” link below to flag anything inaccurate.
0 providers in Pasco County. Filter by your child’s age — including 18+, which is the hardest to find anywhere.
Diagnostic clinics
Formal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
New Port Richey
BayCare Health — St. Joseph's Children's Developmental Pediatrics (Pasco)
Developmental pediatric evaluations through BayCare's St. Joseph's Children's Hospital network, with outreach services to Pasco County. Autism evaluations, ADHD, and developmental delay assessments.
BayCare serves Pasco County through its North Tampa and New Port Richey facilities.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Inverness · multi-county
Early Steps — Suncoast Region (Citrus County)
Florida's Early Steps program provides free in-home early intervention for children birth–3 in Citrus County. Services include speech, OT, PT, and developmental therapy delivered in the home or community setting under IDEA Part C.
FREE if income-eligible; sliding scale otherwise. Self-referral accepted.
Bushnell · multi-county
Early Steps — Suncoast Region (Sumter County)
Florida's Early Steps program provides free in-home early intervention for children birth–3 in Sumter County. Speech, OT, PT, and developmental therapy delivered in the home or community under IDEA Part C.
FREE if income-eligible; sliding scale otherwise. Self-referral accepted.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Tampa · multi-county
Applied Behavior Consultants — Tampa Bay
In-home and clinic-based ABA therapy serving Tampa Bay families. BCBA-supervised program with focus on early intervention and school readiness.
Accepts Florida Medicaid and commercial insurance.
Wesley Chapel
Hopebridge Autism Therapy Center — Wesley Chapel
Center-based ABA, speech, and occupational therapy serving rapidly growing Pasco County. Hopebridge's Wesley Chapel location provides integrated therapy services with BCBA oversight.
Accepts Florida Medicaid and commercial insurance.
Respite care
Respite care providers giving families a break — in-home, center-based, and overnight.
Statewide · multi-county
Florida ADRC network — respite through the Elder Helpline
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.
~3,000 providers nationwide
ARCH National Respite Locator
A free national database of respite providers searchable by state and locality — home care agencies, community-based organizations and state programs. The single best starting point for finding respite anywhere in the country, and it is the tool state agencies themselves point families toward.
A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Before you pay out of pocket, check what your state's Medicaid waiver funds — respite is covered by nearly every state waiver, and many families never think to ask.
Most states run one
Your state's Lifespan Respite Care Program
Lifespan Respite Care Programs are federally seeded, state-run programs that help families of any age and any disability find and pay for respite — often including vouchers or subsidies that do not depend on having a Medicaid waiver. Most states have one, they are chronically under-used, and they are rarely mentioned by anyone else in the system.
A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Search for "[your state] Lifespan Respite" or use the ARCH directory. Ask specifically about voucher or subsidy programs — that is the part families most often miss.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Wesley Chapel
Autism Society of Florida — Pasco County Network
Growing parent network serving New Port Richey, Wesley Chapel, and Zephyrhills areas. Monthly support groups, resource connections, and family social events for one of Florida's fastest-growing counties.
Tampa · multi-county
Autism Society of Greater Orlando — Tampa Chapter
Support groups, family events, and community resources for Tampa Bay families. Monthly parent meetups and social programs.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Tampa · multi-county
CARD at University of South Florida
Free state-funded autism support center serving Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Hernando, Citrus, Sumter, and Lake counties. Family consultation, school advocacy, community resources, and professional training — all at no cost.
FREE. State-funded. First call for Tampa Bay families.
Bradenton · multi-county
CARD at University of South Florida — Manatee County Services
Free state-funded autism resource center serving Manatee County through the USF CARD Tampa Bay region. Family consultation, IEP advocacy, school support, and community resources at no cost. Manatee County's rapid growth means CARD is an essential resource — free consultation available immediately, no waitlist.
FREE. State-funded. First call for any Manatee County family — CARD at USF serves the full Tampa Bay Gulf Coast region.
Inverness · multi-county
CARD at USF — Citrus County Services
Free state-funded autism resource center serving Citrus County through the USF CARD Tampa Bay region. Family consultation, school advocacy, IEP support, and community resources for Inverness, Crystal River, and Lecanto families at no cost.
FREE. State-funded. Call USF CARD and request a Citrus County consultant.
Spring Hill · multi-county
CARD at USF — Hernando County Services
Free state-funded autism resource center serving Hernando County through the USF CARD Tampa Bay region. Family consultation, school advocacy, IEP support, and community resources for Spring Hill and Brooksville families at no cost.
FREE. State-funded. Hernando is served by USF CARD — call and request a Hernando County consultant.
New Port Richey · multi-county
CARD at USF — Pasco County Services
Free state-funded autism resource center serving Pasco County through the USF CARD. Consultation, school advocacy, and resource navigation for families in New Port Richey, Wesley Chapel, and Zephyrhills.
FREE. State-funded. Pasco is one of the fastest-growing counties — call early.
St. Petersburg · multi-county
CARD at USF — Pinellas County Services
The USF Center for Autism and Related Disabilities serves Pinellas County as part of its Tampa Bay region. Free consultation, school advocacy, IEP support, and resource navigation for families. No cost, no income limit — state-funded.
FREE. State-funded. Same CARD center as Tampa — call to request a Pinellas-area consultant.
Lakeland · multi-county
CARD at USF — Polk County Services
The USF CARD center provides free consultation, school advocacy, and resource navigation for Polk County families as part of its Central Florida service region. No cost, no income limit.
FREE. State-funded. Call and request a Polk County consultant.
Bushnell · multi-county
CARD at USF — Sumter County Services
Free state-funded autism resource center serving Sumter County through the USF CARD Tampa Bay region. Family consultation, school advocacy, IEP support, and community resources for The Villages, Bushnell, and Webster families at no cost.
FREE. State-funded. Call USF CARD and request a Sumter County consultant. The Villages area has been growing — services are expanding.
New Port Richey
Family Network on Disabilities — Pasco County
Free special education advocacy for Pasco County families through Florida's federally funded PTI. Parent advocates help with IEP preparation, IDEA rights, and disability resource navigation.
FREE. Federally funded PTI.
Activities, clubs & recreation
Clubs, sports, camps, and social programs that welcome autistic children and teens — inclusive, adaptive, and special-needs specific.
Tampa · multi-county
HC Adaptive Sports — Hillsborough County
The county's own year-round adaptive sports program for young people aged 7 to 22 with physical and intellectual disabilities, recreational and competitive. County programs are typically the cheapest and closest option and almost never appear in an autism search.
Clermont · multi-county
Special Olympics Florida
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.
200+ locations nationwide
ACEing Autism
Weekly Saturday tennis clinics built specifically for autistic children aged 5 to 18, run by volunteers at more than 200 locations across the country, serving over 7,000 players. Sessions run in six-week blocks of an hour. This is the clearest example of the interest-based model working: the sport supplies the structure, the turn-taking and the reason to be there, so the social side happens sideways rather than being the task.
A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Cost varies by location — around $120 for a six-week session at some sites, with scholarships available. Use the map on their site to find your nearest program, schedule and local contact.
~4,000 camps nationwide
American Camp Association — camp finder
A free searchable directory of close to 4,000 summer camps that can be filtered for camps serving autistic campers, by distance, session length, activities and cost. The best single starting point for finding a day or overnight camp anywhere in the country.
A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Registration for specialized camps typically opens December–February and popular overnight camps fill within days. Start the funding conversation in autumn.
Nationwide — find your local chapter
Best Buddies
One-to-one friendship matching between people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities, plus employment, leadership and inclusive living programs. Over 4,000 chapters across all 50 states, serving school-age through adult. If what your family wants is a friend rather than an activity, this is the most direct answer in the country.
A national programme 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 1-800-89BUDDY, to locate your nearest chapter.
Local affiliates across most of the country
Easterseals — camps and recreation
Day and overnight camps run through local Easterseals affiliates, several of them autism-specific, with weekend respite and family camp sessions as well. Many affiliates operate sliding-scale fees, and several camps serve adults alongside children.
A national programme 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 affiliates — check what your nearest one actually runs rather than assuming the national description applies.
Week-long camps hosted nationwide
iCan Shine (iCan Bike)
Teaches people with disabilities to ride a conventional two-wheeled bicycle, using adapted roller bikes over a week-long camp that gradually transfers balance to the rider. Learning to ride a bike is a milestone a lot of autistic children are quietly written off for, and this is the program that most reliably delivers it. Camps are hosted by local organizations across the country, so availability is by host town rather than by chapter.
A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Check their site for host locations and dates — camps run in different towns each year, so somewhere near you may host this year and not next.
Local chapters in a number of US cities
KEEN (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now)
Volunteer-led one-to-one recreation for children and young adults with developmental and physical disabilities, at no cost to families or carers. The one-to-one model is the point: a volunteer is paired with your child for the session, which makes it workable for people who cannot manage a group setting unsupported.
A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Free to families. Runs through local chapters in a number of US cities rather than everywhere — check whether yours has one.
900+ divisions nationwide
Little League Challenger Division
Baseball for children and adults with a physical or intellectual disability, across more than 900 divisions. The main division serves ages 4–18, or up to 22 if still enrolled in school; the Senior League Challenger Division serves 15 and above with no upper age limit.
A national programme 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.
200+ communities
Miracle League
Baseball on purpose-built accessible fields in more than 200 communities. Every player bats and every player scores, so ability differences do not decide the game.
A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Check their location list for the nearest field — coverage is good but not universal.
Every state — county-level programs
Special Olympics
Year-round sports training and competition at no cost to the athlete or their family, for children and adults alike. Programs run at county level in every state.
A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Eligibility centers on intellectual disability or a closely related developmental disability. If your child is autistic without an intellectual disability, have a direct conversation about fit before signing up rather than after.
Through local clubs and state associations
TOPSoccer (US Youth Soccer)
The Outreach Program for Soccer — recreational soccer for children and adults with intellectual, emotional or physical disabilities, usually with buddy support on the pitch. Run through ordinary local soccer clubs rather than as a separate organization.
A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Ask your state youth soccer association which local clubs run TOPSoccer — it is often not advertised on the club's own website.
For providers
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Helpful guides
Guides for Pasco 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 Pasco County
Serving families across Pasco County including New Port Richey, Zephyrhills, Dade City, Land O Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Holiday, Port Richey, San Antonio, Hudson and Odessa 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 Pasco County, Florida?
We list 19 providers serving Pasco County, covering ABA therapy, parent & family support, diagnostic clinics, advocacy & legal and early intervention (0–3), plus 2 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 Pasco County accept Medicaid?
2 of the providers we list for Pasco County state that they accept Medicaid, including Applied Behavior Consultants — Tampa Bay and Hopebridge Autism Therapy Center — Wesley Chapel. Coverage and plan participation change often, so confirm directly with the provider before your first appointment.
Where can I find ABA therapy in Pasco County?
ABA providers serving Pasco 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 Pasco County?
3 providers serving Pasco 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 Pasco County?
If none of the Pasco County providers is the right fit, these Florida counties currently have the most listed providers: Sarasota County (24), Alachua County (23), Leon County (23), Manatee County (21). 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 Pasco County
These are the things no database has and every parent knows. If you can answer one of them, another family in Pasco 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 Pasco County? We'll email you.
One email when we verify a new provider in Pasco 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 Pasco 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.
Tell us about a provider →For providers
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Add your practice so families searching for help can find you. Listings are free.
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