County resource guide
Autism Resources in Polk County, Florida
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Polk County. Florida statewide resources also apply.
Polk County (Lakeland, Winter Haven) is between Tampa and Orlando. Lakeland Regional Health provides evaluation services. Polk County Public Schools provides special education. Families access both the Tampa and Orlando CARD centers. Family Network on Disabilities (FL PTI) provides free statewide IEP advocacy.
Provider directory
Local Providers5 providers in Polk 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.
Lakeland
Lakeland Regional Health — Watson Clinic Developmental Pediatrics
Developmental pediatric evaluations at Watson Clinic, the largest multi-specialty group practice in Polk County. Autism assessments and behavioral health coordination for Lakeland and Winter Haven families.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Lakeland
Hopebridge Autism Therapy Center — Lakeland
Center-based ABA, speech, and occupational therapy at the Lakeland location. Hopebridge's integrated model means families access multiple therapies under one roof with coordinated care planning.
Accepts Florida Medicaid and commercial insurance.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Lakeland
Autism Society of Florida — Polk County Chapter
Local parent support network serving Lakeland, Winter Haven, and surrounding Polk County communities. Monthly meetings, family resource events, and connections to local services.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
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.
Lakeland
Family Network on Disabilities — Central Florida
Free special education advocacy for Polk County families through Florida's federally funded PTI center. Parent advocates help navigate IEP meetings, special education rights, and disability benefits.
FREE. Federally funded PTI.
For providers
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Helpful guides
Guides for Polk 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 Polk County
Serving families across Polk County including Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow, Auburndale, Haines City, Lake Wales, Dundee, Mulberry, Davenport and Sebring 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.
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