If you think your school-age child may be autistic, or already has a diagnosis and needs support at school, you can ask the school district to evaluate them for exceptional student education (ESE). In Florida, a written request starts a clock: within 30 days, the district must either ask for your consent to evaluate or tell you in writing why it will not. This page gives you a sample letter for kindergarten through grade 12, explains the timelines in Florida's rule, and explains why you do not have to wait for MTSS or RtI to finish. For children aged 3 to kindergarten entry, see our preschool evaluation letter.
Can I ask the school to evaluate my child?
Yes. Rule 6A-6.0331(3), Florida Administrative Code, says: "Either a parent of a kindergarten through grade 12 student or child age three (3) to kindergarten entry age, or a school district may initiate a request for initial evaluation to determine if the student is a student with a disability."
You do not need a doctor's referral or an autism diagnosis to ask. If your child does have a diagnosis, include it, because it is evidence that your child "may be a student with a disability and needs special education and related services," one of the circumstances the rule lists (Rule 6A-6.0331(3)(a)4).
What must the district do after my request?
Rule 6A-6.0331(3)(c) says that when a parent requests an evaluation, "the school district must within thirty (30) days, unless the parent and the school agree otherwise in writing:
1. Obtain consent for the evaluation; or
2. Provide the parent with written notice in accordance with Rule 6A-6.03311, F.A.C., explaining its refusal to conduct the evaluation.
Note three things:
- The rule says "thirty (30) days," not school days.
- The clock can change only if you and the school "agree otherwise in writing." Read anything you are asked to sign about timelines carefully before signing.
- A refusal must come as written notice under Rule 6A-6.03311(1), which must include "An explanation of why" the district refuses and "A description of each evaluation procedure, assessment, record, or report" it relied on.
Do I have to wait for MTSS or RtI first?
No. Florida schools use a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS), sometimes called response to intervention (RtI), and the rule expects general education interventions for K-12 students. But when the evaluation is requested by a parent, the rule allows the interventions to run alongside it. Rule 6A-6.0331(3)(d)2 lets the school document that "The evaluation was initiated at parent request and the activities described in subsection (1) of this rule, will be completed concurrently with the evaluation but prior to the determination of the student's eligibility."
The rule also says: "Nothing in this section should be construed to either limit or create a right to FAPE ... or to delay appropriate evaluation of a student suspected of having a disability" (Rule 6A-6.0331(1)(f)). And some interventions may not be required at all when a team including the parent finds them "not appropriate" for a student with "severe social/behavioral deficits that require immediate intensive intervention to prevent harm to the student or others" (Rule 6A-6.0331(1)).
If a staff member tells you the evaluation must wait until RtI is finished, you can politely point to Rule 6A-6.0331(3)(d)2 and ask for the district's answer in writing.
How long does the evaluation take?
| Step | Timeline | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Parent request to district response (consent form or written refusal) | 30 days, unless you agree otherwise in writing | (3)(c) |
| Signed consent to completed evaluation | 60 calendar days after the district receives consent | (3)(g) |
| Days that do not count | School holidays; Thanksgiving, winter and spring breaks; summer vacation; days a student is absent for more than 8 school days in the 60-day period; certain Governor-ordered emergency closures | (3)(g)1-4 |
| Possible extension | Up to 30 more calendar days by mutual written agreement, secured before day 45 and after formal testing has begun | (3)(h)1 |
| Eligibility to initial IEP | Within 30 calendar days after eligibility is determined | Rule 6A-6.03028(3)(f)2 |
More detail is in our guide to Florida's 60-day evaluation timeline.
The sample letter
Example template only. Adjust it to your child; it is not legal advice.
[Date]
To: [Principal's name], Principal, [School name]
Cc: [School psychologist or ESE contact, if known]
Re: Parent request for initial evaluation, [child's full name], grade [grade], date of birth [date]
Dear [Principal's name],
I am writing to request a full and individual initial evaluation of my child, [name], to determine whether [he/she/they] is a student with a disability who needs exceptional student education, including evaluation for autism spectrum disorder under Rule 6A-6.03023, F.A.C. I am making this request under Rule 6A-6.0331(3), F.A.C.
My concerns are:
- [Communication: for example, difficulty following group directions or starting conversations]
- [Social: for example, playing alone at recess, trouble with turn-taking]
- [Behavior or sensory: for example, distress during transitions or in loud rooms]
- [Learning: for example, falling behind in reading despite extra help]
[Optional: [Child] was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder by [provider] on [date]. I am attaching a copy of the report for the team to consider.] [Optional: [Child] receives ABA therapy from [provider], and the BCBA's observations are attached.]
I understand that any general education interventions can be completed concurrently with the evaluation under Rule 6A-6.0331(3)(d)2. Please send me the consent form and a description of the proposed evaluation procedures within 30 days, as required by Rule 6A-6.0331(3)(c), or written notice if the district refuses. Please also send me a copy of the procedural safeguards.
Thank you. I look forward to working with the team.
[Your name]
[Phone] | [Email]
Email it so it is dated, keep a copy, and write the 30-day date on your calendar.
What happens after I sign consent?
- You get written notice of the evaluation procedures the district proposes (Rule 6A-6.0331(4)(a)).
- Consent to evaluate is not consent to services. "Parental consent for initial evaluation must not be construed as consent for initial provision of ESE" (Rule 6A-6.0331(4)(b)). You decide on services later.
- The autism evaluation has set parts. Rule 6A-6.03023 requires behavioral observations across settings, a social/developmental history from a parent interview, a psychological evaluation with at least one autism-specific standardized instrument, a language evaluation including an observation by a speech-language pathologist, a standardized adaptive behavior assessment, and an FBA if behavioral concerns are present. See Florida ESE autism eligibility.
- A medical diagnosis is not the same as school eligibility. The district decides eligibility under its own criteria, including whether your child needs special education. It must consider a private evaluation you share (Rule 6A-6.03311(6)(j)); see sharing a private evaluation with the school.
- If you disagree with the district's evaluation, you can ask for an independent educational evaluation at public expense (Rule 6A-6.03311(6)(a)).
What if my child is in private school or homeschooled?
Rule 6A-6.0331 says its evaluation requirements apply to all students, "including those who are homeless or are wards of the state or who attend private schools." For private school students, ask the school district where the private school is located about its child find process. For home education students, s. 1002.41(9), Florida Statutes, says testing and evaluation services at diagnostic and resource centers "shall be available" to home education students, including students with disabilities. Your district ESE office can explain how to request one.
How Hope Center helps
If your child receives ABA with us, our BCBAs can write a short summary of what they see, for you to attach to your request or share with the evaluation team. Our staff can join IEP and eligibility meetings where the school allows. Hope Center also offers diagnostic evaluations through our clinical director with a supervising licensed psychologist, separate from the school's evaluation. To ask about ABA, an evaluation or school support, contact us or call 561-337-8865.