Families ask delegation to require clearer APD eligibility rules, faster reimbursements and a parent oversight group

Several parents and self-advocates told the Brevard County legislative delegation that state systems for autism supports are unclear and slow, creating recurring gaps in care and the risk of long-term instability for adults with complex needs.

Sandy Studeville, who spoke with her adult son Michael, asked the delegation to push APD to adopt objective eligibility criteria aligned with DSM-5 and adaptive functioning measures. "Florida's eligibility rules for services are vague and inconsistent under the autism category," Studeville said. She told delegates that subjective terms such as "severe" and "marked" lead to conflicting determinations and appeals and that other states rely on clearer diagnostic and functional metrics.

Studeville also urged faster and more accountable reimbursements for the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities and changes to the FESUA payment portal, which she said delayed reimbursements for months. She asked the delegation to consider creating an oversight committee that includes lawmakers, Department of Education representatives, parents and providers to review policy, reimbursement timeliness and program rules.

Self-advocate Michael Studenhill described daily support needs and said a Medicaid waiver through APD could provide a pathway to community-based independence if families knew eligibility earlier. "Support to practice social skills, build independent living routines, and make friends... With the right support, I can work and contribute to my community," he told members.

Other presentations at the meeting addressed related system gaps: Nicole Grabner of 1 Voice Brevard asked lawmakers to standardize autism definitions across state statutes so agencies use consistent clinical terminology and do not undercut medical diagnoses. Joseph Werner, director of the Brevard Autism Coalition and an occupational therapist, described families who cannot find inpatient psychiatric placements for autistic teenagers with acute needs and said resource shortfalls contribute to crises and, in at least one recounted case, family tragedy.

What delegates were asked to do: parents asked the delegation to press APD to publish transparent, DSM-5–aligned eligibility criteria, establish an oversight panel that includes parents and providers, require 30‑day reimbursement turnarounds for scholarship and voucher programs, and pursue solutions for the shortage of appropriate behavioral and inpatient placements for teens and young adults with autism and complex co-occurring mental health needs.

Context: multiple witnesses said the problem is not a single missing program but inconsistent rules, disparities in how agencies define eligibility and slow or opaque payment systems. Delegation staff asked parents to submit written recommendations and contact delegation offices for follow-up meetings.