Get Started on a Pathway to Services with APD
If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a client of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD), an Application for Services can be submitted either online or by paper.
APD has introduced a Quick Guide: Applying for APD Services. This resource is designed to guide individuals and their families through the application process. Click here to access the Quick Guide in a printable format.
Prior to starting the application for APD, there are a couple things to prepare ahead of time that will make the application process easier.
The below are pre-screening items that are used to determine eligibility for APD services. The Agency may request additional information or documentation in order to complete your application.
- The applicant is 3 years of age or older.
- The applicant lives in Florida.
- The applicant has a developmental disability that presented itself prior to the age of 18.
It is also helpful to gather all necessary documentation to submit along with the application. More information about documentation can be found in our Quick Guide but the below are the different types of documentation needed when applying.
- Identity Verification
- Domicile Verification
- Diagnosis Documentation
- Please note, the most important and most helpful is any diagnostic evaluation completed during the developmental period and prior to the age of 18.
In order to be eligible for services from APD, an individual must have a developmental disability (as defined in section 393.063(12), Florida Statutes, found here), which occurs prior to age 18 and constitutes a substantial handicap that can reasonably be expected to continue indefinitely. Disabilities served by APD include:
- Intellectual disabilities (Full Scale IQ of 70 or below)
- Severe forms of autism
- Spina bifida cystica or myelomeningocele
- Cerebral palsy
- Prader-Willi syndrome
- Down syndrome
- Phelan-McDermid syndrome or
- Individuals between the ages of 3-5 at high risk for a developmental disability
Applications can be submitted online. Get started here: Online Application.
For ease, applications are also available for printing on our website and at your Local APD office. For paper copy applications, please submit to your local APD office.
Find your local APD Office here: Local APD Office Locations.
If you have any questions, please contact us at 1-866-APD-CARES
(1-866-273-2273).