Special education in Florida
What Florida calls special education, how long each step takes, who to call, free help, paying for services, and how the state scores.
Special education in Florida
Special education is called
Exceptional Student Education (ESE)
The IEPIndividualized Education Program: a written plan for a child's special education services at school. meeting
IEP team meeting
Eligibility team
Eligibility staffing / IEP team
Evaluation timeline
60 calendar days. 60 calendar days from consent, not counting school holidays, breaks, summer, or days when the student is absent more than 8 school days (Rule 6A-6.0331(3)(g), verified)
IEP timeline
30 days (federal)
Transition planning starts
14 or entry to high school, whichever is first (being checked)
Rights transfer to the student at
18
Developmental delay category
3 to 7, some reported at 8 (child count)
Dyslexia law
partial: s. 1008.25 F.S.: universal K-3 progress monitoring (FAST); dyslexia characteristics screening tied to students with substantial reading deficiency
State categories
ESE also covers gifted; state categories include language impaired, speech impaired, dual-sensory impaired, emotional/behavioral disability
Find your district and schools
83 districts and charter districts. 350 special education schools and 705 public charter schools.
The state office and your options when you disagree
State special education office
Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services (850) 245-0475
Procedural safeguards (your rights notice)
Mediation
State complaint
Due process
Free help for families
Parent centers
- Family Network on Disabilities-Parent Support Network (PSN) Project
Parent Training and Information Center (PTI), Clearwater
Serves: Charlotte County; Citrus County; Collier County; DeSoto County; Glades County; Hardee County; Hendry County; Hernando County; Highlands County; Hillsborough County; Lee County; Manatee County; Pasco County; Pinellas County; Sarasota County; Sumter County
(727) 523-1130 - Parent Education Network Project (PEN)
Parent Training and Information Center (PTI), Clearwater
Serves: Broward County; Indian River County; Lake County; Martin County; Miami-Dade County; Monroe County; Okeechobee County; Orange County; Osceola County; Palm Beach County; Polk County; St. Lucie County
(727) 523-1130 - Parent to Parent of Miami, Inc.
Community Parent Resource Center (CPRC), Miami
Serves: Miami-Dade County
(305) 271-9797 - Parents of the Panhandle Information Network (POPIN)
Parent Training and Information Center (PTI), Clearwater
Serves: Alachua County; Baker County; Bay County; Bradford County; Brevard County; Calhoun County; Clay County; Columbia County; Dixie County; Duval County; Escambia County; Flagler County; Franklin County; Gadsden County; Gilchrist County; Gulf County; Hamilton County; Holmes County; Jackson County; Jefferson County; Lafayette County; Leon County; Levy County; Liberty County; Madison County; Marion County; Nassau County; Okaloosa County; Putnam County; Santa Rosa County; Seminole County; St. Johns County; Suwannee County; Taylor County; Union County; Volusia County; Wakulla County; Walton County; Washington County
(727) 523-1130
Disability rights agency
- Disability Rights Florida
Protection and Advocacy Agency, Tallahassee
(850) 488-9071
Paying for it
Medicaid for children
Florida Medicaid (Florida KidCare Medicaid)
CHIP
Florida KidCare (MediKids, Florida Healthy Kids, Children's Medical Services Health Plan)
Apply
Medicaid for children with disabilities, whatever the family's income
yes (KFF 2026: state plan option or comparable waiver); program not named in sources checked. KFF lists Florida as Yes, but Florida Health Justice Project (2025) argues Florida lacks a Katie BeckettA Medicaid option for children with significant disabilities that looks at the child's own income, not the parents'. Also called TEFRA. option; check before publishing.
Schools bill Medicaid for health services
pending
Autism insurance law
yes. $36,000 per year, $200,000 lifetime (as listed by NCSL)
Scholarship or ESA for students with disabilities
both: Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (SWD ESA); FES-EO / Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (universal)
Program page
How Florida scores
First edition. These grades are new (November 2026) and the weights may still change. Texas graduation data is being confirmed with the state.
State of Schools
C+Rank 13 of 51
State of Support
FRank 47 of 51
Combined
D+Rank 41 of 51
| Pillar | Grade |
|---|---|
| Following the law | B+ |
| Learning together | C- |
| Results | A |
| School funding | F |
| Family protections | D |
| Options and transition | C+ |
IDEA determination 2026: Meets. How we grade.
Sources for this page are listed in the SPED Atlas research tables (state terms, state help, paying for it). Items marked "being checked" are waiting on a primary source.
Last reviewed: November 2026. Rules, programs and phone numbers change. Check with the office named on this page. Report outdated or wrong information.