County resource guide
Autism Resources in Pinellas County, Florida
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Pinellas County. Florida statewide resources also apply.
Pinellas County (St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo) is part of the Tampa Bay metro. Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg provides world-class pediatric evaluation services. Pinellas County Schools provides special education. Family Network on Disabilities (FL PTI) provides free statewide IEP advocacy. Florida's iBudget waiver applies statewide.
School evaluation
Request a School Evaluation
Under IDEA, your school district must evaluate your child for free if you request it in writing. Here’s who to contact in Pinellas County:
Pinellas County Schools — Exceptional Student Education
Call Pinellas ESE to request a Child Find evaluation. Ask specifically for the ESE department when the main line answers.
Contacts verified May 2026 — call to confirm current numbers
Learn how to write your evaluation request →Provider directory
Local Providers10 providers in Pinellas County
About our listings
Provider listings on Autism Parent Club are submitted by practices or researched from public sources. All listings are reviewed for accuracy before publication. To suggest a correction, use the “Suggest a correction” link below.
Diagnostic clinics
Formal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Clearwater
BayCare Health System — Developmental Pediatrics
Developmental pediatric evaluations through BayCare's network of pediatric specialists in the St. Petersburg and Clearwater area. Autism assessments, behavioral evaluations, and care coordination with schools and therapists. BayCare is the leading health system in the Tampa Bay region.
Multiple Pinellas County locations. Accepts most major insurance plans.
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.
Clearwater · multi-county
Hopebridge Autism Therapy Center — Clearwater
Center-based ABA therapy, speech, and occupational therapy under one roof. Hopebridge is a national provider with BCBA supervision at every location. The Clearwater center serves Pinellas County families.
Accepts Florida Medicaid and most commercial insurance. Florida law requires ABA coverage.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
St. Petersburg
Autism Society of Greater Orlando — Suncoast Chapter
Parent support groups and community events for Pinellas County families. Monthly meetups in St. Petersburg and Clearwater, social skills groups for kids, and sibling support programs.
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.
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.
Clearwater
Family Network on Disabilities — Pinellas
Florida's federally funded Parent Training and Information (PTI) center. Helps families understand special education rights, navigate IEP meetings, and access disability services statewide. Free parent advocates available to Pinellas County families.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. Parent advocates who have been through the system themselves.
For providers
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Featured listings include your logo, extended description, a direct contact button, and top placement above standard listings. Families searching for help in Pinellas County see you first.
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Helpful guides
Guides for Pinellas 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 Pinellas County
Serving families across Pinellas County including St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo, Dunedin, Safety Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Pinellas Park, Seminole, Kenneth City and Belleair and more.
See all Florida resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Florida.
Florida state guide →Nearby counties in Florida
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 Pinellas 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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