The Center for Autism & Related Disabilities (CARD) opened its doors in 1993 in South Florida in our community. CARD is one of seven state-funded, university-based outreach and support centers in Florida dedicated to optimizing the potential of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), dual sensory impairment, sensory impairments with other disabling conditions, and related disabilities.
In 2023, the Center for Disease Control announced that 1 in 36 children have a diagnosis of autism. Based on these data, we can assume that there may be nearly 130,000 individuals with autism in the tri-county (Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Broward counties) area. Today, CARD is serving over 16,000 of those families with free support services, information, resource, referrals, and care coordination, among other critical community functions. With these increasing numbers, CARD needs your assistance to meet the growing needs of those affected by autism in our community.
