Parent and Family Services

The Florida Department of Education has a web page specific to ESE services for children of service members: https://www.fldoe.org/schools/school-choice/other-school-choice-options/military-families/

Florida resources listed below are hot-linked.  As other resources listed may prove valuable, please copy and paste the links in your browser to access that information at your discretion.

Scholarships specific to students with disabilities:

Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities: (formerly the Gardiner Scholarship):  Beginning with the 2021-22 school year, the Gardiner Scholarship Program has been rolled into the Family Empowerment Scholarship and will be referred to as the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA). As was done with the Gardiner Scholarship Program, students who are found eligible are able to use their funds as an education savings account. This means funding can be used beyond just tuition and fees at a private school. Families are required to apply and renew through the scholarship funding organizations. The scholarship funding organization is responsible for determining eligibility, awarding and distributing funding to eligible students and approving eligible expenditures.

As of July 1, 2022, the McKay Scholarship will also be rolled into the Family Empowerment Scholarship program under the Unique Abilities category.    Florida's school choice programs allow parents to choose the best educational setting—public or private—for their child. The McKay Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities provided nearly 30,000 Florida students with special needs the opportunity to attend a participating private school during the 2020-21 school year. The McKay Scholarship Program also offers parents public school choice. A parent of an eligible special needs student may choose to transfer the student to another public school.

Other scholarships

Florida Tax Credit Scholarship:  Florida created the income-based Florida Tax Credit Scholarship in 2001 to give students one learning option that is not available to them because of their financial circumstances. It allows them to consider whether a private school might be a better fit academically.  Access this information at https://www.stepupforstudents.org/research-and-reports/florida-tax-credit-scholarship/basic-program-facts-ftc/

Hope Scholarship:  Florida created the Hope Scholarship in 2018 to give bullied students a fresh start. This first-of-its-kind school choice program provides scholarships to students suffering from bullying at their prior public school. K-12 students who have reported an incident of harassment, hazing, bullying, robbery, sexual assault and more, may be eligible for a scholarship to attend a private school or a public school in a different school district.  Access this information at https://www.stepupforstudents.org/research-and-reports/hope-scholarship/basic-program-facts-hope/

Reading Scholarship:  In order to be eligible for a Reading Scholarship Account your child must be  currently enrolled in a Florida public school in third, fourth or fifth grade for the 2021-22 school year, and scored a performance level of 1 or 2 on the English Language Arts (ELA) test in the 2020-21 school year.  Students who are classified as English Language Learners (ELL), and who are enrolled in a program or receiving services that are specifically designed to meet the instructional needs of ELL students, will receive priority.  Access this information at https://www.stepupforstudents.org/for-parents/reading-scholarship/how-the-scholarship-works/

Transportation Scholarship:  For the 2021-22 school year, a family of four could have an income of nearly $100,000 annually to be eligible for a $750 scholarship (per student) to assist with transportation costs to a public school that is different than the one they are assigned to attend.  Access this information at https://www.stepupforstudents.org/scholarships/transportation-scholarships/

Parents:  Did you know?

A read-at-home plan is required to be provided to parents of any K-3 student who has been identified with a substantial deficiency in reading.  The Florida Department of Education has compiled resources that each school district must include in a read-at-home plan provided to the parent of a student who is identified as having a substantial reading deficiency.  A read-at-home plan includes information and resources connected to the essential components of reading:  oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.  These resources are available in an electronic format that is easily accessible online, and a hardcopy of such resources must be provided by the school upon parent request. 

Resources are included in the areas of:

• Parent Guides for English Language Arts Standards
• Supporting Reading at Home
• New Worlds Reading Initiative
• Overview of Assessment Types
• Statewide English Language Arts Assessments
• Supports for Parental Involvement (including Dispute Resolution Systems)
• Evaluating and Identifying a Student for Exceptional Student Education
• Characteristics of  Specific Learning Disability, including:
  • Dyslexia
  • Dysgraphia
  • Dyscalculia
  • Developmental Aphasia

To access these resources, please navigate to this document:  Read at home plan document.pdf

Florida hosts an annual conference, The Family Cafe, specific to families of students with disabilities.  It is

an exciting, inclusive event, and held in the Orlando/Kissimmee area every June.  Why not consider participating next year?  Information on the Family Cafe can be found on the Family Cafe website, please click here.  

Do you have a child with a disability of school age in Florida?

Learn where to find resources to help your child benefit from special education services at the Special Ed Connection®

These resources include:

• A better understanding of special education topics.
• A way to be more actively involved in meeting the special education needs of your student.
• Smart Starts, a quick way to gain a better understanding of almost 450 special education topics, federal regulations, case law, assistive technology, and how the special education law applies to your family member.
• Special Ed Online Dictionary, which contains straightforward, easily understood definitions of more than 1,400 widely used terms.
• News and Updates, which can help you stay current on the latest news and developments in the special education community.
• Special Ed Round-Ups, an easy way to quickly access the latest news on hundreds of special education issues from autism to bullying to post-secondary transition and more.

The Florida Department of Education is proud to provide access to the Special Ed Connection® at no cost to families of students with disabilities. Parents of students in Escambia, Okaloosa, and Santa Rosa counties can request a subscription to Special Ed Connection at https://bit.ly/LRPRegister. 

 

LOCAL DISTRICT CONTACTS

Planning for life after high school is essential for students with disabilities.  Florida supports post-secondary transition through working with districts and via the Project 10 IDEA funded project specifically focused on providing districts with post-secondary transition supports and training.  The information contained on this page is an effort to support that work, and to help ensure parents using this site can effectively connect with post-secondary supports. 

To link to the wealth of information on the Project 10 website, click the link above or the  logo below:

For questions specific to opportunities and processes in your school district, please contact the post-secondary transition specialists noted below:

ESCAMBIA: Kim Norris, KNorris@ecsdfl.us

OKALOOSA:  Judy Peacock, Judy.Peacock@okaloosaschools.com

SANTA ROSA: Rachelle Wood, WoodRL@santarosa.k12.fl.us

RESOURCES

Listed below are resource websites to assist with planning.  

Please note:  A listing on this page does not constitute an endorsement of the program.  Parents are encouraged to investigate the opportunities listed here to ensure a good match with student needs.  

The University of West Florida's Argos Autism Program (AAP) is a Beyond Access service offered by Student Accessibility Resources (SAR) that provides academic, social, life skills, and career planning support to students with autism who attend the University of West Florida. The goal of AAP is to enhance the college experience by providing assistance with making connections on campus and navigating Argo life.

For additional information, please contact SAR at (850) 474-2387 or sar@uwf.edu or stop by the SAR offices in Building 21, Room 110, or visit https://uwf.edu/centers/center-for-behavior-analysis/argos-autism-program/

ABOUT FLORIDASHINES

FloridaShines is our state’s Student Hub of Innovative Educational Services, offering an array of FREE online tools and resources designed to help students succeed in school, earn a college degree, and embark on a rewarding career. FloridaShines works with the state's K-12 school districts, public colleges, and universities to develop tools that benefit students, parents, and educators alike.

FloridaShines is provided by the Florida Virtual Campus [FLVC], located at https://www.flvc.org/. FLVC is funded by the state of Florida, making all of the tools and resources available at no cost to students.

The Accommodation Resource Center (ARC) at Northwest Florida State College is committed to providing equal access and opportunities for educational success to all students with disabilities as guided by the American Disabilities Act and other disability-related laws.

Northwest Florida State College does not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities in any of our programs, services, or activities based on Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Visit https://www.nwfsc.edu/accommodations/ to connect to the Northwest Florida State College website for additional details and contact information.

The Student Resource Center for ADA Services is located on the Pensacola Campus in Building 6, Room 603, and can be reached by telephone at (850) 484-1637. A student with documented disabilities is enrolled in classes for inclusion in the educational experiences common to all students. 

When necessary, course substitutions can be made pursuant to s.1007.264, F.S., and 6A-10.041, F.A.C. Accommodations for the GED and other standardized tests are available.

For more information, please contact Student Support Services at (850) 484-1637 or visit https://www.pensacolastate.edu/current-students/student-services/student-resource-center-for-ada-services/

 

To connect to the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities, visit the https://fcsua.org/  website to search for postsecondary education programs available to students with intellectual disabilities in Florida.  This site includes videos of programs, along with brief summaries about what each offers.  Sites are marked according to whether or not they are an approved Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition program.  Students who attend a Federally approved Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP) may be eligible for Federal financial aid. 

Copy and paste following link in your internet browser to access the free resources available from the Florida Department of Education's Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services (BEESS): 

https://www.fldoe.org/academics/exceptional-student-edu/beess-resources/

Websites of interest to parents:

• American Foundation for the Blind - The mission of the American Foundation for the Blind is to create a world of no limits for people who are blind or visually impaired. We mobilize leaders, advance understanding, and champion impactful policies and practices using research and data.  Access this resource at https://www.afb.org/
• Bright Expectations - A website dedicated to helping our residents with unique abilities find the support, resources, and inspiration they and their families need to break barriers, defy lowered expectations, and achieve the brightest futures they can imagine.  Access this resource at http://www.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/people-with-disabilities/bright-expectations/index.html
• Discovery Education - Free Resources on a variety of topics,  Access this resource at http://www.discoveryeducation.com/parents/?campaign=flyout_parents
• Division of Vocational Rehabilitation-Florida (VR) - VR is a federal-state program that helps people who have physical or mental disabilities get or keep a job.  Access this resource at https://www.rehabworks.org/ 
• ESE Eligibility - The Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services supports school districts and others in their efforts to provide exceptional student education programs for students ages 3 – 21 who have disabilities and students who are gifted. Each school district is responsible for providing services to students who are eligible for exceptional student education (ESE) programs.  
• Exceptional Education - The Bureau of Exceptional Education administers programs for students with disabilities.
• Florida Center for Reading Research - Resources for parents, families, and caregivers to support children's reading.  Access this resource at https://fcrr.org/families
• Florida Developmental Disabilities Council - Agency committed to advocating and promoting programs, practices, and innovative initiatives that enhance the independence, productivity, inclusion, and self-determination of individuals with developmental disabilities.  Access this resource at https://www.fddc.org/
• Learning Disabilities Association of America - Support and resources for parents of children with learning disabilities.  Access this resource at https://ldaamerica.org/parents/
• Transition to Independence Project (TIP) - The TIP system was developed to engage youth and young adults in their own futures planning process, provide them with developmentally-appropriate services and supports, and involve them and their families and other informal key players in a process that prepares and facilitates them in their movement toward greater self-sufficiency and successful achievement of their goals related to each of the transition domains.  Access this resource at https://www.starstrainingacademy.com/
• US Department of Education - Information for parents of children with special needs.  Access this resource at https://www2.ed.gov/parents/needs/speced/edpicks.jhtml
• Family Network on Disabilities - Variety of information for parents.  Access this resource at http://fndusa.org/