UF Grant Expands Florida Autism Provider Training

Families across Florida may gain access to more trained professionals who can diagnose and support people with autism over the next five years.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Autism

UF Grant Expands Florida Autism Provider Training

Live Poll

Should Florida spend more on training specialists for children with developmental disabilities?

The University of Florida was selected for a $2.3 million five-year federal grant to train professionals in neurodevelopmental disabilities, including autism. The award joins UF to a national network of Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Other Related Disabilities (LEND) sites, and is aimed at expanding the number of Florida providers who can care for people with autism.

Why it matters

The grant targets a shortage of trained clinicians and educators who can diagnose and support people with autism, which can shape how quickly families in Florida get assessments and services. The award was made through a competitive federal process, so it reflects national priorities on workforce capacity in neurodevelopmental care.

This is a federal training grant rather than a clinical study, so no effect sizes or patient outcomes are reported. The award was made through a competitive selection among LEND sites in every state, and the program's projected benefits are expected increases in trained providers and in the number who can perform diagnostic assessments.

The players

University of Florida

A public research university whose College of Medicine runs one of the country's LEND sites for neurodevelopmental disabilities training.

Carol Mathews, M.D.

Chair of the UF College of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry and director of UF's Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, who will serve as the LEND program director.

The details

The LEND program directs workforce development funding toward building leadership skills among counselors, technicians, psychologists, physicians and educators, starting with undergraduates and continuing through fellowship training. UF's site is a collaboration among the departments of psychiatry, psychology, pediatrics, and health outcomes and biomedical informatics, and the College of Dentistry, led by Carol Mathews, M.D., and includes people with autism and their family members as advisers.

November 2026: UF is selected for the LEND federal grant.
2006: The Autism CARES Act is enacted, funding LEND sites.
Over the five-year grant period: UF expands provider training.

Health Landscape

The LEND network, authorized by the Autism CARES Act of 2006, places a training site in every state to address the nationwide demand for clinicians who can diagnose and support people with autism. Expanding diagnostic capacity at the workforce level is a central strategy in the broader effort to reduce delays in autism care across the population.

If you are a Florida parent or adult concerned about autism, the expansion of trained diagnostic providers may shorten future wait times for assessment, so it is worth asking your pediatrician or primary care doctor about referral options. The program is most relevant to families in the North Central Florida region the grant targets.

The takeaway

Federal workforce grants like this one are one way the system tries to close the gap in autism diagnosis and support. If you have concerns about a child's development, ask your doctor about a referral to a developmental specialist rather than waiting for symptoms to resolve on their own.