Frequently Asked Questions About CARD

• Who are we?
• Who do we serve?
• Can I have my child diagnosed at CARD?
• What do I need to do to get started?
• What happens next?
• How can CARD help?

Who are we?

CARD works with families, caregivers and professionals to optimize the potential of people with autism and related disabilities. There are six non-residential CARD centers across the state. CARD/UF has two offices in Gainesville that serve fourteen counties in north central Florida. The CARD/UF staff includes professionals with expertise in psychiatry, psychology, special education, nursing, applied behavior analysis, and speech-language pathology. The centers are funded by the Florida legislature, so all of our services are free.

Who do we serve?

CARD serves children and adults of all levels of intellectual functioning who have autism, autistic-like disabilities, pervasive developmental disorder, dual sensory impairments (deaf-blindness), or a vision or hearing loss with another disabling condition. We are required by the legislation that created CARD to have documentation of a qualifying diagnosis in order for an individual to receive our services. The diagnosis can be made by a physician, such as a pediatrician, psychiatrist or neurologist, or by a licensed psychologist. In cases where no diagnosis has been made, we encourage parents to call us for information on where they can go for a diagnostic evaluation.

Can I have my child diagnosed at CARD?

No, CARD staff do not provide diagnostic evaluations, but we will help you find a qualified professional if you are seeking a diagnosis.

What do I need to do to get started?

To begin working with CARD, call our Intake Coordinator at (352) 273-0581 or 1-800-754-5891.

What happens next?

Please call the CARD Office for more information.

How can CARD help?

Please read What Card Can Do. (pdf reader required)

Referral: We maintain a database of professional service providers, with everything from pediatricians to hair dressers. We will do our best to help you find professionals of all types with expertise in autism and related disabilities. We encourage parents to contribute the names of professionals who have successfully worked with their children so that they might be added to the database. We also make referrals to relevant social service agencies. We are knowledgeable about which federal, state and local agencies are available to help the people we serve. We can facilitate parents efforts to negotiate this complex web.

Information: We have a lending library of books and videos. We also keep an extensive file of articles and have generated handouts and materials on many relevant topics. Parents and professionals are welcome to visit the library. We ask that you call before coming to ensure someone will be available to assist you (352) 273-0581. Our website is another source of information. It contains some of our handouts as well as information on local resources and parent support groups and links to many other resources.

Training: We hold general information sessions on a variety of topics throughout the fourteen counties we serve and host monthly speakers in Gainesville. We offer informal problem solving sessions as well as more formal and comprehensive trainings. In addition, CARD holds an annual statewide conference. See our website for an updated training calendar or call to have one mailed. Anyone can request training, just download the Training Request Form under the 'Forms/Contact Us' link at the top of this page.

Individualized Assistance: We are available for individual consultations to help parents, caregivers and professionals tailor practices to a specific individual. Contact our office for more information.