If your child is autistic and attends a Duval County public or charter school, exceptional student education (ESE) and an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) are how the school provides specially designed instruction and support. The process follows Florida rules that apply in every district, with firm deadlines that protect your child. This guide walks Jacksonville families through each step, from the first written request to the IEP meeting and what to do if you disagree, and ends with a checklist you can print.
We could not open Duval County Public Schools' ESE web pages when this guide was checked, so district-specific forms and contacts are not listed here. Start with your child's school and ask for the ESE contact or case manager, and use the state rules below, which bind every Florida district.
Step 1: How do I ask Duval County Public Schools for an evaluation?
Put it in writing. Under Rule 6A-6.0331, a parent of a child from age 3 through grade 12 can request an initial evaluation. Send a dated letter or email to the principal and the school's ESE contact. Say that you suspect your child has a disability, describe what you see at home and school, attach any private evaluation, and ask for an evaluation for exceptional student education. Keep a copy. Our evaluation request letter gives you a template.
- 30 days to respond: within 30 days of your request, the district must either ask for your consent to evaluate or give you written notice explaining why it refuses.
- No need to wait for interventions: your request can run at the same time as general-education interventions (often called MTSS). Preschool children are exempt from the general-education intervention steps.
- Preschoolers: for children aged 3 to 5, FDLRS Crown, 1531 Winthrop St., Jacksonville, FL 32206 (904-346-4601), handles Child Find screening for Duval, Clay and Nassau counties. If your child is in Early Steps, transition planning starts at least 90 days before the third birthday, and an IEP should be in place by that birthday if your child is eligible.
Step 2: What happens during the evaluation?
Once you sign consent, the district must complete the evaluation within 60 calendar days. School holidays, Thanksgiving, winter and spring breaks and the summer break do not count, and neither do days when your child is absent for more than 8 school days in that period. The district and you can agree in writing to extend it by up to 30 calendar days, but only after testing has begun and before day 45. Consent to evaluate is not consent to services. See the 60-day evaluation timeline.
For autism, Florida's rule (Rule 6A-6.03023) requires the evaluation to include:
- behavioral observations across settings, focused on social interaction, social communication and restricted or repetitive behaviors;
- a social and developmental history from an interview with you;
- a psychological evaluation with at least one standardized instrument specific to autism;
- a language evaluation of social communication, including an observation by a speech-language pathologist;
- a standardized assessment of adaptive behavior; and
- a functional behavioral assessment if behavior concerns are present.
Step 3: How does the school decide eligibility?
Under Rule 6A-6.03023, a student is eligible for ESE under autism spectrum disorder when there is evidence of impairment in social interaction, impairment in verbal or nonverbal language used for social communication, and restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities; those features occur across settings; and the student needs special education.
A medical diagnosis does not decide school eligibility, and school eligibility is not a diagnosis. The district must consider a private evaluation you share, though. Some young children are first found eligible under the Developmentally Delayed category (ages 3 through 9, unless the child has finished grade 2) and are re-evaluated later. Read Florida ESE autism eligibility for more.
Step 4: What happens at the IEP meeting?
The IEP must be developed within 30 calendar days after eligibility is determined, and it must be reviewed at least once a year. Under Rule 6A-6.03028, the team includes you, at least one regular education teacher if your child is or may be in general education, at least one special education teacher, a district representative, someone who can interpret the evaluation results and, when appropriate, your child.
- You can invite others. The rule lets parents invite "other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the student," which can include your child's private BCBA. See bringing a BCBA to an IEP meeting.
- Behavior goals. If behavior gets in the way of learning, ask how the IEP will address it, and whether the functional behavioral assessment will inform a behavior plan.
- Extended school year. The team must consider ESY at least once a year.
- Transition starts early in Florida. Planning begins in 7th grade or at age 12, whichever comes first.
- Missed services. Since July 1, 2026, if a related service in the IEP is missed, the district must notify you within 10 school days and discuss make-up services, and you can ask for provider logs or progress notes within 15 school days. See the 2026 missed-services law.
Step 5: Where will my child be taught?
Placement comes after the IEP: first goals and services, then where they can be delivered. Florida law (s. 1003.57) defines settings by how much of the week a student spends with peers without disabilities.
| Term | Time with peers without disabilities |
|---|---|
| Regular class | 80 percent or more of the school week |
| Resource room | 40 to 80 percent |
| Separate class | Less than 40 percent |
| ESE center or special day school | A separate public school without peers who do not have disabilities |
| Other separate environment | Private school, residential facility, or hospital or homebound program |
The least restrictive environment rule means removal from regular classes happens only when education there, with supplementary aids and services, cannot be achieved satisfactorily. Placement in an ESE center needs your separate written consent on a state form and at least 10 days' written notice of the meeting (s. 1003.5715). See ESE placement options in Florida.
Should my child have a 504 plan or an IEP?
| IEP (ESE) | Section 504 plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Law | IDEA and Florida ESE rules | Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act |
| Who qualifies | A student who meets an ESE category and needs specially designed instruction | A student with a disability that substantially limits a major life activity |
| What it provides | Specially designed instruction, related services, measurable goals, accommodations | Accommodations and services so the student can access school; no specially designed instruction |
| Timelines | State deadlines: 30 days to respond, 60 calendar days to evaluate, 30 days to write the IEP | Set in district procedures; Florida has no separate state 504 timeline |
| Disputes | Facilitation, mediation, state complaint, due process | District 504 procedures and the U.S. Office for Civil Rights |
If your child needs instruction in social, communication or behavior skills, ask about an IEP, since a 504 plan does not include specially designed instruction. A student who mainly needs accommodations, such as extra time or a quiet testing room, may be served by a 504 plan. Read IEP vs 504 plan in Florida.
What if I disagree with the school?
- Ask for a meeting and put concerns in writing. Many disagreements are solved at the school level.
- Independent educational evaluation (IEE). If you disagree with the district's evaluation, you can ask for an IEE at public expense; the district must pay for it or file for due process to defend its own evaluation (Rule 6A-6.03311). See IEEs in Florida.
- Facilitated IEP meeting or mediation. The Florida Department of Education offers both; mediation is voluntary and the Department bears its cost.
- State complaint. A signed written complaint to the Department about violations within the past year; it decides within 60 calendar days.
- Due process hearing. A formal hearing before a state administrative law judge; you generally must file within two years. During a hearing, your child usually stays in the current placement.
A Florida education attorney can advise on your situation. Our guide to IEP dispute options in Florida compares each route.
Checklist for Duval families
| Step | What to do | Deadline to track |
|---|---|---|
| Request | Send a dated written request to the principal and ESE contact; keep a copy | District response within 30 days |
| Consent | Read the evaluation plan, ask questions, sign consent | Evaluation within 60 calendar days of consent |
| Share records | Give the team private evaluations, ABA progress reports and medical letters | Before the eligibility meeting |
| Eligibility | Ask for copies of all reports before the meeting | IEP within 30 calendar days of eligibility |
| IEP meeting | Bring your goals, invite your BCBA if helpful, ask about behavior support and ESY | Review at least yearly |
| Placement | Ask how much time your child will spend with peers and why | 10 days' notice before any ESE center discussion |
| Follow-up | Track services and progress reports; ask for service logs if needed | Missed-service notice within 10 school days |
Can private ABA work alongside my child's IEP?
Yes. Florida law (s. 1003.572) says private providers hired by parents, including BCBAs and supervised RBTs, must be permitted to observe, collaborate and provide services at school once the teacher and principal agree on time and place and the provider meets the background screening rules. Private ABA does not replace the district's duty to provide a free appropriate public education. Read private ABA in Duval County schools, and military families can find base school liaison contacts in our NAS Jacksonville and Mayport guide.
How Hope Center supports Duval students
Hope Center provides ABA at school, at home, at daycare and in the community across Duval County, coordinated from our Jacksonville office at 7751 Belfort Parkway, Suite 200. BCBAs write each program, RBTs deliver sessions, and our clinical director reviews every plan before it goes to insurance. Our staff can join IEP meetings where the school and family allow it, and we train parents every week so skills carry over between home and school. We accept Florida Blue, Aetna, Cigna (Evernorth), UMR, Personify Health and TRICARE East, with self-pay on a sliding scale, and there is no waitlist. Learn about school-based ABA in Jacksonville, visit our Jacksonville ABA page, or contact us at 561-337-8865 for a free consultation and benefits check.